CLAUSES

CLAUSES

1. INDEPENDENT

   • The independent clause is considered primary in that it comprises minimal completeness and unity.

2. DEPENDENT

   • A dependent clause is syntactically dependent on a main clause or on another dependent clause. It cannot function as a main clause, even when finite.
     • A simple sentence consists minimally of one independent clause. A compound sentence consists basically of two independent clauses, linked in a relationship of coordination. The complex sentence consists minimally of one independent clause and one dependent clause, linked in a relationship of dependency.
       • COORDINATION
         • We can combine independent clauses through coordination, making them coordinate clauses. Coordination is the process by which we connect phrases and clauses with one or more of the coordinating conjunctions.
           • Coordinators (and, or, but)
           • Correlative cordinators (either...else, neither...nor, not only...but also)
           • Conjunctive adverbs/additive connectives ( also, furthermore, in addition, besides)
           • Upgrading connectives
           • Unlinked coordination
           • We can coordinate almost any category with another, as long as those categories are the same. This property of coordination is called (in writing manuals) parallelism
           • Pragmatic conjunction happen in speech acts
           • Lower level coordination
       • SUBORDINATION
         • A subordinate clause (also called an embedded or dependent clause) is a clause that is dominated by another constituent
           • simple conjunctions (when, where, because)
           • conjunctive groups (as if, even if)
           • complex conjunctions (derived from verbs, containing a noun, adverbial)
           • Subordination is an example of recursion, the means by which we can form phrases of unlimited length
           • Sentence relative clauses
             • The sentence relative is one type of supplementive clause. It has as its antecedent the whole first clause, or its complement. The relative pronoun is which. Which is what / why /where are also used, particularly in spoken English
           • The non-finite supplementive clauses
             • The non-finite participial forms –ing and –en are used as supplementives to elaborate on the main clause by making an explanatory comment. The non-finite form may have its own explicit subject
           • Conjunctive prepositions + íng forms
             • This combination, through dependency, expresses additive, adversative and replacive meanings which correspond to those found with coordination
           • Contrastive dependency
             • Meanings of contrast and exception similar to those encoded by coordination can also be expressed by dependency. The conjunctions whereas and while introduce finite subordinate clauses which contrast in some way with the main clause, particularly when there is some point of similarity between the two
         • CONDITIONALS
           • Conditional clauses are typically introduced by the subordinating conjunction "if"
             • Conditions are divided into three main types: open (If + present tense), hypothetical (If + past tense remote + would) and counterfactual (If + a past perfect + modal perfect).
             • The first type is a real condition, while the other two types show varying degrees of remoteness (irrealis).