THE SIMPLE SENTENCE

MORFOSINTAXIS I
DRA. RODRÍGUEZ ARRIZABALAGA
1. PHRASE, CLAUSE AND SENTENCE
ii) He made an attempt to cross the river.
a) Phrase: any group of words grammatically equivalent to a single iii) I am glad to hear you again.
word without subject and predicate.
3. CLASSIFICATION OF CLAUSES ACCORDING TO THE FORM OF THE VERBAL
b) Clause: any group of words with subject and predicate included UNIT:
within a sentence.
a) Finite clauses: contain a finite verbal form (I can’t go out with you
c) Sentence: highest unit of grammatical description; any stretch of because I am studying).
talk or writing preceded or followed by a pause or full-stop.
b) Non-finite clauses:
i) To-infinitive clauses: with subject (The best thing would be for
2. SIMPLE, COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES you to tell everybody); without subject (The best thing would be to tell
everybody).
a) Simple: only one verbal unit (They are eating an icecream). ii) Bare infinitive clauses: with subject (Rather than you do the
job, I’d prefer to finish it myself); without subject (All I did was hit him on
b) Compound: contain two or more clauses that are on the same the head).
syntactic level. They entail a coordination relationship (They are my iii) –ing participle clauses: with subject (Her aunt having left the
neighbours but I don’t know them). room, I asked Anne for some help); without subject (Leaving the room,
he tripped over the mat).
c) Complex: contain two or more clauses that are not on the same iv) –ed participle clauses: with subject (The discussion
syntactic level: there is one main clause on which the remaining ones completed, the meeting finished); without subject (Covered with
depend. They entail a subordination relationship (I think that he is confusion, they apologized abjectly).
wrong; I want to see it; That he is guilty is obvious).
c) Verbless clauses: they do not have any verbal form, but they
d) Simple (for Quirk et al. 1985; 1990) and complex (for usually have a missing form of the verb to be (Without you (being) at
Huddleston 1984) sentences: entail subordination but within an my side, I don’t want to answer any question). Sometimes they also
immediate constituent of the sentence: lack a subject, which is easily recoverable from the context (Although
(she was) very upset, she performed remarkably well).
i) The school which my children attend is within walking
distance.

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4. SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS IN THE CLAUSE: suspicious vs. *His excuse sounds) and cannot become the subject of
the corresponding passive sentence (*Suspicious is sounded by his
a) Subject: it is the element of which something is predicated in the excuse). (ii) The object complement is the constituent that specifies
clause. It is typically a NP, although it can be any phrase, including the some feature of the direct object. Although the object and its
empty it and the unstressed there. complement are not linked by any copulative/linking verb, it is
understood: I like my coffee (when it is) black. Both types of
b) Direct object: it is the single object in a transitive clause. It is never complements are usually APs, though they can also be NPS, PPs, and
introduced by a preposition. It is typically a NP and is placed even AdvPs.
immediately after the verb (I usually read books). However, if the
sentence contains an indirect object, this one follows the verb and f) Adverbial: it is usually an AdvP or a PP, but it can also be a NP or a
precedes the direct object (She gave her brother the parcel). It may clause. It doesn’t have a fixed position in the sentence. Unlike the S,
usually become the subject of the corresponding passive sentence: the O and the C, it is usually an optional element of the sentence that
Books are usually read; The parcel was given to her brother. can be omitted without affecting the grammaticality of the sentence:
*Someone has sent (a letter) to the bank manager vs. He died (the
c) Indirect object: it appears, together with the direct object, in following morning).
ditransitive sentences. It can be a NP as her brother in the previous
example or a PP (She gave the parcel to her brother). It may also 5. PERIPHERAL VS. CENTRAL ELEMENTS:
become the subject of a passive sentence: Her brother was given the
parcel. a) Central elements are those ones that are considered to be
compulsory constituents of the sentence. As such, they include the S,
d) Prepositional object: it is a type of object introduced by a the O and the C. Huddleston (1984: 177-180) calls them
preposition. Sentences containing prepositional objects are subject to “complements”.
two different analyses: (i) the preposition goes with the verb
(prepositional verb) and the object is a common direct object; or (ii) the b) Peripheral elements are, in turn, those that are considered to be
preposition goes with the object (prepositional object) and the verb is a optional elements of the sentence and which, as such, can be easily
simple verb. There are arguments in favour of both analyses. The first omitted without causing any type of ungrammaticality. They include the
one is supported by the fact that when this type of sentences are adverbial. Huddleston (1984: 177-180) calls them “adjuncts”. However,
passivized, the preposition remains next to the verb: The transport the border line between central and peripheral elements is not always
crisis has been dealt with. The second analysis is supported by the fact very clear cut since sometimes the indirect object and even the direct
that when an adverbial is inserted in the sentence, it is placed between object can be easily omitted, and some others an adverbial becomes
the verb and the preposition, which forms a single unit with the necessary for the grammaticality of the sentence:
following NP: They have dealt successfully with the transport crisis.
(i) Someone has sent a bomb letter.
e) Complement: (i) the subject complement is the obligatory (ii) John is teaching English.
constituent that follows a copulative/linking verb (His excuse sounds (iii) They are eating.

