|
In grammar, a content clause is a subordinate clause that provides content implied by, or commented upon by, its main clause. The term was coined by Otto Jespersen. There are two main kinds of content clauses: declarative content clauses (or that-clauses), which correspond to declarative sentences and interrogative content clauses, which correspond to interrogative sentences. For the surname, see Grammer. ...
A clause is a group of words consisting of a subject (often just a single noun) and a predicate (sometimes just a single verb). ...
An independent clause (or main clause, or coordinate clause) can stand by itself as a grammatically viable simple sentence. ...
Jens Otto Harry Jespersen or Otto Jespersen (July 16, 1860-April 30, 1943) was a Danish linguist who specialized in the grammar of the English language. ...
A declaration is a form of statement, which expresses (or declares) some idea; declarations attempt to argue that something is true. ...
A question is any of several kinds of linguistic expressions normally used by a questioner to request the presentation of information back to the questioner, in the form of an answer, by the audience. ...
==Declarative content clauses== hey!
Declarative content clauses can have a number of different grammatical roles. They often serve as direct objects of verbs of reporting, cognition, perception, and so on. In this use, the conjunction that may head the clause, but is usually omitted: An object in grammar is a sentence element and part of the sentence predicate. ...
In linguistics, the head is the morpheme that determines the category of a compound or the word that determines the syntactic type of the phrase of which it is a member. ...
- He told her (that) she was smart.
- She thought (that) he was friendly.
- I hear (that) they've started dating.
- They wish (that) they had met earlier.
Similarly with certain verb-like adjectives: In grammar, an adjective is a part of speech that modifies a noun or a pronoun, usually by describing it or making its meaning more specific. ...
- I'm not sure (that) he was right.
- Convinced (that) he could manage it without help, he decided to proceed.
They also often serve as complements of nouns — both nouns corresponding to the above verbs, and nouns like fact, idea, and so on. Here, that is almost always included: A complement is a phrase that fits a particular slot in the syntax requirements of a parent phrase. ...
- … our hope that someday the whole world will know peace …
- … the fact that all matter obeys the same physical laws …
- … the idea that a son would do such a thing to his father …
Finally, they can serve as subjects, or as direct objects of verbs that link them to adjectives or other predicatives. In this use, they are commonly postponed to the end of their main clause, with an expletive it standing in their original place: The subject of a sentence is one of the two main parts of a sentence, the other being the predicate. ...
In linguistics, a copula is a word that is used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate (a subject complement or an adverbial). ...
In mathematics, a predicate is a relation. ...
The word expletive is currently used in three senses: syntactic expletives, expletive attributives, and bad language. The word expletive comes from the Latin verb explere, meaning to fill, via expletivus, filling out. It was introduced into English in the seventeenth century to refer to various kinds of padding -- the padding...
- It startled me that the students were so advanced.
- It is important that we remember this day.
- I find it sad that he doesn't know the answer.
- It annoys me that she does that.
Here as before, a conjunction is almost always included, although it does not need to be that: - I'd prefer (it) if you didn't mention this to anyone.
- I like (it) when she comes to visit.
- It bothers me how she doesn't care what he wants.
Interrogative content clauses
Interrogative content clauses can be used in many of the same ways as declarative ones; for example, they are often direct objects of verbs of cognition, reporting, and perception, but here they emphasize knowledge or lack of knowledge of one element of a fact: - I know what you did.
- I can't guess how he managed it.
- I wonder if I looked that bad.
Semantically, they can serve as adjective and noun complements, but unlike their declarative counterparts, they are generally introduced by a preposition, especially of: - … the question (of) who was responsible …
- … his curiosity over how it happened …
- … sure of what he had seen …
And like declarative content clauses, they are often postponed to the end of their main clause, with an expletive it standing in their original place, when they serve as the subject of a verb, or as the direct object of a verb that links them to a predicative: - It is not known where they came from.
- I find it encouraging how many young women are pursuing careers in science.
External links |
Feeds |
Contact