Last Bits of Grammar

Last notes:

Expletive constructions: Standard English has a number of what we call expletive constructions. These occur when we use “place-holder” or empty words in order for our grammar to make sense to us.

Nonfinite Phrases: Gerunds and Participles

Participles and Gerunds

Like infinitives, both participles and gerunds are nonfinite phrases. And, like infinitives, they are words that derive from – come from – verbs, and yet do not function as verbs.

Non-finite phrases

Nonfinite Phrases:

Infinitive

Participial

Gerund

Nonfinite phrases are like dependent clauses in that they can act as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. They are unlike dependent clauses in that they contain nonfinite verb forms rather than finite verbs.

Finite Clauses Part II: That-clauses, Interrogative clauses, appositives

That-Clauses

That-clauses are dependent clauses introduced (usually) by the word that which function as nouns.

Finite Clauses Part I: Subordinated Clauses, Relative Clauses, Clauses defined

CLAUSES: FINITE CLAUSES

These are the types of finite clauses we'll be discussing:

Subordinated Clauses

Relative clauses

That-clauses (AKA noun clauses)

Interrogative clauses

Basic Sentence Transformation Part II: Passives, Negatives, Interrogatives

Passive Transformations

Type V sentences – that is, sentences with the construction

        James found a quarter.

 Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Transitive verb) + Direct Object (NP²)

 are in the active voice. These sentences can be transformed into the passive voice. Type V sentences are the only sentences that can be made passive.

Sentence Transformations Part I: Indirect objects, object complements

Basic Sentence Transformation:

Indirect objects, Passive constructions, negative constructions, interrogative constructions, imperatives