Theme 3
The complex sentence with nominal clauses
Structure
All nominal clauses have a function approximating to that of a noun or a nominal phrase. They may fulfil the function of a basic part of the main clause:
a subject clause functions as subject of the main clause which has no subject of its own,
a predicative clause functions as predicative to the link verb within the main clause;
an object clause refers to verbs in different forms and functions, to adjectives, statives and occasionally to nouns, and may be obligatory or optional.
Another type of the nominal clause - an appositive clause, refers to a noun either with a very general meaning or requiring additional information and is therefore essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Owing to their essential structural and semantic role in the sentence, all nominal clauses are very closely connected with the main clause, and if such a clause is removed, both the structure and meaning of the sentence are changed or become ungrammatical. Since nominal clauses function as essential structural parts of the sentence, their relations to the main clause are confined to such purely grammatical sentential relations as subjective, predicative, objective and appositive.
The complex sentence with a subject clause
A subject clause may be introduced by conjunctions (that, if, whether, whether... or, because, the way) or connectives. The latter may be either conjunctive pronouns (who, whoever, what, whatever, which) or conjunctive adverbs (where, wherever, when, whenever, how, why).
Types of subject clauses
Complex sentences with subject clauses may be of two patterns:
When a subject clause precedes the predicate of the main clause:
That you don’t love him is obvious.
Whether I talked or not made little difference.
Because I ask too many questions does not mean I am curious.
When a subject clause is in final position, the usual place of the subject being occupied by formal it:
It seemed unfair to him that he should suffer more than his wife.
I am concerned that you won’t believe me.
In exclamatory sentences the formal it may be only implied.
How wonderful that they should meet at last! (How wonderful it is...)
In this pattern of the complex sentence the subject clause may be joined asyndetically.
The complex sentence with a predicative clause
A predicative clause may be introduced by conjunctions (that, whether, whether... or, as, as if, as though, because, lest, the way), or connectives. The latter may be conjunctive pronouns (who, whoever, what, whatever, which) or conjunctive adverbs (where, wherever, when, whenever, how, why).
The fact was that he had forgotten about it.
The only reason for my coining is because I hoped to see you again.
Types of predicate clause
Predicative clauses may occur as parts of two structurally different kinds of sentences:
They may follow the main clause in which the subject is a notional word, although it usually has a very general meaning (thing, question, problem, news, sensation, evil, rule, trouble, etc.). In this case the predicative clause discloses the meaning of the subject.
The rule was that they walked down to the cliff path and travelled up in the lift.
The predicative clause may follow the main clause in which the subject is expressed by the impersonal pronoun it. In this case the predicative clause describes the situation, either directly or by means of comparison.
It appears he hasn’t been there.
It sounded as if even the spring began by act of Parliament.
The complex sentence with an object clause
Like objects in a simple sentence, object clauses may vary in their relation to the principal clause and in the way they are attached to the word they refer to or depend on.
An object clause may directly follow the word it refers to (a non-prepositional object clause). In this case it is parallel in function to a direct object.
Jon wondered if he had offended her.
I know when I am wasting time.
Object clauses parallel in function to indirect objects are very rare. However, they are possible, the necessary condition for it being that the object clause should be followed by a direct object.
You may give whoever you like any presents.
There are also cases when an object clause functions like a cognate object to a verb.
He and his mamma knew very few people and lived what might have been thought very lonely lives.
An object clause may be joined to the main clause by the prepositions after, about, before, beyond, for, near, of, as to, except, etc. (a prepositional object clause). In this case it is parallel in function to a prepositional non-recipient object. If a preposition is very closely attached to the preceding verb or adjective (to agree upon, to call for, to comment upon, to depend on, to hear of, to insist on, to be certain of, to be sorry for, etc.) it generally precedes the object clause.
I am not certain of what he did.
I want to be paid for what I do.
The complex sentence with an appositive (content) clause
An appositive clause may be introduced by conjunctions (that, if, whether, as if, as though), conjunctive pronouns and adverbs (why, how). They are not separated by a comma and cannot be joined asyndetically.
Unlike an apposition in a simple sentence, which usually gives another name to the person or thing designated by the antecedent, an appositive clause discloses the meaning of a noun (which is also called the antecedent) with a very general meaning, such as:, thing, reason, point, moral, comment, remark, probability, idea, fact, consequence, feature, etc.
The question whether it was he or his enemy was hotly discussed.
She had a strange sensation as if something had happened.
Andrew had a warm desire that the conversation might continue.
The question how and why those people got the information still worried him.