Transcript The structure of canonical clauses

Canonical and non-canonical
clause structures
Szilágyi Szandra
Angol szintaxis tanároknak
Spring 2015
Canonical and non-canonical
clauses
Transform the sentences into the most basic and elementary structures.

Grammar isn’t the greatest joy in life.

Does tyranny begin with the laws of grammar?

They say that the English language is work in progress.

Grammarians make no new thoughts, but thoughts make new grammar.

The passive voice should never be used by us.
Canonical and non-canonical
clauses

Grammar isn’t the greatest joy in life.

Grammar is the greatest joy in life.

Does tyranny begins with the laws of grammar?

Tyranny begins with the laws of grammar.

They say that the English language is work in progress.

The English language is work in progress.

Grammarians make no new thoughts, but thoughts make new grammar.

Thoughts make new grammar.

The passive voice should never be used by us.

We should never use the passive voice.
Canonical and non-canonical
clauses

Grammar isn’t the greatest joy in life.

Grammar is the greatest joy in life.

Does tyranny begin with the laws of grammar?

Tyranny begins with the laws of grammar.  DECLARATIVE

They say that the English language is a work in progress.

The English language is a work in progress.MAIN CLAUSE

Grammarians make no new thoughts, but thoughts make new grammar.

Thoughts make new grammar.

The passive voice should never be used by us.

We should never use the passive voice.
 POSITIVE
 NON-COORDINATE
 ACTIVE
Parts of speech, phrases
Choose the odd word/phrase out in each set – the one that does
not belong to that particular category.
(e.g.: built (V), door, garden, room, window)
1 could
may
should
will
want
2 are
can
has
be
was
3 me
every
ours
someone
they
4 after
at
during
into
upwards
5 and
because
or
too
when
6 college
class
grammar
learn
teacher
7 angry
hungry
lonely
obviously
silly
8 cause
insist
must
persuade
suggest
9 an
how
my
no
whose
10 afterwards
badly
friendly
now
soon
11 awful
useful
handful
skilful
wonderful
12 that
if
when
whether
and
13 the Red Cross
last week
both stars visible
a lot of people
in London
14 off the map
just like me
one of us
out of the window
upon arrival
Parts of speech, phrases

8 primary word classes/parts
of speech:

Phrases:









Verb (built, learn, …)
Noun (grammar, class, …)
Adjective (angry, silly, …)
Adverb (obviously, badly, …)
Determinative (every, an, …)
Preposition (at, into, …)
Coordinator (and, or, …)
Subordinator (that, if, …)


Verb Phrase [write letters]
Noun Phrase [new house]
Adjective Phrase [rather
late]


Adverb Phrase [too soon]
Determinative Phrase [very
little]

Preposition Phrase [in the
garden]
The structure of canonical clauses

a canonical clause consists of a Subject followed by a
Predicate:
Subject
Predicate
One of his friends

I
called the doctor
Grammatical properties that help to identify the Subject:

POSITION: before the Predicate

FORMATION OF INTERROGATIVES: inverting with the 1st
auxiliary/appropriate form of do

INTERROGATIVE TAGS: personal pronoun Subject relates back
to the Subject

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: verb’s person-number
properties are determined by the Subject
The structure of canonical clauses

Predicator: the function filled by the verb

Complement: is licensed by the verb
verb permits/requires it

Adjunct: is not licensed by the verb
independent of the verb
Complement
She mowed
I
the lawn
Adjunct
I
before it started to rain.
The structure of canonical clauses

VERY
STUPID
ON THE
TABLE
ANGRY
A HOUSE
ECSTATIC
OUR BOSS
A CAKE
ME
A MISTAKE
SOME
FLOWERS
Finish the following sentences using the phrases on the slips. Find
as many solutions as you can.








1. Our cat is …
2. We made …
3. I consider …
4. They disappeared …
5. We put …
6. He became …
7. They bought …
8. Peter sent …

Our cat is…

We made…

I consider…

They disappeared…

We put…

He became…

They bought…

Peter sent…
The structure of canonical clauses

On the basis of the presence or absence of the Complement types
considered so far we can distinguish the following canonical clause
structures:
Example
Structure
Name
i. They disappeared.
S-V
(Ordinary)
intransitive
ii. They were ecstatic.
They became angry.
S-V-Cs
Complexintransitive /
Copular
iii. They bought a house.
S-V-Od
(Ordinary)
monotransitive
iv. They considered him a charlatan. S-V-Od-Co Complex-transitive
I put the books on the table.
S-V-Od-Adv
v. They sent her some flowers.
S-V-Oi-Od
Ditransitive