Microsoft Word Theoretical Course of English Grammar

Nino Kirvalidze
90
Another set of prepositions consists of multi-word units known as complex prepositions, 
which have a meaning that cannot be derived from the meaning of the constituent parts. Two-
word complex prepositions normally end with a simple preposition: 
ending in examples 
as such as 
for as for, except for 
from apart from
of because of, instead of, out of, regardless of 
to according to, due to, owing to 
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Three-word prepositions usually have the structure: simple preposition + noun + simple 
preposition
ending in examples
of by means of, in spite of, on account of, on top of
to in addition to, with regard to 
as as far as, as well as
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As with many grammatical categories, there are borderline cases with complex preposi-
tions. It is not always clear whether a multi-word combination is a complex preposition, that is, 
a fixed expression with a special meaning, or a free combination of preposition: ( + article) + 
noun + preposition. 
At the expense of
is an example of an in-between case. 

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Theoretical Course of English Grammar 
Script by prof. 
Nino Kirvalidze
91
Conjunctions 
There are two types of words traditionally called conjunctions in English: coordinators 
and (also called coordinating conjunctions), and subordinators (or subordinating conjunctions).
Coordinators are used to indicate a relationship between two units such as phrases and 
clauses. Coordinators link elements which have the same syntactic role, and are at the same 
level of syntactic hierarchy. The main coordinators are: 
and
, 
but
and 
or
. For instance: 
Mother and I saw it.
I don’t want to leave so soon, but I think I have to. 
Is the news good or bad?
Coordinators can be used to connect more than two elements:
The donkeys did not come back, nor did the eleven men, nor did the helicopter. 
Subordinators (also called subordinating conjunctions) are linking words that introduce 
clauses known as dependent clauses, that is, clauses which cannot stand alone without another 
clause, called the main clause.
You can hold her if you want. 
The subordinator shows the connection of meaning between the main clause and the sub-
ordinate clause. In the above example, the subordinator 
if 
shows a relation of condition. In the 
case of coordination, the two elements have the same status. However, in the case of subordina-
tion, the dependent clause starting with the subordinator is embedded (or included) in the main 
clause. The dependant clause can come at the front or at the end of the main clause. For 
instance: 
As they watched, a flash of fire appeared. 
A flash of fire appeared as they watched. 
Subordinators may consist of more than one word. Most of the complex subordinators end 
with 
as
or 
that
. E.g.: 
as long as, as soon as, given (that), on condition (that), provided (that),
except (that), in order that, so that, such that, as if, as though, even if, even though
.
Dependant clauses can also be introduced by other forms, like 
wh-words
and the relative 
pronoun 
that
. 

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Theoretical Course of English Grammar 
Script by prof.