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The Clausal Categories | <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> | ||
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== The Clausal Categories S and VP[inf] == | |||
The distribution of S | The distribution of S | ||
A clause (S) can occur in the following environments: | A clause (S) can occur in the following environments: | ||
S can occur as an independent declarative clause. | |||
S follows a complementizer: Pat thinks that __. | * S can occur as an independent declarative clause. | ||
S follows a subordinate conjunction: Pat arrived before __. | * S follows a complementizer: Pat thinks that __. | ||
* S follows a subordinate conjunction: Pat arrived before __. | |||
The internal structure of S | The internal structure of S | ||
Obligatory elements: | Obligatory elements: | ||
S must contain a | |||
* S must contain a verb | |||
* S must contain a subject. Usually this is an NP (in nominative case), but it can also be an S (<span style="color: blue>[<sub>S</sub> That Kim is always late] bothered Pat enormously.) or a VP[inf] (<span style="color: blue>[<sub>VP[inf]</sub>To have missed the soccer game] bothered Pat enormously.) | |||
Optional elements: | Optional elements: | ||
There may be adverbials at the beginning of S (Last night Pat didn't sleep well., Wisely, Pat locked the door before going to bed., According to recent studies, Germans drink more coffee than beer.) | |||
* There may be adverbials at the beginning of S (<span style="color: blue>Last night Pat didn't sleep well., Wisely, Pat locked the door before going to bed.,> According to recent studies, Germans drink more coffee than beer.</span>) | |||
The | Complementizer-introduced sentences | ||
The | |||
English has 3 words whose function it is to mark that a clause is a subordinate clause: <span style="color: blue>that, whether, if</span>. | |||
* The complementizer that introduces declarative subordinate clauses: <span style="color: blue>Pat thinks [<sub>S</sub> that [<sub>S</sub> Sandy smokes]].</span> | |||
* The complementizers whether and if introduce interrogative subordinate clauses: <span style="color: blue>Pat asked [<sub>S</sub> whether [<sub>S</sub> Sandy smokes]].</span> | |||
* The complementizer if also introduces conditional subordinate clauses: <span style="color: blue>[<sub>S</sub> If [<sub>S</sub> Pat is ill]], we won't hold the picnic.</span> | |||
The internal structure of S' | The internal structure of S' | ||
Obligatory elements: | Obligatory elements: | ||
an S | an S | ||
the S is usually preceded by a complementizer, an interrogative constituent or a relative constituent. | the S is usually preceded by a complementizer, an interrogative constituent or a relative constituent. | ||
S' introduced by a complementizer: Pat knows [S | S' introduced by a complementizer: Pat knows [<sub>S</sub> that [<sub>S</sub> Kim passed the exam]]., Pat wants [<sub>S</sub> for Kim to pass the exam] | ||
S' introduced by an interrogative constituent: Pat knows [S | S' introduced by an interrogative constituent: Pat knows [<sub>S</sub> which book [<sub>S</sub> Kim is reading at the moment]]. | ||
S' introduced by a relative constituent: Pat knows the author [S | S' introduced by a relative constituent: Pat knows the author [<sub>S</sub> whose most recent book [<sub>S</sub> Kim is reading at the moment]]. | ||
The structure of an S' that is used as an interrogative clause or as a relative clause will not be considered in this section. | The structure of an S' that is used as an interrogative clause or as a relative clause will not be considered in this section. | ||
For S' introduced by a complementizer, the following phrase structure rule can be given: | For S' introduced by a complementizer, the following phrase structure rule can be given: | ||
S' -> Comp S | S' -> Comp S | ||
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Revision as of 08:42, 26 April 2017
The Clausal Categories S and VP[inf]
The distribution of S
A clause (S) can occur in the following environments:
- S can occur as an independent declarative clause.
- S follows a complementizer: Pat thinks that __.
- S follows a subordinate conjunction: Pat arrived before __.
The internal structure of S
Obligatory elements:
- S must contain a verb
- S must contain a subject. Usually this is an NP (in nominative case), but it can also be an S ([S That Kim is always late] bothered Pat enormously.) or a VP[inf] ([VP[inf]To have missed the soccer game] bothered Pat enormously.)
Optional elements:
- There may be adverbials at the beginning of S (Last night Pat didn't sleep well., Wisely, Pat locked the door before going to bed.,> According to recent studies, Germans drink more coffee than beer.)
Complementizer-introduced sentences
English has 3 words whose function it is to mark that a clause is a subordinate clause: that, whether, if.
- The complementizer that introduces declarative subordinate clauses: Pat thinks [S that [S Sandy smokes]].
- The complementizers whether and if introduce interrogative subordinate clauses: Pat asked [S whether [S Sandy smokes]].
- The complementizer if also introduces conditional subordinate clauses: [S If [S Pat is ill]], we won't hold the picnic.
The internal structure of S'
Obligatory elements:
an S
the S is usually preceded by a complementizer, an interrogative constituent or a relative constituent.
S' introduced by a complementizer: Pat knows [S that [S Kim passed the exam]]., Pat wants [S for Kim to pass the exam]
S' introduced by an interrogative constituent: Pat knows [S which book [S Kim is reading at the moment]].
S' introduced by a relative constituent: Pat knows the author [S whose most recent book [S Kim is reading at the moment]].
The structure of an S' that is used as an interrogative clause or as a relative clause will not be considered in this section.
For S' introduced by a complementizer, the following phrase structure rule can be given:
S' -> Comp S