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Form and Function

Form and Function in Syntactic Analysis. Types of phrases and clauses. Different functions in the sentence. Correlation between form and function.

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Sol Tovar
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396 views2 pages

Form and Function

Form and Function in Syntactic Analysis. Types of phrases and clauses. Different functions in the sentence. Correlation between form and function.

Uploaded by

Sol Tovar
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Form and function

Form: Phrases and sub-clauses (finite & non-finite) Finite sub-clauses: nominal, adjectival (relative), and adverbial
Phrases: nominal, adjectival, adverbial, verbal, & prepositional Finite sub-clauses have a subject and a predicate. That-clauses,
1. Nominal Phrase (noun phrase) yes/no-clauses, and adverbial clauses are introduced by a
a) car b) a car c) a car in the street subordinating conjunction. Wh-interrogative clauses and relative
clauses are wholly divided into subject and predicate.
H/N PM/D H/N PM/D H/N PM/PP
Examples:
NP NP NP
a) When I was a child, I got lost at a mall
2. Adjectival Phrase
a) happy b) very happy c) very happy to be here Sub. Conj. S/NP PREDICATE

PM/To-inf. PREDI… S/NP …CATE


H/A PM/Adv H/A PM/Adv H/A
Cl
b) A notebook is a computer which can be carried around.
AP AP AP

3. Adverbial Phrase S P
a) quickly b) quickly enough c) very quickly
PM H/N PM/Relative Clause
H/Adv H/Adv PM/Adv PM/Adv H/Adv /D
VP SC/NP
AdvP AdvP AdvP
S/NP PREDICATE
4. Verb Phrase
a) went b) has gone c) could have gone
Non-finite sub-clauses: to-infinitival, bare infinitival, present participial,
Lex. V PM/Adv H/A PM/Adv H/A PM/To-inf. Cl past participial, and gerundial.
Non-finite sub-clauses consist of a predicate, and –generally– no
VP VP VP subject.

5. Prepositional Phrase To-infinitival: I just want to sleep.


a) in the shadows
Bare infinitival: All she does is sleep all day.
P OP/NP
Present participial: Lying on her bed, she studied for hours.
PP
Past participial: Shocked by the slaughter of baby animals, Lisa Adjectival phrases: Pre-Modifier in a Noun Phrase, Post-
became a vegetarian. Modifier in a Noun Phrase, Subjective Complement, Objective
Complement.
Gerundial: Smoking cigarettes is bad for your health.
Adverbial phrases: Pre- and post- Modifier in an Adjectival
Present participial and gerundial clauses have the exact same form, Phrase, Pre- and post- Modifier in an Adverbial Phrase,
and can only be distinguished according to their function. Adverbial Adjunct, Adverbial Complement.
Prepositional phrases: Post-modifier in a Noun Phrase,
Function: Post-modifier (or Adjectival Complement) in an Adjectival
The main two functions to identify are subject and predicate. Phrase, Post-modifier in an Adverbial Phrase. Adverbial
Subjects correspond to nominal structures, therefore noun Adjunct, Adverbial Complement.
phrases, nominal clauses, gerundial clauses, and infinitival Nominal clauses: Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object,
clauses (to- and bare-) can perform as subjects. Subjective Complement, Objective Complement.
Relative clauses: Post-modifiers in Noun Phrases.
Predicates do not correspond to one form, but to the verb phrase, Adverbial clauses: Adverbial adjuncts.
and the objects, complements, and adjuncts which it requires. Gerundial clauses: Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object,
Mono-transitive verbs require one object. Di-transitive verbs Subjective Complement, Objective Complement, Object to a
require two objects. Complex-transitive verbs require one object Preposition.
and its complement, while linking verbs require one
Present participial clauses: Post-modifier in a Noun Phrase,
complement.
Adverbial Adjunct.
In general, the correspondence between form and function goes as Past participial clause: Post-modifier in a Noun Phrase,
follows: Adverbial Adjunct.
To-infinitival clause: Subject, Direct Object, Subjective
· Subjects and objects take a nominal form. complement, Objective Complement, Post-modifier in a Noun
Phrase, Post-Modifier (Adjectival Complement) in an
· Complements can be either nominal or adjectival.
Adjectival Phrase), Adverbial Adjunct.
· Adjuncts are adverbial in nature.
Bibliography:
Here is a more comprehensive list of functions that different Aarts, B. (1997) English Syntax and Argumentation. London,
structures may have: Macmillan Press Ltd. (Chapters 2 – 5)

Noun phrases: Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object, Quirk, R. and S. Greenbaum (1973) A University Grammar of
Subjective Complement, Objective Complement, Object to a English. London, Longman. (Chapter 2)
Preposition, Adverbial Adjunct (as in “I woke up this
morning”), Pre-Modifier in a Noun Phrase (as in “bus
station”). Sol Tovar - 2015

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