Phrases combine according to set rules into larger structures known as clauses. There are seven basic clause structures in English. Clauses may be further combined in spoken language into clause complexes.
Conjunctions form a closed class There is a limited number of conjunctions and new ones cannot be added easily. Hence, like auxiliary verbs, numerals, determiners, pronouns and prepositions, conjunctions form a closed word class. The function of conjunctions These words conjoin,…
Determiners form a closed class Unlike open classes (such as lexical verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs), the membership of a closed class of words is fixed. Consequently, it is not generally possible to add new words to the class. Determiners form such a closed…
No future tense in English We have seen elsewhere (see Lexical Verbs) that English verb forms only mark two aspects of time, the present and the past, i.e. there is no future tense form of English verbs. Some languages do mark future tense with a particular verb…
Meaningful units If you were asked what the meaningful units of language were called you would probably say ‘words’. Look at the words in the following utterances: Bill hit Bob Bob hit Bill Do the words mean…
The grammar of spoken language differs in several respects from that of written language. Its use of heads, tails, ellipsis, boundary markers, and other features used in formal and informal speech, suggests that spoken language has its own grammar.
Grammatical description varies. Grammars can be descriptive, prescriptive or pedagogic. Speech therapists predominantly use a descriptive grammar but will adopt elements of pedagogic grammars when teaching clients.
Here is a simple procedure you can use if you are trying to identify clauses either in a transcription of spoken English or in a written English text. This is only a guide and it may not be sufficiently robust to enable you to identify some of the…
