UNITS OF

SYNTACTIC
ANALYSIS
CLAUSES
LET’S GO OVER SOME CONCEPTS WHICH WE
INTRODUCED IN THE FIRST TERM
• Syntax is the study of the structure of sentences.

• Sentences are the largest units of syntactic analysis. However, inside sentences there are
other smaller structures:
• Sentence{ clause [ phrase [ word ( morpheme ) ] ] }
IF A SENTENCE IS SIMPLE…

• There is only one sentence and only one main, independent clause.

• In other words, the sentence and the clause coincide because there is only one SUBJECT
and only one PREDICATE.

• {[The story is interesting.] 1CL}1sentence = 1 clause

• The story: (NP) subject ////// is interesting: (VP) Predicate
IF A SENTENCE IS COMPLEX…

• There is only one sentence with one main subject and on main predicate, BUT…
• Inside either the SUBJECT or the PREDICATE there is a CLAUSE.
• What is a CLAUSE?
• A unit, a structure which can also, again be divided into subject and predicate.
THERE ARE 4 KINDS OF CLAUSES

• Noun Clauses
• Relative Clauses
• Adverbial Clauses

• NON-finite Clauses
IN THIS PRESENTATION WE WILL CONCENTRATE
ON:

• NOUN CLAUSES
WHY ARE THEY CALLED NOUN CLAUSES?

• Simply because they occupy (in syntax, in the structure) the positions in the sentence
where you find NOUNS.

• Noun Clauses can appear in 8 different positions in the sentence.

• In this PPt we will explore one position of NOUN CLAUSES.

WHEN THE NOUN CLAUSE IS

•
• the direct object
IN A COMPLEX SENTENCE, THERE IS A UNIT
INTO ANOTHER…THE MATRIOSKA EFFECT…
• One unit divided into [S+P] into another which is bigger.
LET’S SEE AN EXAMPLE:

• A)Simple sentence: Tom (knows the truth).

• Proper Noun + TVCP + DO (NP)
• (NP) Subject+ ( VP) Predicate

• B) Complex sentence: Tom (knows [that the tree destroyed the house].)
• Proper N + TVCP + DO ( NOUN CLAUSE)
• (NP) S + (VP) Predicate
THE IDEA EXPRESSED IN THE TWO SENTENCES
IS THE SAME: A) & B)
TOM KNOWS: A) THE TRUTH.
B) THAT THE TREE DESTROYED THE HOUSE.

• We are expressing the same idea but giving more information in the form of a clause in
sentence B.

• Sentence B is a complex sentence.

• Why is the DO in sentence B a clause?

• Because it can be divided into subject and predicate internally.
LET US SEE THE INTERNAL ANALYSIS OF THE
CLAUSE
• Subj.(NP) Pred. (VP)
• (Tom) ( knows [that the tree destroyed the house]). COMPLEX DECLARATIVE SENTENCE.
• Proper N. TVCP [Subordinator+ subject predicate ]
• HEAD HEAD [ NOUN CLAUSE ] Direct Object
[THAT THE TREE DESTROYED THE HOUSE ]NOUN
CLAUSE

• That: subordinator = it is the word that joins, that ties, that links, as if it were glue, the main clause to the
subordinate clause. When we divide the NOUN CL into subject + predicate the word: that remains
outside this division. It is neither part of the subject nor part of the predicate. [ THAT+ Subject &
Predicate] NOUN CLAUSE
• Then, you will find the subject + predicate of the clause: (You will analyse that as you have been doing
with simple sentences so far).
• The tree (NP) subject (Art) SPEC+ (noun) HEAD
• destroyed the house: (VP) predicate (Mono TVCP ) HEAD+ ( NP2)DO
NP2: (Art) SPEC+ (Noun) HEAD
PRACTICE
(NOUN CLAUSES)WHICH FUNCTION AS DO

• On the basis of the theory explained in this ppt, analyse the following sentences: Use
square brackets to identify the clause and then do the analysis.

• 1) The three firemen saw that the fire had caught all the forest.
• 2) Some owners said that their properties had been destroyed in minutes.
• 3) Tom understood that the situation was terrible in his house.
I WILL BE SENDING YOU THE KEY

• However, feel free to ask questions if you think that the explanation requires further
elaboration.

• Next submission will include another function of NOUN CLAUSES.