2. CLAUSE STRUCTURE IN ENGLISH

One clause is one simple sentence, i.e. one S – P /Subject – Predicate/ group.

I. CLAUSAL CONSTITUENTS

The English clause is made up of five major constituents: S V O C A / Subject - Verb/ Predicate – Object – Complement – Adverbial modifier /. The main parts are the S and V /traditionally marked by V/. O and C are secondary sentence constituents closely associated with the V, while A is more peripheral.

Most current linguistic theories are verbo-centric, i.e. the V is taken as central hub/ pivot/ of the expression determining the whole pattern of the clause. Thus the type of V determines the type of clause pattern.

II. TYPES OF VERBS

1. STATIVE VS. DYNAMIC VERBS

Stative V denote a state or condition which remains homogenous in time, i.e. it doesn’t evolve or change, it is a state,

e.g.: to be, to know, to own.

Such verbs don’t have progressive tense forms,

E.g.:* I’m knowing this.

Dynamic V denote an activity, action and they normally have progressive tense forms, 

e.g: to work, to read, to run.

2. INTENSIVE VS. EXTENSIVE VERBS

Intensive V – in this case the verbal meaning doesn’t go out of /is locked in/ the sphere of the subject: S - V – X. Such verbs are alias copulative or link verbs, 

e.g.: to be, to become: She is a teacher. She went crazy. They look nice.

Extensive V – in this case the verbal meaning extends out of the sphere of the subject and may/may not affect other participants: S – V – X,

e.g.: She is sleeping. She read a book.

3. INTRANSITIVE VS. TRANSITIVE VERBS

This distinction applies only to extensive verbs.

Intransitive V / Vintr/: there is no affected participant. Such V take no Objects or Complements,

e.g.: to sleep, to run.

Transitive V / Vtr/ : there is one or more affected participants /they take one or two Objects/.

Monotransitive V – with one O,

 e.g.: to drink a cup of tea.

Ditransitive V – with two O,

e.g.: to give sb /O1/ sth/O2/, He showed his father /O1/ a picture /O2/.

N.B. Usually O1 is indirect O, O2 is direct.

In addition, some Vtr may take a complex Object which is made up of two constituents,

 e.g.:1. She made him /Od/ happy /Co/. /c.f. She feels happy /Cs//. 2. I saw him /S/ run /P/.

III. OBJECTS AND COMPLEMENTS

1. OBJECTS : 

These are constituents denoting participants in some way involved in the verbal action.

1.1. Direct Object / Od/ - the only O after monotransitive V,

e.g.: He kicked the bottle.

1.2. Indirect Object / Oi/ -the second O along with Od with ditransitive V,

e.g.: The girl gave her sister a book

1.3. Benefactive Object / Ob/ - this is a variety closely related to the Oi. The difference is that Ob paraphrases into a structure with FOR, while the Oi – into a structure withTO, cf.: He gave the girl a book = a book to the girl. He cooked the girl a meal = a meal for the girl.

2. COMPLEMENTS:

They refer to some other clausal constituent and accordingly they are different types:

2.1. Subject Complement / Cs/ - refers to the S. This is the constituent after Intensive /link/ V,

e.g.; She is nice /Cs/.She went crazy /Cs/. The milk went sour /Cs/.

2.2 Object Complement /Co/ refers to the O,

e.g.: She made him /Od/ happy /Co/.They elected him /Od/ chairman /Co/.

2.3. Predicator Complement /Cp/ refers to the verbal predicate as an indispensable Complement i.e. without it the V is not complete /cannot function/ or will have different meaning,

e.g.:1. He has a car /Cp/ /looks like Od but is not because passive voice is not possible/. The boy resembles his father /Cp/.

2. The room sleeps three people /Cp/.The hall seats 200 people /Cp/.

Without Cp in such cases the meaning of the V is quite different, cf.: The boy stole into the house /Cp/