Строй современного английского языка
COMPLEX SENTENCES AS A WHOLE
Download 1.77 Mb.
|
| COMPLEX SENTENCES AS A WHOLE
Of course a complex sentence does not always consist of one main and one subordinate clause. It may contain two, three, or more subordinate clauses, which may or may not be connected with one another. Two subordinate clauses are connected with one another if they belong to the same type (for example, if they are both object clauses). In that case they may be joined by a co-ordinating conjunction (and, but, or). We can see an example in the following sentence: He thought what a handsome pair they made, Lucien and his mother, and how the abbe had no chance at all with them. (R. MACAULAY) Another type of structure is seen when the subordinate clauses are not connected with each other. For instance, one of two attributive clauses within a complex sentence may modify one part of the head clause, and the other attributive clause may modify another part: On the contrary, here I have everything that disappointed me without anything that I have not already tried and found wanting. (SHAW) In a similar way two adverbial clauses within a complex sentence may belong to different homogeneous predicates in the head clause, etc. It is obvious that many varieties are here possible. Complex Sentences As a Whole 313 A nd again, the subordinate clauses contained in one complex sentence may have different functions: one may be attributive, another an object clause, a third may be adverbial, and so forth. So far we have only considered complex sentences with subordinate clauses of the first degree, that is, clauses immediately subordinated to the main clause. However, that is far from being the only possible structure of a complex sentence. A subordinate clause may in its turn have another clause subordinated to it, that is, a subordinate clause of the second degree. That clause of the first degree to which another clause (of the second degree) is subordinated, has thus a twofold syntactical connection: on the one hand, it is a subordinate clause with reference to the main clause, and on the other, it is a head clause with reference to the second-degree subordinate clause. This may be seen, for example, in the following complex sentence: Across her face there was passing a constant stream of infinitesimally delicate changes of expression, the most minute possible contraction of the brows or pursing of the lips, which gave an indication of restlessness that, if at any moment these movements became more marked, would shift into a complete picture of misery. (R. WEST) In this sentence there is an attributive clause of the first degree, an attributive clause of the second degree, and a conditional clause of the third degree. Many questions remain to be solved concerning the types of clauses which may be subordinates of the first degree and have at the same time further subordinates of the second and higher degrees attached to them, etc. It also remains to be seen whether, for instance, interrogative or imperative clauses can be met with as subordinate clauses of different degrees, etc. There may also be homogeneous clauses, that is, two or more subordinate clauses, connected either with or without a conjunction, and performing the same syntactical function in the sentence. These clauses may or may not be introduced by the same subordinating conjunction or connective. Thus, in the following example there are three homogeneous subject clauses. Why Motley had told him, why he must ridiculously, having no rights, question her, and what she might answer were problems he had tried since his first enlightenment to thrust from him. (BUECHNER) That the three clauses are homogeneous is clearly shown by the fact that there is the conjunction and between the second and the third of them, and also by the fact that the predicate of the head clause is were problems, with its link verb in the plural. The words introducing the three clauses are only partly alike: why for the first clause, why for the second, but what for the third. In our next example the conjunction as introduces the two homogeneous predicative clauses: All this was as it had always been, as it should be, and there was even a special gift, as he crossed between |