- •The Subject Matter of Grammar
- •The Evolution of English Grammars
- •The XX th Century Linguistic Schools
- •Prague Linguistic School (Functional Linguistics)
- •American Descriptive Linguistics
- •Transformational and Transformational Generative Grammar
- •Semantic Syntax
- •Methods of Linguistic Analysis
- •Parsing (Traditional Syntactic Analysis)
- •The Oppositional Method
- •The Distributional method
- •The ic Method (method of immediate constituents)
- •The Transformational Method
- •The Method of Deep and Surface Structures
- •The Functional Sentence Perspective Method (fsp)
- •The Componential Method
- •The Contextual Method
- •The Levels of Language
- •The Morphological Structure of me
- •The Classifications of Morphemes
- •Paradigmatics and Syntagmatics
- •The Asymmetry of a Linguistic Sign
- •Parts of Speech Classifications of Parts of Speech.
- •Notionals and Functionals
- •Heterogeneity
- •Field and Periphery
- •Subcategorization
- •Onomaseological approach
- •The Noun The General Properties of a Noun
- •The Category of Gender.
- •The Category of Number
- •The Category of Case
- •Debated Problems within the Category of Case
- •Genitive Constructions (n’s n)
- •The Article Debated Problems
- •The Functions of Articles in a Sentence
- •The Verb The General Properties of a Verb
- •The Category of Tense
- •Classifications of Tenses
- •The Future Tense
- •The Present Tense
- •The Past Tense
- •The Future-in-the-Past Tense
- •The Category of Aspect
- •The Category of Time Relation (or Correlation)
- •The Category of Voice
- •The Category of Mood
- •The Indicative Mood
- •The Imperative Mood
- •The Subjunctive Mood
- •Points of Similarities with the Finites
- •Points of Differences with the Finites
- •Debated Problems within The Verbals
- •The Functions of Non-Finites
- •Types of Syntax
- •The theory of the phrase
- •Devices of Connecting Words in a Phrase
- •Debated Problems within the Theory of the Phrase
- •Classifications of Phrases
- •The theory of the simple sentence
- •The Definition of a Sentence
- •Syntactic Modelling of the Sentence
- •Semantic Modelling of the Sentence
- •The Notion of a Syntactic Paradigm
- •Structural Classification of Simple Sentences
- •Predicative Constructions Within a simple sentence we distinguish primary and secondary (independent/ dependent) elements, the structural nucleus and its adjuncts.
- •Syntactic Processes
- •The Principal Parts of a Simple Sentence
- •The Secondary Parts of a Simple Sentence
- •An Object
- •An Adverbial Modifier
- •An Attribute
- •Debated Problems within a Simple Sentence
- •A composite sentence
- •A Compound Sentence
- •I. The General Notion of a Complex Sentence.
- •2. The Status of the Subordinate Clause.
- •3.1. Classifications of Subordinate Clauses.
- •3.2. Types of Subordinate Clauses.
- •4. Connections between the Principal and the Subordinate Clause.
- •5. Neutralization between Subordination and Coordination.
- •6. The Character of the Subordinating Conjunction
- •7. Levels of Subordination
- •Syntactic Processes in the Complex Sentence.
- •9. Communicative Dynamism within a Composite Sentence( Compound and Complex) and a Supra-phrasal Unit.
I. The General Notion of a Complex Sentence.
A complex sentence is a polypredicative unit built up on the principle of subordination. which varies from a close to a very loose connection with many gradations in between. The constituents of the complex sentence are traditionally called clauses. Transformationalists advanced the term “included structures” as the syntactically dependent part of the complex sentence is included (embedded) into the independent (non-included) structure.
The complex sentence of minimal composition includes two clauses – a principal clause and a subordinate clause. The two are interconnected, the very existence of either of them is supported by the existence of the other. Sub-clauses can adjoin the main clause or they can be embedded (included) into the main clause (We have engineered toys and gadgets we don’t understand and technological terrors we may not be able to control (St. King).
2. The Status of the Subordinate Clause.
The most accepted view is that a sub-clause is an explicitly predicative structure with a subject and a predicate. Many scholars hold that a clause needn’t have explicit predication (H. Poutsma, G.Curme, M.Bryant, R. Long, etc.). They treat participial, gerundial and infinitival complexes as undeveloped verbid sub-clauses (Timothy had left a lot of money, with nobody in particular to leave it to (J. Galsworthy). Prof. Y.G.Birenbaum treated participial, nounal, adjectival phrases introduced by the conjunctions while, unless, when, until as elliptical sub-clauses (He will continue talking until stopped. When traveling I have now and then watched the sunrise). We can transform these sentences into complex sentences with sub-clauses ( Until they stopped him, he will continue talking. When I was traveling, I now and then watched the sunrise). Still most linguists find these formations merely phrases, carrying implicit predicative relations.
3.1. Classifications of Subordinate Clauses.
Sub-clauses are classified on two principles: functional and categorial. As to the functional principle, they are classed on the analogy with the parts of the simple sentence. They are likened to subjects, objects, adverbial modifiers, predicative and attributes. (People treated the old as if they wanted nothing. Compare it with People treated the old with neglect). But there are clauses which do not correspond to the members of the simple sentence. Such are continuative attributive clauses (She makes me feel happy, which you have never done (I.Murdoch). Such are complement sub-clauses (It’s in Paris where we met). Such are contaminated clauses (It was as if he had been younger every spring. J. Galsworthy).The clause underlined is a result of contamination of a predicative clause and an adverbial clause of unreal comparison. In accord with the categorical principle, sub-clauses are classed into nounal, adjectival and adverbial clauses, as here they are likened to the classes of words (nouns, adjectives and adverbs). Both principles are mutually complementary.