2. O U T L I N E:
• Introduction
• Types of clauses with an embedded sentences...
1. Full statement clauses
2. Question clauses
3. Infinitive clauses
4. Gerund clauses
5. Non-factual clauses
6. Verbal nouns
• Comparing types of clauses
• Syntactic ambiguity
3. Introduction
A sentence is a group of words in a particular sequence
and have a meaning. The argument is an expression in
the sentence which completes the meaning of the
predicate.
.
What is the embedded
clause?
The embedded clause is a grammatical unit that includes
a subject and a verb, which supports the main clause .
In other words; it’s information; put into the middle of
the sentence to give the reader more information and
enhance the sentence .
4. Ex :
They know (that) I opened the letter.
My bike, that is very old, is broken.
Both sentences have embedded clauses, but the
first sentence is a nominal clause, and the
second is a relative clause.
5. Predicates that have embedded sentences as a theme
include the following, those that express:
knowledge or ignorance of a possible fact
Ex: Ivan KNOWS (that) we are here.
an attitude or orientation toward a fact or possible fact
Ex: Jean is DISAPPOINTED (that) you can’t join us.
causing, allowing, or preventing the occurrence of a fact
Ex: Mama LET me hold the baby.
6. perception of a fact
Ex: Lina HEARD a baby crying.
saying something about a fact or possible fact
Ex: Please TELL us if you feel ill.
the beginning, continuing, or termination of a
possible event
Ex: Suddenly it STARTED to rain.
7. Types of clauses
Full statement clause (with overt subject):
Ex:
• Lina knows (that) I ate the sandwich.
affected predicate s-theme
The embedded clause mostly occurs in the object position,
and the subject clauses at the beginning of a sentence are
unusual.
8. Full question clauses (with overt subject):
• Lina asked me where the meeting was.
affected predicate Q-theme
• Lina wonders if you have a holiday.
• I think whether your friends will stay or leave.
9. Infinitive clause (with overt subject):
• George expects Ella to win the game.
Affected predicate s-theme
Infinitive clause (with tacit subject):
• George expects to win the game.
10. Note:
When the infinitive clause is the object of
a certain small group of verbs, the preposition (to)
does not appear.
Ex:
• Mam let Lina hold the baby.
• Lina helped her husband change a tire.
11. Gerund clause (with overt subject):
• They watched me opening the letter.
Gerund clause (with tacit subject):
• I denied opening the letter.
A small group of adjectives takes gerund clause
complements, with preposition between adjective and
gerund.
Ex:
Who is responsible for doing this?
I’m grateful for your taking time off.
12. Non-factual clause (with overt subject):
Ex::
• I insist that Lina works/has been working very hard.
• I insist that Lina work very hard.
• I insist that Lina should work very hard.
The factual clause can have various modifications of the
verb, however the non-factual clause has no such
modifications.
13. verbal nouns (with overt subject):
• They excused my opening of the letter.
verbal nouns (with tacit subject) :
• I defended the opening of the letter.
If the verb has an overt subject, that subject
becomes possessive before the verbal noun. And if
the verb has a tacit subject, the verbal noun is
preceded by ‘the’.
14. Comparing types of clauses
Different kinds of clauses carry different kinds of
meanings, however this is obvious only when the same
predicate can be accompanied by different kinds of
clauses. The verb agree, for instance, can be followed by
an infinitive clause and a full clause.
Ex :
1- We agreed to meet again the next day.
2- We agreed that we would meet again the next day.
3- We agreed that prices are too high nowadays.
15. Gerund clause and full clause :
Ex:
6- Your son admitted breaking our window.
7- Your son admitted that he broke our window.
8- Your son admitted that this ball is his.
Infinitive and gerund clauses :
Ex:
10- The museum wouldn’t allow us to photograph the
exhibit.
11- The museum wouldn’t allow photographing the exhibit.
16. Syntactic ambiguity
A Sentence may includes syntactic ambiguity, which is
different from the lexical ambiguity and referential
ambiguity .
Syntactic ambiguity may be in the surface structure of a
sentence: words can cluster together in different possible
constructions. Or it may also be in the deep structure: one
sequence of words may have more than one interpretation
generally because the rules of sentence construction allow
ellipsis, the deletion of what is ‘understood.’
17. A. Examples of surface ambiguity:-
Constructions containing the coordinators and / or:
1- John and Mary or Pat will go.
([John] and [Mary or Pat] or [John and Mary] or [Pat]).
A coordinate head with one modifier:
2- The only people left were old men and women.
([old men] and [women] or [old [men and women]).
18. A head with a coordinate modifier:
5- Your essay should contain four or five hundred words.
([4] or [500] , [400] or [500])
A head with an inner modifier and an outer modifier:
6- The sick pet was taken to a small animal hospital.
([small] [animal hospital] or [small animal] [hospital])
A complement and modifier or two complements:
7- Joe bought the book for Lina.
([bought] [the book for Lina] or [bought the book] [for
Lina]
19. Certain function words, including not, have possible
differences in scope:
9- The tennis courts are open to members only on Sundays
([members only] or [only on Sundays])
B. Examples of deep structure ambiguity:-
Gerund + object or participle modifying a noun.
1- Overtaking cars on the main road can be dangerous.
(‘Overtaking cars is dangerous’ or ‘Cars overtaking are
dangerous’)
20. Adjective + infinitive, tied to subject or to complement:
2- The chicken is too hot to eat.
(‘Too hot to eat anything’ or ‘too hot for anybody to eat it’)
Ellipsis in comparative constructions:
3- I like Mary better than Joan.
(‘Better than I like Joan’ or ‘better than Joan likes Mary’)
