Functional Values of the English Clause in Grammatical Analysis

Raifu Olanrewaju Farinde,Yemi Ogunsiji,Johnson Oludare Ojo

doi:10.5539/ijel.v5n3p88

Abstract

The English clause is the next higher unit after the group but lower than the sentence in the English grammatical rankscale. It is, most often, central to the analysis of sentence as it accounts for the internal constituents. Therefore, the mastery of the occurrence of the clause in a sentence (structurally or functionally) usually opens up such a sentence. This paper examines the functional values of the English clause with a view to establishing its importance in grammatical description and analysis. It finds out that the clause adds a lot of values to the English sentence. These include its centrality to grammatical rankshift, embedment, configuration of sentences to mention a few. It further establishes the fact that since the sentences is the largest unit of grammatical analysis and the upper limit of structural statement at the grammatical level, the English clause becomes a vital tool in the realization of these analyses.

Highlights

IntroductionThe sentence (or potentially complete utterance) has been taken as the largest structure within which a full grammatical analysis is possible (See Quirk & Greenbaum, 1973, p. 21)
In the traditional sense, the sentence has been taken as the largest structure within which a full grammatical analysis is possible (See Quirk & Greenbaum, 1973, p. 21)
This paper examines the functional values of the English clause with a view to establishing its importance in grammatical description and analysis

Summary

Introduction

The sentence (or potentially complete utterance) has been taken as the largest structure within which a full grammatical analysis is possible (See Quirk & Greenbaum, 1973, p. 21). At the semantic/contextual level, the sentence is described as a group of words which is meaningful If this is so, it follows that a potentially complete stretch of utterance will be, as a whole utterance, meaningful within the situation in which it is uttered. It can be functionally related to the relevant components of the situation, and its meaning explained by reference to a context of situation abstracted from the total extra-linguistic environment for this purpose This may be true of some or all of its constituent parts, (which are, on their own, complete utterances) they need not have independently unstatable semantic functions or meanings; and the meaning of a word or group of words forming part of a larger sentence is not necessarily the same thing as the meaning of that same word or group when constituting a sentence that is complete in its own right. After an exhaustive discussion of the sentence unit with all its constituent parts, this paper examines those values the English clause adds to the sentence in grammatical analysis as a vital constituent part of a sentence

Theoretical Perspectives

The English Clause

24. What caused the pandemonian?

32. She works where?

Conclusion