Microsoft Word Theoretical Course of English Grammar

Nino Kirvalidze
84
sentence, the concessive meaning arises from the contrast in meaning between the word 
clever
and the phrase 
failed to grasp
.
The fourth group of adverbial clauses is formed by 
parenthetical 
or 
insertive
construc-
tions. Parenthetical clauses are inserted in the main clause on a looser basis than the other 
types of adverbial clauses; still, they do form with the main clause a syntactical sentence, which 
is easily proved by the procedure of diagnostic elimination. Compare:
“Jack has called here twice this morning, 
if am not mistaken
.” 
“Jack has called here twice this morning ( 

).” 
As is seen from the above sentences, the elimination of the parenthetical clause in the 
second one changes the meaning of the whole sentence as the original sense of the utterance is 
lost, and as a result, the meaning of the sentence changes from problematic to assertive. This 
shows that the parenthetical clause still forms an integral part of the sentence. Parenthetical 
clauses may occur initially, finally, or medially, and they are separated from the main clause by 
commas. Cf.: 
“Kingston, 
as you probably know
, is the capital of Jamaica.” 
According to the introducing conjunctions, parenthetical clauses can be of two types: 
a) coordinate, when it is inserted in the sentence by the coordinating conjunction 
and
:
“Jim said, 
and I quite agree with him
, that Helen is very stubborn.” 
b)
subordinate, when it is inserted in the sentence by a subordinating conjunction: 
“Jim said, 
though I don’t quite agree with him
, that Helen is very stubborn.” 
3. Pragmatic classification of sentences 
Pragmatic classification of sentences implies classification of speech acts on the basis of 
their illocutionary force, which aims to show how communicative intentions are in fact 
correlated with the format and sense of utterances (Austin 1962; Searle 1969).
There are five pragmatic types of utterances: declarations, representatives, expressives, di-
rectives, and commissives (Yule 1996: 53-54).

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Theoretical Course of English Grammar 
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