Welcome — playful courtroom reading workshop!
Today we'll study and perform the opening lines for Book 19 of Augustine's City of God — adapted into friendly modern English for a 10‑year‑old performer. We'll use a t‑model to parse the sentences (word by word: part of speech, role in the sentence, and any phrases). Then you'll perform a short memorized mock-court speech with an Ally McBeal cadence — spritely, dramatic, and a little theatrical.
Memorize these adapted opening lines (short & theatrical)
Line A (warm-up, question): "What city can stand if truth does not found it?"
Line B (main sentence to parse and perform): "I ask whether earthly laws, without God's guiding justice, can build an eternal home in the human heart."
How to use the T‑Model (Michael Clay Thompson style)
- Write each word in the left column.
- In the middle column label its part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, article/determiner, auxiliary, participle, etc.).
- In the right column name the word's role in the sentence (subject, main verb/predicate, direct object, object of preposition, part of a phrase, and label any phrases like "noun phrase" or "prepositional phrase").
- At the bottom, decide sentence structure (simple/compound/complex/compound-complex) and sentence type (declarative/interrogative/exclamatory/imperative).
Worksheet — T‑Model for Line A (short warm-up)
| Word | Part of Speech | Role / Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| What ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| city ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| can ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| stand ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| if ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| truth ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| does ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| not ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| found ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| it ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Sentence structure: ☐ (simple / compound / complex / compound-complex)
Sentence type: ☐ (declarative / interrogative / exclamatory / imperative)
Worksheet — T‑Model for Line B (main parsing & performance)
| Word | Part of Speech | Role / Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| I ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| ask ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| whether ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| earthly ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| laws ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| , ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| without ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| God's ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| guiding ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| justice ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| , ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| can ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| build ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| an ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| eternal ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| home ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| in ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| the ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| human ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| heart ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| . ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Sentence structure: ☐ (simple / compound / complex / compound-complex)
Sentence type: ☐ (declarative / interrogative / exclamatory / imperative)
Worked exemplar (Exemplar level) — fully filled t‑model with explanations
Line A ("What city can stand if truth does not found it?") — exemplar parsing
- What — interrogative pronoun (introduces the question; head of noun phrase)
- city — noun (head of noun phrase & subject of the verb phrase)
- can — auxiliary/modal verb (helps the main verb to show possibility)
- stand — main verb (predicate; action of the sentence)
- if — subordinating conjunction (starts the subordinate clause explaining condition)
- truth — noun (subject of the subordinate clause)
- does — auxiliary verb (helps the negative construction; here "does not found")
- not — adverb (negates the verb)
- found — main verb (in the subordinate clause; meaning "to be the base of")
- it — pronoun (object of the verb "found")
Phrase notes: "What city" is a noun phrase acting as the question's subject. "if truth does not found it" is a subordinate (adverbial) clause of condition, containing a noun phrase "truth" and verb phrase "does not found it." Sentence structure: complex (main clause + subordinate clause). Sentence type: interrogative.
Line B (full exemplar parsing)
- I — pronoun (subject of the main clause)
- ask — verb (main verb of the main clause; reporting verb introducing the indirect question)
- whether — subordinating conjunction (introduces the indirect yes/no question clause)
- earthly — adjective (modifies "laws")
- laws — noun (head of noun phrase; subject of the subordinate clause)
- , — punctuation
- without — preposition (introduces the prepositional phrase "without God's guiding justice")
- God's — possessive noun functioning as determiner for "justice" (shows ownership/association)
- guiding — participial adjective (modifies "justice", showing what kind of justice)
- justice — noun (object of the preposition "without"; completes the prepositional phrase)
- , — punctuation
- can — modal verb (shows possibility; paired with main verb "build")
- build — main verb (action of the subordinate clause: what the laws might do)
- an — article/determiner (signals the following noun phrase "an eternal home")
- eternal — adjective (modifies "home")
- home — noun (direct object of "build"; what might be built)
- in — preposition (introduces prepositional phrase "in the human heart")
- the — article (determiner for "human heart")
- human — adjective (modifies "heart")
- heart — noun (object of the preposition "in")
- . — punctuation (end of sentence)
Phrase notes: The main clause is "I ask" (subject + verb). It introduces a subordinate indirect question starting with "whether..." The subordinate clause has the subject "earthly laws" and the predicate "can build an eternal home in the human heart." "without God's guiding justice" is a prepositional phrase functioning adverbially (it modifies the verb phrase by describing the condition). Sentence structure: complex (main clause + subordinate clause). Sentence type: declarative (it states a question indirectly, but the sentence form is declarative).
