On 10/01/09, BethAnn wrote:

> I have them find the subject first, then the verb. Then, I
> tell them to look for the word that answers how, when,
> where, or to what extent about the verb.

[As the other poster has noted, "very" in the sentence
you gave them modifies the *predicate adjective* "curious."
If they were prepared only with knowledge of *words* that
modify *verbs*, they would have had no reason to identify any
single *word* that modifies the verb. There is an adverbial
*phrase* here, "about the West," which adverbially
modifies "curious." Then (I think) we have another adverbial
phrase in "as president" which modifies "took" (HOW he took,
THE MANNER IN WHICH he took). (But I defer to better
grammarians who may have another interpretation of "as
president.") ]

> This sentence threw them: Thomas Jefferson became very
> curious about the West after he took office as president.

[L. Swilley]

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