Descriptive grammar

(28.04.2014)

Another expression that can occupy a complementiser position is whether:



it can occupy the same complementiser position as that,



clauses containing whether are called

.

INTERROGATIVE CLAUSES

I addition to that-clauses and interrogative (whether-)clauses, subordinate clauses can be also
introduced by subordinating conjunctions. These are generally

.

ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

That there was no life on the planet worried him.

It worried him [that there was no life on the planet.]

The

clausal subject

(that there was no life on the planet) was displaced to the end of the sentence.

Instead, we have a ‘dummy’ subject/expletive it in its position.

It’s called the

extraposed subject construction

- a construction which has a clausal subject displaced to the end of the sentence and expletive it in the
normal subject position.

The it that takes place of the subordinate clause in subject position is empty of meaning and does not
refer to anything. It simply serves as a ‘dummy’ subject (it’s there just to give the verb a subject)

- this is called

expletive IT

.

That-clauses can usually take positions typically reserved for NPs. Within the VP such subordinate
clauses can function as the complement of transitive Vgrps.

He had to admit [that they were good at the job.]

The clause that they were good at the job complements the Vgrp admit. Usually, after admit we have a
NP (to admit something) – here instead of a NP we have a that-clause.

Verbs which can take clausal direct object:



note



claim



believe



remind (can have clausal structure also when it functions as a ditransitive Vgrp)



ask



know

Mrs. Welling reminded [her son] [that they still had several people to see.]
The second position that is typically reserved for a NP is taken by a that-clause.

That- and whether- clauses cannot function as indirect objects of ditransitive verbs - they’re abstract.
Besides, indirect objects must be able to refer to animate entities, whereas clauses cannot.

That- and whether- clauses can function as the complements of verbs which also take NPs as direct
objects, e.g. Arnold claims it.

it is a NP complementing the verb
claim and functioning as direct
object. We can replace it with a
that-clause, e.g. Arnold claims that
the sea was calm that night.

Clauses in question should be

analyzed under the NP node



Clause can function as:



Complement of A within AP

Adj complement

[willing] [to pay]

AP

[[Angry] that they had not been chosen.]

Adj complement that-clause



Complement of N within NP

NP that-clause

[The fact] [that you received no greetings from Mars.]



Complement of P within PP

subject Vgrp PP

[They] [worried] [about whether they should establish a website.]



Adverbial

Things will be dull if Hieronimo leaves.
We’re given the condition when things will be dull.

What types of adverbial clauses there are?
Starting with:

1. if, unless (

CONDITIONAL

adverbial clause)

2. because (adverbial clause of

REASON

)

3. after, before (

TEMPORAL

adverbial clause)

Think at home:

1. It has been noted by the critics that Goneril had a third eye.
2. Drivers anxious that they had made mistakes complained.