Simple Sentence (Revision)

This is a brief summary  of the theory in "A comprehensive Grammar of the English Language", by Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik.


HELLO, EVERYBODY!

Before we start learning about the compound sentence, let's revise our knowledge on some aaspects of the SIMPLE SENTENCE.

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

The subject is distinguished from the other elements (VERB and combinations of O, C and A) which follow it. 

The SUBJECT is described as the constituent defining the topic of the sentence.

The PREDICATE is that which is asserted about the subject.

VARIATION IN THE BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS

As we know, a sentence suffers certain changes when transforming from the declarative form to its interrogative, imperative, and/or exclamative forms. We will now discuss the changes regarding the operator and predication of a sentence: 

OPERATOR AND PREDICATION:

Not all simple statements have an operator, but when it occurs, it is normally the word which directly follows the subject (the first or only auxiliary).

It has a crucial role in the formation of questions.

SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS OF CLAUSE ELEMENTS

As we all know, the elements of the clause structure are the SUBJECT, the VERB, the OBJECT(S), the  COMPLEMENT(S), and the ADVERBIAL.

The VERB is the most "central" element and it's preceded by the SUBJECT.

Following the verb, there may be one or two OBJECTS, or a COMPLEMENT.

The most peripheral element is the ADVERBIAL, which can occur initially, medially or finally. It is usually optional. 

Both objects and complements have subcategories: 

👀The subject complement is also called "predicative noun", "predicative adjective", "predicative nominal" or "predicative adjectival".

The OBLIGATORY ADVERBS are largely restricted to SPACE ADJUNCTS (either in SVA or ASVOA), and also TEMPORARY LOCATION. 

As SUBJECT-RELATED adjunct: He stayed IN BED.

As OBJECT-RELATED adjunct: They kept him IN BED.

SUBJECT-VERB CONCORD

GENERAL RULE

Concord (also termed "AGREEMENT") can be defined as the relationship between two grammatical units such that one of them displays a particular feature (e.g. plurality) that accords with a displayed (or semantically implicit) feature in the other.

The normally observed rule is very simple:

👉 A singular subject requires a singular verb;

👉A plural subject requires a plural verb;

👉When the subject is realized by a noun phrase, the phrase counts as singular if the head is singular;

👉 Finite and non-finite clauses generally count as singular;

👉 Prepositional phrases and adverbs functioning as subject also count as singular.

PRINCIPLES OF GRAMMATICAL CONCORD, NOTIONAL CONCORD AND PROXIMITY 

💥GRAMMATICAL CONCORD: 

It's the rule which claims that a verb has to match its subject in number (as explained above)

💥NOTIONAL CONCORD:

It's the agreement verb-subject according to notion of number rather than with the actual presence of the grammatical marker for that notion (e.g. the collective nouns)

👉The government have broken all their promises.

The plural notion is signaled not only by the plural verb, but also by the pronoun "their". 

💥PROXIMITY: (also called "ATTRACTION")

It denotes agreement of the verb with a closely preceding noun phrase in preference to agreement with the head of the noun phrase that functions as subject:

👉No one except the his own followers agree with him. 

👉 A good knowledge of the English, Russian and French are required for this position.

Conflict between GRAMMATICAL CONCORD and 

ATTRACTION through PROXIMITY tends to increase with the distance between the noun phrase head of the subject and the verb. 

Proximity concord occurs mainly in unplanned discourse. 

Well, we've revised some basic facts about the simple sentence, now...

Marce.