Theoretical Grammar of English

Study questions

1. 
   What linguistic unit is called a sentence?
   
2. 
   What are the main features of sentences?
   
3. 
   What theories on sentence do you know?
   
4. 
   What is the difference between primary and secondary predication?
   
5. 
   What criteria are used to classify sentences?
   
6. 
   What do you understand by structural classification of sentences?
   
7. 
   What do you understand by the classification of sentences according to the aim of the speaker?
   
8. 
   What do you understand by the classification of sentences according to the existence of the parts of the sentence?
   
9. 
   What is the difference between one- and two-member sentences?
   
10. 
    What sentences are called elliptical?
    
11. 
    What is “syntagmatically restored” and “paradigmatically restored” elliptical sentences?
    

Lecture 13

Composite Sentences

Problems to be discussed:

• 
  the difference between simple and composite sentences
  
• 
  the types of composite sentences:
  

a) compound
d) complex

3. 
   mixed (compound-complex) sentences
   

The word "composite" is used by H. Poutsma (39) as a common term for both the compound and complex sentences.

There are three types of composite sentences in Modern English:

1. 
   The compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses with no dependent one.
   
2. 
   The complex sentence contains one dependent clause and one or more independent clauses. The latter usually tells something about the main clause and is used as a part of speech or as a part of sentence.
   

J. The compound-complex sentence combines the two previous types. The compound-complex sentences are those which have at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent (subordinate) clause in its structure: Blair found herself smiling at him and she took the letter he held out to her.
That there are three types of composite sentences in languages is contemporary approach to this issue. Historically not all the grammarians were unanimous in this respect. According to it H. Sweet (42) there are structurally two types of sentences: simple and complex.
“Two or more sentences may be joined together to form a single complex sentence … In every complex there is one independent clause, called the principal clause together with at least one dependent clause, which stands in the relation of adjunct to the principal clause. The dependent clause may be either coordinate or subordinate”. Examples:

Principal clause

1. 
   You shall walk, and I will ride.
   

Co-complex

Principal clause

2. 
   You are the man I want.
   

Sub-complex

As one can see in H. Sweets conception there’s no place for compound sentences since even so-called “co- complex” there’s subordination.

In this paper we shall classify the composite sentences into three types as has been mentioned above.