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FLUP ENGLISH 3 APRIL 1999 GRAMMAR
The Grammar of ADVERBIALS (2)
THE COMPLEX SENTENCE and CLAUSES
Ref. SGE Chs 14 & 15.
What follows is an attempt to explain a) what a CLAUSE is, b) what a COMPLEX
SENTENCE is, and c) how to distinguish DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLAUSE, based on the Grammar of SGE. We explain this by a Question and Answer method, and there are also some accompanying exercises. These pages of notes follow on from the three sheets on ADVERBIALS already given.
1) What is a CLAUSE?
A CLAUSE can be broken down into elements, (S,V, O, C or A). A CLAUSE can be independent or dependent. It can be equivalent to a (simple) sentence or may be a dependent part of the sentence. It can be FINITE or NON-FINITE. A clause has a greater variety of forms than a sentence. A finite clause must contain at least TWO of the five main sentence elements, (S, V, O, C or A.) The two elements that are obligatory are S (subject) and V (verb). The verb phrase must be finite,- that is, there must be one finite verb expressing tense or aspect (temporal relationship), and concord with the subject. E.g. “If I come tomorrow…” is a finite conditional clause. It is dependent.
Its verb phrase come agrees with the subject I , and in this case the clause refers to a probable (conditional) time in the future. A NON-FINITE clause may also contain all the clause elements, but the only element it MUST contain is V (verb). The verb form is fixed, has no concord with the subject of its clause (if there is one), and there is no time reference within the clause itself. E.g.. “Speaking harshly” in the sentence “Speaking harshly will do him no good” is a non-finite clause. It is a nominal clause acting as S(subject) of the verb will in the main clause. It contains V and A elements only. The verb is an “-ing” participle form, is fixed in form i.e. cannot conjugate, does not relate in form to any subject, and has no temporal significance.
2) What is a COMPLEX SENTENCE?
For full explanations of this, refer to SGE Chapter 14, which offers a very clear and lucid account, with diagrams. A COMPLEX SENTENCE is a sentence containing one main or matrix clause, plus any number of SUBORDINATE (or) DEPENDENT
CLAUSES, finite or non-finite, which form separate sentence elements. The subordinate clauses are not necessarily adverbials. They may be nominal clauses, acting either as subject, object or complement. The only sentence element that a subordinate clause could never be is the V (Verb) element. Let us look at the following examples.
A) “Coming from the field, I saw Sarah and Jonathan going home.”
Sentence Analysis:- Coming from the field = A(Adverbial). It is a non-finite “ing” clause. I = S (Subject). Saw = V(Verb) Sarah and Jonathan = O (Direct Object):
The existence of coming from the field as a separate A element is sufficient to make the above example a COMPLEX SENTENCE. However, there is also another possible

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(A) element, going home.
If “going home” = “As they were going home”, then this second non-finite clause is a second adverbial, and the sentence would be ASVOA. It is just possible, however, that going home could mean “who were going home”, in which case it would be an ellipted relative clause. In this case it could not be a separate sentence element, but the postmodifier of the NOUN PHRASE Sarah and Jonathan.
B) “What you have done is inexcusable.” This is another COMPLEX SENTENCE.
Analysis:-
What you have done = Nominal Relative Clause, because it equals The thing that you have done. It is FINITE, and acts as S(Subject) of the sentence. Is = V(Verb), and inexcusable = C(Subject Complement). The sentence analysis, in short, is SVC.
C)
“I know that you’ve no money on you.” Again this is a COMPLEX SENTENCE.
Analysis.-
I = S(Subject). Know = V(Verb).
That you’ve no money on you
= O(Direct Object). It is a nominal that clause acting as object of the verb know. The sentence is SVO.
D)
“I’ll lend you some money if you really have none on you.”
Analysis:-
I = S(Subject). ‘ll = V(Verb) you = O i
(Object (indirect)), some money = O d
(Object
(direct)), and if you really have none on you is a subordinate {dependent} finite conditional clause as A(Adverbial) element. The sentence is therefore COMPLEX, and its constituents are SVOOA.
Now let us look at one final example:-
E) “The policeman that stopped the traffic after the accident deserves a commendation.”
Analysis:-
The policeman that stopped the traffic after the accident = S(Subject). Note that,
although that stopped the traffic is a defining relative clause, it does not constitute a completely separate sentence element, being only the postmodifying part of the
subject (noun phrase). Deserves = V(Verb), and a commendation = O(Object). The sentence is SVO, but it is a SIMPLE SENTENCE, not a complex one, as it does not contain any clause or clauses functioning as separate constituents or sentence elements.
3) Summary of different types of clauses.
We must not confuse the different types of clauses we have been studying. A clause may be finite or non-finite. According to SGE {See SGE 14:4, Pg 286}, the verb phrase in a NON-FINITE clause may be either a) infinitive with “to”, b) “bare” infinitive, c) “ing” participle, or d) “ed” participle. The “ing” participle conveys active voice sense, and the “ed” participle conveys passive voice sense.
A clause may be independent or dependent (subordinate). If it is independent, it is either a sentence or the main clause in a sentence. If it is dependent, then it is subordinate to the independent clause and forms part of a COMPLEX SENTENCE , unless it is a defining or non-defining relative clause . A non-finite clause cannot be an independent clause.

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Not all clauses are Adverbials. Some clauses are NOMINAL CLAUSES. Any clause that serves as a complete sentence element other than adverbial , whether it be as S, O, or C, is a nominal clause. Nominal clauses include
“that” clauses, nominal relative clauses, and infinitive and participial (non-finite) clauses. There are others as well.
There are Appositive clauses, which we have also studied. ADVERBIAL CLAUSES, if they are finite, (but they do not need to be), are nearly always prefaced by a subordinating conjunction, (see list on SGE pp 288-290). Examples of these are if, because; unless, so that; in order that; although; when.
These Adverbial clauses can be of different types. The majority of these are ADJUNCTS. Remember also that
SENTENTIAL RELATIVE CLAUSES are always adverbials, as they refer back to the verb phrase or the content of the matrix clause.
4) A final word on Adjuncts, Conjuncts, Disjuncts and Subjuncts.
Little will be said of these here. You are required to read and study the section in SGE
8:2 – 8:45, but you do not need to learn all the different types of Adjuncts. It is sufficient to be aware of these. Study any extra notes you have been given. Most adverbs and adverbials are not clauses. They are either single words, or phrases, especially prepositional phrases . To qualify as an adverbial, an expression does not have to be a clause. But to make the sentence complex, an adverbial (or a nominal expression) does have to be a clause.
EXERCISE. a) Isolate any clauses in the following sentences, b) state what type of clause it is, c) state whether it is finite or non-finite, and d) say whether the sentence is
SIMPLE or COMPLEX. (Some sentences contain more than one clause.)
1) Your suggestion that we ought to catch the early train is a very good one.
2) I think the workmen who put those tiles on the roof should be shot!
3) What we did last night is none of your business.
4) Discovered only last week, the painting has already been declared a masterpiece.
5) He apologised profusely for any misunderstandings he had caused, which pleased us all.
6) What I should like to know is the name of the author.
7) Although the concert started very late, it proved extremely enjoyable.
8) Telling him he should have learnt from his mistakes is quite useless.
9) She is not qualified to take on the post of manager, if you want my honest opinion.
10) Young people who have no idea about why 25th April 1974 was important should be sent back to school to learn.

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