Clauses

Clauses

1. Clauses are syntactic units of the following structure:

   • Types of clauses
     • INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (tensed)➩ It is complete on itself, it is not dependent on another constituent, and it comprise minimal completeness and unity.
     • DEPENDENT CLAUSE ➩ It is syntactically dependent on the main clause or another dependent clause.

2. SENTENCE

   • Sentence fragments: any phrase that is not an independent clause.

3. Coordination

   • Clauses are either equivalent in status or non-equivalent.
     • Coordination displays relationships of equivalence, while dependency is based on non-equivalence.
       • Ways to coordinate two clauses:
         • By one of the FANBOYS, a conjuctive adverb ( accordingly, futhermore, still, then), a prepositional phrase or through unlinked coordination ( a comma, a semicolon or a dash).
     • Non-equivalent
       • Sentence relative clause: it has as anticident the firts clause or its complement, is usually introduced by a relative pronoun (which, where, why. what)
         • Its subordinate status is signalled by the relative pronoun, and it is used to make a comment or a justification about somenthing
       • Non-finite supplementive clauses: the non-finite participial forms -ing (e.g they drove on, wondering how long...) and -ed (e.g. the mountains were invisible, enveloped in a ...) are used to elaborate on the main clause.
       • Contrastive dependency: Meanings of contrast and exception can be expressed by dependency, using while, whereas, but for the fact that.

4. Subordination

   • In subordination one clause is contained within another, and it is dominated by another constituent.
     • A subordinate clause is a clause that begins with:
       • Subordinator: they are of 3 types: simple (one word), conjuctive group (e.g. even though, as if ect) and complex (derives from verbs or phrases, such as: provided, granted or as long as)
       • An adverbial clauses of time, concecission, reason, purpose, result and manner.
   • Conditional clauses: open (real), hypothetical (less likely to be fulfilled but not impossible), and counterfactual (a counter to reality: it didn't happen).

5. Complementizers

   • Verbs are not the only heads that select complements, for example: certain adjetives can select tensed complements (e.g. She is happy that Lucas won the award)
   • There is a small set of words that introduces different types of subordiante clauses, and we can use them as clues to identify complement types
     • Tensed clause complement, bare infinitival clause complements, to-infinitival, participial clause complements, wh-clause complements.

6. Clausal Subjects

   • Clauses can also be subjects, in addition, the complementizers "that" and "for" are obligatory in clausal subjects.

7. Reporting speech and thought

   • Direct speech: resporting the exact words that someone said or wrote.
   • Indirect speech: reporting gives the meaning or gist of the content.
   • Some verbs used to introduce quoted speech: say, tell. remark, observe, demand, complain, reply, scream, chuckle, sob and choke.
   • Direct reporting of thought: thoughts can be quoted (e.g. think, wonder, muse, ponder).

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