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 (iv) He teaches in England. sentence can also include the “circumstances” under which the
(v) *Daniel stayed (in bed). situation or action is described:
(vi) *Linda kept Daniel (in bed).
(i) Unfortunately, their child broke my window yesterday.
6. CLAUSE TYPES:
Process: broke.
a) SV (intransitive): The sun is shining. Participants: their child, my window.
b) SVC (intensive): He is getting angry. Circumstances: unfortunately, yesterday.
c) SVA (intensive): My office is in the next building. Each participant has a semantic role according to the way in which it
d) SVO (monotransitive): The lecture bored me. participates in the process described by the verb. Quirk et al. (1990)
e) SVOO (ditransitive): I got her a splendid present. provide the following list of thematic/semantic roles:
f) SVOC (complex-transitive): He got his shoes wet in the rain.
g) SVOA (complex-transitive): You can put the dish on the table. a) Agent: the animate participant that instigates or causes the
happening denoted by the verb: Margaret is mowing the grass.
A given verb can enter into more than one clause type. The verb get is
particularly versatile, for instance: b) External cause: the inanimate or non-volitional participant entity
that causes the event: Anxiety can ruin your health.
a) He is getting angry. (SVC)
b) He got through the window. (SVA) c) Experiencer: the human participant involved in an emotional,
c) He will get a surprise. (SVO) cognitive or perceptual process: I heard a noise; Peter loves music;
d) He got me a very expensive present. (SVOO) She knew the answer.
e) He got his shoes wet. (SVOC)
f) He got himself into trouble. (SVOA) d) Affected: the animate or inanimate participant which does not cause
the happening denoted by the verb, but is directly involved in it in some
Through multiple class membership, many ambiguities can arise: other way: James sold his digital watch yesterday.
(i) He made her a good model. (SVOO/SVOC)
(ii) He is cooking his family dinner. (SVO/SVOO) e) Effected: the participant whose referent exists only by virtue of the
activity expressed by the verb: They are designing a new car.
7. SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF THE CLAUSE:
f) Recipient: the participant to whom the action denoted by the verb is
Every clause describes an action or situation which involves one or directed and receives its results and the subject of verbs denoting
more human beings, objects or abstract entities. In semantic terms, the possession: I’ll give the children some sweets; He has four brothers..
action or situation described is called “process” and the entities
involved in the process are called “participants”. Sometimes the g) Instrument: the entity that the agent uses to perform the action: The
computer solved the problem.

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h) Attribute: the participant that refers to the subject or object in
intensive sentences. It can be a current attribute if it describes just a
property of its referent (John seems happy) or a resulting attribute if
it refers to a change of state process in its referent (He is driving me
mad).

i) Locative: it is the semantic role of the participant that refers to the

j) Temporal: it is the semantic role of the participant that refers to the

k) Eventive: it is the semantic role of the participant that refers to the