Lecture 3, selected slides

Question 1

Relative clauses

Answer 1

• Normally (also in LSGSWE), the term is reserved for finite clauses functioning as postmodifiers
• All relative clauses have a gap (a ’missing’ constituent) which corresponds to the noun that the relative clause modifies.

the man that my mother married D

– the gap has a grammatical function in the relative clause

the man that my mother married D

S V Od

• Many relative clauses have a relativizer. In fact, if we accept ’zero’ as a relativizer, then all relative clauses have one.

Question 2

The choice of relativizer

Answer 2

• Three factors influence the choice of relativizer

– The function of the gap in the relative clause

– Animacy of the modified head

– Restrictive/Non-restrictive modification

• A few examples (for more, see LSGSWE: 9.8.2)

– that:

• used in all functions (even Adverbial)
• used with animate/inanimate antecedents
• usually not possible in non-restrictive relative clauses

Here is the book/man/cat that I like. (Od)

This is the gun/man that killed Liberty. (S)

Question 3

Gaps in relative clauses

Answer 3

• Subject gap

• the man who/that bought her lunch*
• the car which/that was parked outside* [park is a transitive

verb, but here it’s in the passive, so the gap functions as the subject]

• Object gap

• the man who/that/Ø we met outside*
• the car which/that/Ø we parked outside*

• Adverbial gaps (with relative adverbs as relativizers)

• the time when I was born*
• the town where I was born*
• the reason why my parents left me*

– whose

• used for genitive gaps (but the head of NP always pied pipes to clause initial position)

– *the man whose you met [__ mother].

– The man [whose mother] you met.

• used with animate/inanimate antecedents
• OK in restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses

This is a home for women whose husbands have abused them.

– whose and of which (with inanimate antecedents)

• The survey, whose results will be published in May, has been* delayed.
• The survey, the results of which will be published in May, has* been delayed.
• The survey, of which the results will be published in May, has* been delayed. (not quite as common)

– ZERO:

• used in non-subject functions
• used with animate/inanimate antecedents
• usually not possible in non-restrictive relative clauses
• Here is the book/man/cat – I like.* (Od)
• This was the only day – she showed up for work* (A)
• *This is the gun/man – killed Liberty.* (S)

But: %There’s someone at the door _ wants to talk to you.

Question 4

Postmodification by non-finite clauses

Answer 4

• Three types:

– ing-participle clauses

the man standing in the corner

– ed-participle clauses

a novel written in the 50s

– infinitive clauses

no way to treat a lady

• Comparison with relative clauses

– no relative pronoun

*the man who standing in the corner etc.

– participle clauses only occur with subject ’gaps’

*the man us meeting ^ at the station

Question 5

Noun complement clauses

Answer 5

• Comparison with relative clauses (and non-finite clauses as

postmodifiers)

– NO gap at all

– that is a complementizer rather than a relative pronoun

– that is obligatory (in finite complement clauses)

– the complement clause is selected by the head noun (i.e. it is a complement of the noun rather than a postmodifier). Therefore not all nouns take complement clauses, and different nouns take different forms of complement clauses.

• A minimal pair

The rumour that he was ill made us forgive him more easily.

The rumour (that)/(which) he had spread ^ made us forgive him more easily.

Question 6

Typical nouns that take

that-complement clauses

Answer 6

• Nouns expressing ’stance’ (speaker attitude towards the proposition in the complement clause)

– in terms of certainty

fact, possibility, assumption, hypothesis

– in terms of the source of knowledge

claim, report, proposal, remark

• Often nominalizations of verbs that take that-clause complements:

• I assume that this is correct.*
• The assumption that this is correct…*
• Bill remarked that no one has seen him on the murder scene.*
• The remark that no one had seen him…*

Question 7

Typical nouns that take

infinitival complement clauses

Answer 7

• Nouns representing ”human goals, opportunities, or actions” (p. 304)

attempt, decision, failure, determination, refusal…

• These nouns, too, are often nominalizations of verbs, but ones that

take to-infinitival complements:

• Pierre had failed to notice Natasha.*
• Pierre’s failure to notice Natasha…*
• I attempted to take him by the arm.*
• My attempt to take him by the arm…*
• China refused to sign the peace treaty.*
• China’s refusal to sign the peace treaty…*

Question 8

Other complement types

Answer 8

• wh-interrogative clause

– Less common than the other types – virtually restricted to occurring with the noun question:

The question whether to confess or not troubled her.

• PPs with wh-clause comlements

– LSGSWE calls these clauses, but structurally they are clearly PPs

The question of how to solve the problem…

– More common than ’plain’ wh-interrogative

• PPs with ing-clause complements (often has alternatives)

• The idea of switching the lamp…*
• The idea that they should switch the lamp…*
• Their chance to go abroad was lost.*
• Their chance of going abroad…*