Of the same rank as the simple sentence.

The following characteristics should be kept in mind when discussing

composite sentences:

- the type of syntactic connection (coordination or subordination);

- the rank of predicative constructions, that is, the place occupied by the

predicative construction in the hierarchy of clauses;

- presence or absence of connectors and their character.

A general classification of composite sentences can be based on the first two

criteria – the type of syntactic connection and the rank of predicative constructions.

Here compound and complex sentences are singled out. In the compound sentence

predicative constructions of the high rank are connected by means of coordination

while in the complex sentence – by means of subordination.

According to the way in which parts of the composite sentence are joined

together, two types can be singled out:

1) syndetic (by means of connectors);

2) asyndetic (without any connectors).

The connector can either be a conjunction, a pronoun or an adverb. If it is a

conjunction, its function in the sentence is to join the clauses together. If it is a

pronoun or an adverb (i. e. a relative pronoun or a relative adverb), then it serves as

a part of one of the two clauses which are joined (a subject, object, adverbial

modifier, etc.), and also joins the two clauses together.

There can be disputable cases when it is not quite clear a composite sentence

is syndetic or asyndetic. It depends on the way we view a particular word.

e.g. The one thing she seems to aim at is Individuality; yet she cares nothing for individuals.

The second clause of the composite sentence opens with the word yet, so we

may say that it is an adverb and the connection is asyndetic, or else, that it is a

conjunction and the connection is syndetic.

Compound Sentences

Compound sentencesare structures of co-ordination with two or more

immediate constituents which are syntactically equivalent, i. e. none of them is

below the other in rank.

The process of coordinationinvolves the linking of structures of equal

grammatical rank — single words and phrases in elementary compound groups or

independent clauses in compound sentences. The coordinative conjunctions and

the correlatives serve to produce coordination by joining the grammatically

equivalent elements. Two or more clauses equal in rank can together be given the

status of a single sentence. Such co-ordinated units make up a compound sentence.

The formative words linking the parts of a compound sentence fall into the

following types: 1) coordinative conjunctions, 2) conjunctive adverbs, 3) fixed

Prepositional phrases.

Coordinative conjunctions are rather few in number: and, but, or, yet, for.

furthermore, hence, however, moreover, nevertheless, therefore.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1041