English clause element

English clause elements are the minimum set of units needed to describe the linear structure of a clause.

Traditionally, they are partly identified by terms such as subject and object. Their distribution in a clause is partly indicated by traditional terms defining verbs as transitive or intransitive.

Modern English reference grammars are in broad agreement as to a full inventory, but are not unanimous in their terminology or their classification. Clause elements may be identified by unique terms. However, they may be identified by more general terms and further classified according to the type of verb.

A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language

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This grammar by Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik[1] recognises seven types of clause structure and seven positions where elements may be identified.[2]: 62  The elements of the clause structures are labelled with these terms and abbreviations:[2]: 49 

Subject (S) Verb (V) Object (O) Complement (C) Adverbial (A)
Indirect Direct Subject Object
S

t r u c t u r e s

a. Someone was laughing.
b. My mother enjoys parties.
c. The country became totally independent.
d. I have been in the garden.
e. Mary gave the visitor a glass of milk.
f. Most people consider these books rather expensive.
g. You must put all the toys upstairs.

These patterns correspond to a classification of the verb:[2]: 53–54 

Clause type Verb type
a. SV INTRANSITIVE
b. SVO TRANSITIVE (MONOTRANSITIVE)
c. SVC COPULAR
d. SVA COPULAR
e. SVOO TRANSITIVE (DITRANSITIVE)
f. SVOC TRANSITIVE (COMPLEX TRANSITIVE)
g. SVOA TRANSITIVE (COMPLEX TRANSITIVE)

The example sentences contain only obligatory clause elements. The same seven patterns are recognised for longer sentences with added optional adverbials.[2]: 49 

a′. Someone [S] was laughing [V] loudly [A] in the next room [A].
b′. My mother [S] usually [A] enjoys [V] parties [O] very much [A].
c′. In 1945 [A] the country [S] became [V] totally [A] independent [C].
d′. I [S] have been [V] in the garden [A] all the time [A] since lunch [A].
e′. Mary [S] willingly [A] gave [V] the visitor [O] a glass of milk [O].
f′. Most people [S] consider [V] these books [O] rather [A] expensive [C], actually [A].
g′. You [S] must put [V] all the toys [O] upstairs [A] immediately [A].

The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English

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This grammar recognises the seven patterns as above, but using partly different terms and abbreviations.[3]: 122  In addition, it recognises a clause type with a different verb type: a prepositional verb such as rely on which is followed by a prepositional object.[3]: 129 

It also recognises two further types of adverbial. In i, to put it mildly is loosely attached to the clause It would be unfortunate. It expresses the attitude of the speaker/writer. The grammar uses the term and abbreviation stance adverbial (As).[3]: 131  In j, nevertheless functions as a connection between the clause and a preceding clause. The grammar uses the term and abbreviation linking adverbial (Al).[3]: 133 

Subject (S) Verb

Phrase (V)

Indirect (Oi) Direct (Od) Prepositional (Op) Subject (Ps) Object (PO) Circumstance (Ac) Stance (As) Linking (Al)
Object Predicative Adverbial
a. Someone was laughing.
b. My mother enjoys parties.
c. The country became totally independent.
d. I have been in the garden.
e. Mary gave the visitor a glass of milk.
f. Most people consider these books rather expensive.
g. You must put all the toys upstairs.
h. One relied on other people.
i. It would be unfortunate, to put it mildly.
j. It moves, nevertheless.

Thus the grammar recognises the patterns:[3]: 141–152 

a. Someone [S] was laughing [V].
b. My mother [S] enjoys [V] parties [Od].
c. The country [S] became [V] totally independent [Ps].
d. I [S] have been [V] in the garden [Ac].
e. Mary [S] gave [V] the visitor [Oi] a glass of milk [Od].
f. Most people [S] consider [V] these books [Od] rather expensive [Po].
g. You [S] must put [V] all the toys [Od] upstairs [Ac].
h. One [S] relied on [V] other people [Op].
i. It [S] would be [V] unfortunate [Ps], to put it mildly [As].
j. It [S] moves [V], nevertheless [Al].

In clauses of types a-h the order of elements is normally fixed. However, stance adverbials and linking adverbials are more mobile. For example,

i′. To put it mildly [As], it [S] would be [V] unfortunate [Ps].
j′. Nevertheless [Al], it [S] moves [V].

The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language

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Subject (S) Verb (V) Object (O) Complement (C) Adverbial (A)
Indirect Direct Subject Object
a. Someone was laughing.
b. My mother enjoys parties.
c. The country became totally independent.
d. I have been in the garden.
e. Mary gave the visitor a glass of milk.
f. Most people consider these books rather expensive.
g. You must put all the toys upstairs.


This grammar recognises a basic distinction between predicator, complement and adjunct.[4]: 215 

At this basic level, it recognises the elements numbered above with the following terms and abbreviations:[4]: 216 

1. Complement (C)
2. Predicator (P)
3-7. Complement (C)

The term Adjunct (A) is reserved for elements which are not obligatory.[4]: 232 

This produces the analyses:

d. I [C] have been [P] in the garden [C].
d′. I [C] have been [P] in the garden [C] all the time [A] since lunch [A].
g. You [C] must put [P] all the toys [C] upstairs [C].
g′. You [C] must put [P] all the toys [C] upstairs [C] immediately [A].

At a more detailed level, the grammar distinguishes the complements between subject and predicative complement

1. Subject (S)[4]: 235 
2. Predicator (P)[4]: 215 
3. Object (indirect) (Oi)[4]: 244 
4. Object (direct) (Od)[4]: 244 
5-6. Predicative complement (PC)[4]: 251 
7. Locative complement (LC)[4]: 257 

Predicative complements are distinguished according to the verb type.[4]: 216  This produces the following analyses:

Verb type Example clause
Intransitive a. Someone [S] was laughing [P].
Transitive b. My mother [S] enjoys [P] parties [Od].
Complex-Intransitive c. The country [S] became [P] totally independent [PC].[4]: 263 
Complex-Intransitive d. I [S] have been [P] in the garden [LC].
Ditransitive e. Mary [S] gave [P] the visitor [Oi] a glass of milk [Od].
Complex-Transitive f. Most people [S] consider [P] these books [Od] rather expensive [PC].[4]: 264 
Complex-Transitive g. You [S] must put [P] all the toys [Od] upstairs [LC].

References

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  1. ^ Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik, A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (Longman, 1985).
  2. ^ a b c d Quirk, Raymond, Sidney Greembaum, Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik, 1985, A Comprehensive Grammar of Contemporary English, Longman, London ISBN 0582517346.
  3. ^ a b c d e Bider, Douglas, Stig Johansson, Geoffrey Leech, Susan Conrad and Edward Finegan, Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English, Harlow, Pearson Education, 1999. ISBN 0582237254
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Huddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K Pullum, 2002, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521431468