Complex Sentences.docx

Sentences  Complex sentences  One idea is generally more important than the other  The more important idea is placed in the independent clause and the less important idea in the subordinate clause  Similar to simple sentences- consists of only one main clause  Different – has one or more subordinate clauses o Although they admire his reasoning, they reject his conclusions.  Used as subordinate (originally an independent clause)  The main clause is superordinate to the subordinate clause that it contains o He predicted that he would discover the tiny particle when he conducted his next experiment.  This is a complex sentence consisting of one main clause.  The main clause is superordinate to the subordinate that-clause (which is a direct object) that continues to the end of the sentence.  The that-clause is in turn the superordinate to the subordinate when-clause (which is an adverbial) that extends from when-clause  Dependent clauses in complex sentences  Analysing dependent clauses in terms of structural type: 3 main clauses types:  Finite clauses – a clause whose verb element is a finite verb phrase  Non-finite clauses – a clause whose verb element is a non-finite verb  Verb less clauses – a clause containing no verb element  Non-finite Dependent / subordinate clauses  Non-finite dependent clauses can be distinguished in terms of 4 structural subclasses of nonfinite verb clauses:  to infinitive o with subject: the best thing to do is for you to inform the police. o Without: the best thing to do is to inform the police  Bare infinitive o With subject: rather than you do the job, I’d prefer to finish it myself. o Without subject: all she did was paint the room.  -ing participle o With subject: Her aunty having left the room, I asked Anne for some personal help o Without subject: Leaving the room, the cat tripped over the rat.  -ed participle o With subject: The discussion completed, the chairman adjourned the meeting for half an hour. o Without subject: Covered with confusion, they apologised abjectly.  A subordinate clause may function as a constituent of a phrase, e.g. as a relative clause acting as a postmodifier in a noun phrase. o The school which her children attend is not within walking distance.  The noun phrase (the school which her children attend) is complex, but we do not consider the sentence as a complex sentence since the subordinate clause does not function as a constituent of the sentence (the clause is a postmodifier in the noun phrase)

 Verbless clauses  A sleeping bag under each arm, Mr Hunt tramped off on his adventure (there was a sleeping bag under each of his arms)  Dozens of tourists were stranded, many of them women and children. (many of the tourists were women and children)  The subject in the verbless clause, when omitted, can usually be understood as equivalent to the subject in the main clause  An Adjective (alone or as head of the adjective phrase) can function as a verbless clause – it is mobile, though it usually precedes or follows the subject of the main clauses:  By then nervous, the young man opened the door.  Dependent / subordinate clauses in complex sentence  Subordinate clause may function as subject, object, complement or adverbial in a superordinate clause  On the basis of their potential functions, 4 major categories of subordinate clause can be distinguished: 

Nominal clauses o They can often take the place of nouns or noun phrases in a sentence o They are subordinate clauses which generally follow the main clause and are linked to it by one of the following (kinds of) conjunctions: o When, whether o The commonest linker/subordinating conjunction for complex sentences with noun clause as dependent clause is that o Other linkers are also used: how, when, where, who, whether, if o A that clause can be found in different locations: o After the verb in the independent clause o After certain adjectives: e.g. happy, proud, sad, sorry, surprised, sure o After certain nouns: e.g. theory, thought, claim, belief o At the beginning of sentences: (functioning as subject of the independent clause) o we often use that clauses after adjectives and nouns which express feelings, mental states, necessity and some aspect of possibility, in fact or truth o whether/ if clauses o question clauses

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Adverbial clauses o are linked to a main clause & tell us something about the main information in that main clause o they start with a conjunction such as when, although, while, as if, such that, etc. o tells where, when, why and how. o Comes before and after an independent clause

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Relative clauses o Describe or provide information about something or someone that we have usually already specified o Are similar in function to adjectives o Enable us to combine clauses without repeating things o Usually begin with a relative pronoun such as which or that o Usually follow whatever they qualify: o Embedded in the main clause if they qualify the subject  People who know several foreign languages make better language teachers. o Come immediately after the main clause if they qualify the whole of the clauses or the last part of it  The rescue boat came at last, which was an enormous relief o The adjective/relative clauses come immediately after the antecedent o In some cases, other words (e.g. prepositional phrase) may come between the antecedent and the adjective clause o Can be divided into: o Restrictive  To give essential information about something/one – information that is needed to understand what or who is being referred to  Usually comes immediately after the noun/noun phrase it describes o Non-restrictive  To give extra information about the person or thing – it is not necessary information to understand it  Usually use a relative pronoun (who, which, whose, whom), to introduce a non-defining relative clause o (we can use ‘that’ instead of who, whom or which in defining relative clause but not in non-defining relative clauses) o Sentential relative clauses refer back to o The predicate or predication of a clause o To a whole clause or sentence o Even to a series of sentences Comparative clauses o Resembles adjectives and adverbs in their modifying functions o She has more patience than you have. o Ellipsis/Omission of a part of the comparative clause is likely to occur when that part is a repetition of something in the superordinate clause. o James and Sally often go to plays but o James enjoys the theatre more than Sally enjoys the theatre o James enjoys the theatre more than Sally enjoys it o James enjoys the theatre more than Sally does

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James enjoys the theatre more