Microsoft Word Theoretical Course of English Grammar

Nino Kirvalidze
77
the main clause in which the anticipatory 
it 
constitutes its formal part, the sub-
ject clause representing its lexical part.
Complex sentences with predicative clauses. Predicative clause performs the function of the 
nominal part of the predicate, following the link verb, the so-called ‘copula’. The link-verb is 
mostly expressed by the pure copula 
be,
as well as by the specifying links 
seem
and 
look
. The 
use of other specifying links is occasional. The predicative clause, like other nominal clauses, 
can be introduced by the conjunctions: 
that, whether, as if, as though
. For example: 
“The trouble is 
that I don’t know him at all
.” 
“She looks 
as though she has never met him
.”
Complex sentences with object clauses. Object clauses perform the function of an object 
denoting a situation of the process expressed by the verbal predicate of the main clause. Object 
clauses may be non-prepositional and prepositional: 
“I noticed 
that he spoke English well enough
.” 
“I’m sorry for 
what I said to you yesterday
.” 
The preposition connected with a conjunctive pronoun in an object clause may occur at the end 
of the subordinate clause. Such a proposition is called detached or end-preposition. For 
example: “I don’t understand what they are talking about.” 
“I wonder what you are looking at.” 
Types of relative (attributive) clauses 
Relative clauses represent a type of subordinate clause which modifies a head noun. They 
are embedded within the main clause by means of relative pronouns (
who, whom, whose, 
which
) or relative adverbs (
when, where, how, why
), as well as by the subordinating conjunc-
tion 
that
. They are classified into four main types: a) restrictive, b) descriptive, i.e. non-
restrictive, c) continuative, and d) appositive.
The restrictive relative clause performs a purely identifying function, singling out the re-
ferent of the antecedent which is always preceded by the definite article 
the
. In other words, 

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Theoretical Course of English Grammar 
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