14th review – Ava DuVernay’s galvanizing documentary is a remarkable achievement
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EN: A non-defining relative clause (introduced by ', which...') adds supplementary, non-essential information about a preceding noun phrase. Because the subject 'Ava DuVernay's new documentary 14th' is already uniquely identified, commas are mandatory, separating the clause both prosodically and syntactically from the main assertion.
The director's debut feature, which premiered at Sundance, received widespread critical acclaim.
EN: Reduced relative clauses with past participles (postpositive participial modifiers): 'adopted in the aftermath of...' is a reduced form of 'which was adopted in the aftermath of...'. It functions as an adjectival modifier modifying the noun phrase 'the constitutional amendment'.
The policies implemented during the economic crisis remain controversial today.
EN: The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1868, during Reconstruction following the Civil War) is one of the most critical legal milestones in American history. It established citizenship rights, equal protection under the laws, and due process, directly addressing issues left unresolved after the abolition of slavery.
EN: The sentence begins with a past participial phrase ('Released nearly a decade ago') acting as an adverbial modifier of the subject 'its predecessor 13th'. In formal and journalistic English, participle clauses provide concise background information about the subject without needing a full relative clause.
Written in the late nineteenth century, the novel explores the consequences of unchecked industrialization.
EN: The verb 'argued' introduces a nominal 'that'-clause containing an embedded present participle modifier: 'a clause [permitting involuntary servitude as criminal punishment] enabled...'. Here, 'permitting...' functions as a reduced restrictive relative clause (= 'which permits...') modifying the head noun 'clause'.
A policy restricting carbon emissions could stimulate clean energy investments.
EN: The documentary '13th' specifically targets the 'punishment clause' (or loophole) of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude 'except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.' Ava DuVernay and legal scholars argue this historical exception incentivized the criminal justice system to expand mass incarceration, creating modern legal mechanisms that echo slavery.
EN: Negative inversion occurs when a negative or restrictive adverbial expression like 'Not only' is placed at the beginning of a clause for emphasis or rhetorical effect. In this structure, subject-auxiliary inversion is mandatory (auxiliary verb + subject + main verb).
Not only did she pass the bar exam on her first attempt, but she also finished at the top of her class.
EN: The correlative conjunction 'Not only... but (also)...' joins two parallel ideas or clauses. While 'also' is frequently included in the second clause to reinforce addition, it can be omitted or replaced by 'as well' at the end of the clause.
Not only was the proposal cost-effective, but it also addressed all major environmental concerns.
EN: The reference to the 'protests of 2020' points to the widespread racial justice demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd. Ava DuVernay's documentary '13th', which examines systemic racism and the prison-industrial complex under the 13th Amendment, saw massive surges in streaming as audiences turned to educational media to understand contemporary racial injustice.
EN: The sentence begins with a participial phrase ('Running 110 minutes') acting as an adverbial modifier. In film contexts, 'run' means 'to have a specified duration/runtime'. The logical subject of this participle is 'the sequel'.
Clocking in at over three hours, the director's cut demands serious patience from its audience.
EN: The phrase 'soon to stream on Netflix' functions as a reduced non-restrictive relative clause or an elliptical infinitive modifying 'the sequel', where 'which is soon to stream' is ellipted into 'soon to stream' to convey imminent future action succinctly.
The novel, soon to be adapted into a major motion picture, has topped bestseller lists for weeks.
EN: 'Statute that remains widely misunderstood' features a restrictive relative clause modifying 'statute'. The verb 'remain' is a linking (copular) verb followed by a passive participle ('misunderstood') serving as a subject complement, modified by the adverb 'widely'.
He addressed several regulations that remain largely unenforced across the country.
EN: The sentence references the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which consists of five distinct sections covering citizenship, due process, equal protection, congressional representation, and the validity of public debt. Often referred to simply as a single amendment, the documentary highlights its five distinct components and their profound, often overlooked civil rights implications.
EN: The past participle phrase 'featured in the film' functions as a reduced relative clause (shortened from 'who are featured in the film') post-modifying the noun phrase 'Several prominent constitutional scholars'. This structure allows concise attribution without cluttering the main clause.
The key findings highlighted in the report challenge conventional economic theories.
EN: The verb pattern 'describe [something] as [something]' is used to define, portray, or characterize an entity. Here, 'the amendment' is the direct object and 'the "workhorse amendment"' is the object complement introduced by the preposition 'as'.
Historians describe the treaty as a fragile compromise between rival powers.
EN: The present participle phrase 'underpinning American politics and democracy' functions as an adjectival modifier describing 'the workhorse amendment'. Present participles (-ing) indicate active roles or ongoing functions performed by the preceding noun.
He introduced a novel framework underpinning sustainable urban development.
EN: The term 'workhorse' refers to a dependable, hardworking person, machine, or concept that carries the bulk of heavy lifting. In American constitutional law, the Fourteenth Amendment is commonly dubbed the 'workhorse amendment' because its Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses are cited in more landmark Supreme Court cases (from Brown v. Board of Education to Obergefell v. Hodges) than almost any other constitutional provision.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
in the period following an event, especially a disastrous or catastrophic one
the substantial increase in the number of incarcerated people, particularly in the United States since the late 20th century
a formal change or addition to the text of a written constitution
unfair treatment or practices that are deeply ingrained within the institutions and structures of a society