Scoring & comments for sentence parsing (Exemplar → Beginning)
Exemplar (A) — Strong model
- All words labeled correctly (part of speech) and roles identified (subject, verb, object, object of preposition).
- Phrases clearly named (noun phrase, prepositional phrase) with function noted.
- Sentence structure and sentence type named correctly and reason given (e.g., "complex because main + subordinate clause").
- Comment: Excellent precision and clear explanation of how the subordinate clause works. Use this as the reading and memorization model.
Proficient (B)
- Most words labeled correctly; a few small mismatches (for example, calling "guiding" an adjective instead of participial adjective is OK at this level).
- Phrases identified, but one phrase might be missing a stated function.
- Sentence structure and sentence type labeled correctly.
- Comment: Good understanding. Add one more check: read the subordinate clause aloud and say what its role is.
Meeting (C)
- Major parts of speech identified (nouns, verbs, prepositions) but some small words (articles, modals) may be missed or mis-labeled.
- Can spot a phrase (like a prepositional phrase) but may not name all phrase types.
- Sentence structure maybe guessed correctly but without full explanation.
- Comment: You're getting it — focus next on verbs (auxiliary vs main) and on what the subordinate clause is doing.
Beginning (D)
- Only some words labeled correctly (common nouns and verbs). Many small words left blank or guessed.
- Phrase and clause identification are incomplete or missing.
- Comment: Start by finding the main subject and main verb. Then find short phrases like "in the human heart" and ask: what word does this group of words belong to?
Oral mock‑court speech — Ally McBeal cadence & performance rubric
Ally McBeal cadence: bright, slightly syncopated, expressive, little pauses for comic or dramatic effect. Think: a lawyer who is smiling and dramatic at the same time. Begin with a short courtroom address and then deliver your memorized lines.
Short mock-court script (30–45 seconds):
"Ladies and gentlemen of the court —" (small bow, playful grin)
"What city can stand if truth does not found it?"
(beat — look around the room, raise an eyebrow)
"I ask whether earthly laws, without God's guiding justice, can build an eternal home in the human heart."
(closing: point gently) "Think carefully — it's the foundation that matters."
Delivery tips
- Speak clearly and slowly enough that each word lands — Ally McBeal cadence uses small, musical rises and falls.
- Use pauses for punctuation and meaning, especially before and after the subordinate clause ("without God's guiding justice").
- Make eye contact with a pretend jury — this invites listeners into your question.
- Use one or two small gestures: an open hand when you say "truth," a gentle finger-tap on your heart when you say "human heart."
Oral performance rubric and comments
Exemplar (A)
- Memorized lines delivered from memory, with confident, rhythmic Ally McBeal cadence.
- Clear articulation, expressive phrasing, well-timed pauses, and appropriate gestures.
- Comment: You sold the meaning and the music of the lines. Great connection to the audience.
Proficient (B)
- Mostly memorized, only a small prompt needed. Good cadence and some expressive pauses.
- Clear voice but could be a bit more varied (higher/lower pitch at key words).
- Comment: Very compelling; push a little more on dynamics (louder/softer) for dramatic effect.
Meeting (C)
- Reads with some memorization — relies on the paper sometimes. Rhythm and pauses are inconsistent.
- Voice understandable but monotone; gestures minimal or distracting.
- Comment: Practice speaking without the page for one small section. Try one dramatic pause after "truth."
Beginning (D)
- Many prompts or reads the whole time. Pace may be too fast or too slow. Little connection to listeners.
- Comment: Start by memorizing one short line (Line A). Practice saying it three times with a dramatic pause. Then add Line B one phrase at a time.
Quick practice plan (15 minutes)
- 2 minutes — warm up your voice (humming, saying tongue twisters slowly).
- 3 minutes — memorize Line A by repeating it out loud 6 times with dramatic pauses.
- 5 minutes — parse Line B with the t-model: find subject, verb, direct object, and one prepositional phrase.
- 5 minutes — deliver the short mock-court script twice aloud with Ally McBeal cadence; record yourself once if possible and listen back.
Teacher / Parent notes
If you want to use a public‑domain translation of Augustine's City of God for the exact historical wording, choose a public‑domain translator (for example, Marcus Dods or other older translations) and replace the adapted lines above with the authentic lines. The pedagogical scaffold — warm-up question, t‑model parsing, exemplar comments, and performance rubric — remains the same.
Finish line: Practice the parsing until you can explain what each word does. Then make the words sing in your Ally McBeal courtroom voice.