SYNTAX : DEPENDENT/SUBORDINATE CLAUSES

I. Identify the noun clauses in the following sentences, and say what function they have.

1) I regret speaking to you so rudely.

2) That a politician can act that way after years in office never occurred to me.

3) Why he acts the way he does mystifies me.

4) Whether we need it is a different matter.

5) I don’t know whether we need it.

6) The problem is whether we need it.

7) That question, whether we need it, has not yet been considered.

8) The decision must depend on whether we need it.

9) It is well known that coffee grows in Brazil.

10) My understanding is that coffee grows in Brazil.

11) His belief that coffee grows in Brazil is correct.

12) I hadn’t realized what a pretty girl she was.

13) I told him that he was wrong.

14) I’m sure that things will improve.

15) How the book will sell depends on its author.

16) No one was consulted on who should have the prize.

17) Home is where your friends and family are.

18) I can’t imagine what made him do it.

19) That I forgot your birthday was quite unforgivable.

20) I wonder if Iris will be coming with us.

II. State the types and functions of the underlined groups of words.

1) That he was not the actual winner did not bother Marx. → S: Noun clause

2) He told Mary a story about herself. → O: NP

3) Doctors know that certain hormones can intensify depression. → O: N clause

4) Marcel didn’t study for his finals. Consequently, he failed out of school.→ Adjunct:Adv Phr

5) Confidentially, I can’t stand my boss. → Adjunct: Adv Phr

6) Psychiatrists have not shown why Freudian therapy works. →Adj: NP

7) That the continent’s ice shelves are cracking indicates that Antarctica is warming. → Pre-

modifier: genitive

8) Playing one parent against the other is a fundamental skill of adolescents. → Post-modifier:

Preposition phr

9) He didn’t study very hard. Nevertheless, he got an A on the exam. → Adjunct:Adv Phr

10) Last night they argued loudly for an hour in the dining room. → Adjunct: prep phr

III. Underline the dependent clauses in the following sentences, and then state whether

they are nominal, adjectival or adverbial clauses.

1) It was Ben that Lois rang at lunchtime.

2) Department stores do not offer as much friendly service as they used to.

3) He was driving a car which I hadn’t seen before.

4) I told my friends that it was unfair.

5) We were concerned about how he would get the money.

6) The woman to whom he has been giving money is a poor relative of his.

7) He gives money to whoever needs it.

8) That the two nations cannot find an area of agreement may result in the failure of the peace.

9) We will have finished all the adverbial clauses by the time the semester ends.

10) Once she makes up her mind, she never changes it.

11) Samantha knows what Joyce is doing.

12) Even though Ted knew the material, he failed the exam.

13) Where they are going on their honeymoon is a secret.

14) I didn’t know if I should bring my bike.

15) Children who are often naughty need discipline.

IV. Each of the following sentences contains a non-finite clause. For each one:

(i) Classify the clause as a Cli (the infinitive clause), Cling (the present participle clause),

Clen (the past participle clause).

(ii) State its function.

1) Students arriving late will not be permitted to enter the lecture hall.

2) We are fortunate to have such a good teacher.

3) We drove along a road covered with mud.

4) We are reluctant to leave this neighbourhood.

5) A student hoping to finish college in three years must work very hard.

6) She laboured to improve her flower garden.

7) They persisted in whispering all through the lecture.

8) He denied having taken any money from the cash register.

9) The courses to be taught are listed in the catalogue.

10) To tell the truth, I don’t understand him at all.