Reconnaître propositions Flashcards
Reversed wh- cleft
A wh- cleft sentence with the nominal relative clause at the end, i.e. in subject predicative (normal wh- cleft = nominal position)
x- That is not what I said. Her prettiness was what he had noticed first.
Clefting
An operation which splits a clause into two, in order to give emphasis to a particular clause element.
WH- cleft: What the butler did was kill the duke. Killing people is what butlers usually do in detective stories.
IT cleft: It was the butler that/who killed the duke.
Subject-verbal inversion
Placement of the whole verb phrase in front of the subject.
- In declarative sentences: takes place after fronted adverbial particle or fronted place adverbial in a presentative construction without the existential there, after a fronted -ing or past participle clause, and optionally in reporting clauses placed after the quotation in direct speech.
x- Here comes the bride. Under the root of a big fir tree lived Mrs. Rabbit with her four children. Standing in the doorway is Johnnie Walker. “How are we today?” asked the doctor. - In interrogative sentences where the verbal is a simple form of to be, subject-verbal inversion occurs regularly.
x- Are you comfortable? Wasn’t he Mr. Right after all?
Subject-auxiliary inversion
Placement of an auxiliary in front of the subject. (Do-insertion is used if there is no other auxiliary in the verb phrase.)
- Interrogative sentences regularly have subject-auxiliary inversion unless the verb is a simple form of to be.
- In declarative sentences, subject-auxiliary inversion occurs after certain fronted elements: negative or restrictive element, so +adjective/adverb.
x- Not a single note did she miss. Only here did he feel at home. So weak did he feel that he didn’t get up for a week.
Extraposition
Subject is placed later in the clause
x- It was interesting to read her article. (Cp. to read her article was interesting)
Nominal clause
x- Hearing the people in the court outside made him nervous
Adverbial clause
x- The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole : could be replaced by “rapidly”.
Adjectival clause
x- The man who arrived first is my neighbour.
Infinitive clause
The head is a verb in infinitive: can be bare infinitive (He made me do it) or TO (I hate to tell you this)
Nominal relative clause
Whatever he touches turns to gold.
What she wanted was to become a sports reporter.
Who we met there was Adam Peters.
You can do what you like.
Completive subordinate clause
x- the theory that he was murdered was wrong.
