Week 3 Flashcards
Main clause
When a clause is not part of a larger clause.
Subordinate clause
When a clause is part of a larger clause.
Each clause contains…
One lexical verb (the head of the VP predicate).
How do you find the number of subclauses in a sentence?
The number of lexical verbs minus one, since the main clause also contains one lexical verb.
Complement (in the form of/as) a subclause: “They alleged that the press misled readers.”
- They alleged
- They alleged what?
That the press misled readers.
Allege has a complement in the form of a subclause.
Classification concerning form: what do the lexical verbs make of a part of the sentence?
- Finite subclause
- Non-finite subclause
Subclauses that are complements or subjects can only be…
- Declarative subclause
- Interrogative subclause
Which complementiser is not obligatory in English?
That
[I think [Ø Sue has left]].
What are complementisers good for in sentences?
They “introduce” subordinate clauses and encode the clause-type of a subordinate clause.
[John believes [that Sue has left]]
• That encodes declarative clause-type, indicates that s2 is a statement.
[John asked [whether Sue has left]]
• Whether encodes interrogative clause-type, indicates that s2 is a question.
What do we use S’ for?
To distinguish between complementation and S-level modification.
The syntactic relationship of complementisers
Complementisers (COMPs) enter into a head-complement relation with sentences.
COMP and S are dominated by S’.
How can subordinate clauses occupy positions like the subject and the direct object?
Subject:
[Whether John will be fired] is currently unknown.
! Called a subject subordinate clause.
Direct object of transitive verb:
Lucy denied [that John will be fired].
Direct object of ditransitive verb:
Lucy told Sue [that John will be fired].
What is subject extraposition and what are the steps?
A transformation that sentences with clausal subjects can undergo.
Step 1: move the clausal subject to an “extra position” at the end of the sentence.
Step 2: fill in the empty subject position with the expletive pronoun it.
What happens to the sentence Whether John will be fired is currently unknown if it undergoes subject extraposition?
It is currently unknown whether John will be fired.
In a tree, what is the position that the “extra position” occupies?
The “extra position” is sister to S and daughter to S.
Extrapolated subjects do not…
Occupy a nominal position.
How do you mark a subject subordinate clause in a tree?
S’
Complex transitive verbs
Verbs with two complements.
What must happen if a subordinate clause is used as a direct object of a complex transitive verb?
It must undergo obligatory object extraposition.
Otherwise the sentence would go from “John made himself known” to: John made that he objects to the proposal known.
Subordinate clauses can also occur as complements (in positions after other heads), in which environments?
- As the complement of N: only declarative subclauses.
- As the complement of A: only declarative subclauses.
- As the complement of P: only interrogative subclauses.
A sentence where S’ is complement to V
His absence [VP: indicates that he approves].
A sentence where S’ is complement to A
His absence is [AP: indicative that he approves].
A sentence where S’ is complement to N
His absence is [NP: an indication that he approves].
Proposition
Something that can be true or false.
Declarative subordinate clauses can be…
They can be complements to nouns that suggest/denote propositions.
[NP: The claim that the Earth is flat] is false.
s23.
What are the steps to identify the functions of subclauses?
- How many finite verbs are in the main clause?
- Is there a that-clause with unrealised ‘that’ (Ø)?
- Does a subclause function as a direct object? Sister to…?
- Does a subclause function as an adverbial (e.g. when you get older,).
- Does a subclause function as a subject complement (sister to…)?
- Coordination?
- Does a subclause function as a relative clause (e.g. where they tell you).
- Subject extraposition
Subclauses that are modifiers:
Subclauses that are modifiers:
1. Relative clauses
2. Adverbial clauses
[John believes [that Sue has left]]
That encodes…
…a declarative clause-type, indicates that s2 is a statement.
‘Whether’ encodes…
[John doesn’t know [whether Sue has left]].
…an interrogative clause, indicating that s2 is a question.
A sentence with a DO of a transitive verb
Lucy denied [that John will be fired].
A sentence with a DO of a ditransitive verb
Lucy told Sue [that John will be fired].
