DESCRIÇÃO E ANÁLISE Prof John Corbett

MORFOSSINTÁTICA DO USP-CAPES International Fellow

Prof Elizabeth Harkot de La

INGLÊS Taille
 THE RANK SCALE

Sentence Constituents:

Sentence: Main clause(s) plus possible subordinate clauses.

Clause (SPOCA): Subject/Predicator/Object/Complement/Adverbial
Phrase (x M H): Noun Phrase/Verb Phrase/Prepositional Phrase, etc.
Word: Noun/Verb/Adjective/Preposition, etc.
Morpheme: prefixes, roots and suffixes
 THE RANK SCALE

Sentence Constituents:

Sentence: Main clause(s) plus possible subordinate clauses.

Clause (SPOCA): Subject/Predicator/Object/Complement/Adverbial
Phrase (x M H): Noun Phrase/Verb Phrase/Prepositional Phrase, etc.
Word: Noun/Verb/Adjective/Preposition, etc.
Morpheme: prefixes, roots and suffixes

Phrase structure is about the internal structure of phrases (eg inside a NP, what functions as
modifier, headword or neither?)

Clause structure is about how phrases combine in larger structures, such as sentences (eg is
the NP functioning as the Subject or the Object of a sentence?)
FROM 2 WEEKS AGO…

My motorbike is really fast.

My motorbike goes really fast.

How many phrases are in each sentence?

How do they relate to each other? In other words, how do the phrases
combine?
FROM 2 WEEKS AGO…

My motorbike is really fast.

My motorbike goes really fast.

S M H P H C M H

(My motorbike) (is) (really fast).

NP d N VP V AjP Av Aj

S M H P H A M H

(My motorbike) (goes) (really fast).

NP d N VP V AvP Av Av
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Clause functions (SPOCA)

The NP (The mad dogs) has a different function in each of

the following two sentences:

The mad dogs were chasing him round the field.

Health inspectors have captured the mad dogs.

The VPs (were chasing) (have captured)

and the PP (round the field) also have functional values
in relation to the other phrases in each sentence.
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Clause functions (SPOCA)

Subject
Predicator
Object
Complement
Adverbial

These are functional values we give to phrases.

Each clause is made up of a combination of one or more phrases with one of these functional values.
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Predicator

The Predicator is always the VP.

P
The mad dogs (were chasing) him round the field.
VP

P
He (was being chased) by the mad dogs.
VP

P
Health inspectors (have captured) the mad dogs.
VP

Note: We put the functional label above the line of the sentence, and the form label below.
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Predicator

The Predicator is always the VP. Identify the Predicators in the sentences below:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I
could see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched
on his lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam.
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Predicator = VP

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could see
that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his lap. He
swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam.

Clues to help identify VP/Predicators:

Form: -ed (Past Tense inflexion)

Function: Auxiliary verb + Main Verb

could see
was providing

Meaning: Actions and states

CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Subject

The Subject has a relation of agreement or concord with the Predicator.

S P

(The mad dogs) (were chasing) him round the field.

NP VP

S P

(He) (was being chased) by the mad dogs.

NP VP
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Subject

The Subject has a relation of agreement or concord with the Predicator. Identify the Subject in the following
sentences:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his
lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam.
CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Subject

The Subject has a relation of agreement or concord with the Predicator. Identify the Subject in the following
sentences:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, [Ø] perched on
his lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and [Ø] handed it to Tam.
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Object

The Object has the potential to become the Subject of a passive sentence.

S P O

(The mad dogs) (were chasing) (him) round the field. = active
NP VP NP

S P

(He) (was being chased) round the field by the mad dogs. = passive
NP VP

Not:
* Round the field was being chased him by the mad dogs.
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Object

The Object has the potential to become the Subject of a passive sentence. Identify the Objects in the following
sentences:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his
lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam..
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Object

The Object has the potential to become the Subject of a passive sentence. Identify the Objects in the following
sentences:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I
could see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched
on his lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam..
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Direct and Indirect Object
Some sentences have two NP’s either of which can become Subject

S O O
(Those dogs ) gave (him) (a terrible fright).
NP NP NP

S O
(He) was given (a terrible fright) by those dogs.
NP NP
or
S O
(A terrible fright) was given (him) by those dogs.
NP NP
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE
In such cases, only one NP can be expanded into a PP. Here it is (him):

Those dogs gave a terrible fright to him.

A terrible fright was given to him by those dogs.

NP’s which do not expand into PP’s are called Direct Objects.
NP’s which can expand into PP’s are called Indirect Objects. (However, once they are expanded into a PP, they
become Adverbials.)

S A
(A terrible fright) was given (to him) by those dogs.
NP PP
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Complement
The Complement is usually an AjP or a NP. Unlike the Object, it cannot become the Subject of a passive sentence.

Those kittens look (really cute).

AjP

*(Really cute) is looked by those kittens.

He has become (an accomplished actor).

NP

*(An accomplished actor) has been become by him.

Complements usually describe or give value to the Subject or Object.

 CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Complement

Complements usually describe or give value to the Subject or Object:

Subject Complement:
The desert can be dry.
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Subject and Object Complements

Complements usually describe or give value to the Subject or Object:

Subject Complement:
The desert can be dry.

Object Complement:
We drank the city dry.
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Complement

The Complement is usually an AjP or a NP. Unlike the Object, it cannot become the Subject of
a passive sentence. Identify the two examples of a Complement in the following sentences:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his
lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam..
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Complement

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his
lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam.

shut = Object Complement (door=shut) in ‘I slammed the door shut.’

silent = Subject Complement (Tam=silent) ‘Tam…remained silent.’

 CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Adverbial

Adverbials are usually AvP’s or PP’s which give information about time, place, manner and so on. They can often move around a
sentence, or they can be left out altogether.

A A

The dogs attacked me (furiously). The dogs attacked me (with great fury).
AvP PP

A A

The dogs (furiously) attacked me. The dogs, (with great fury), attacked me.
AvP PP

A A

(Furiously), the dogs attacked me. (With great fury) the dogs attached me.
AvP PP
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Adverbial

Adverbials are usually AvP’s or PP’s which give information about time, place, manner and so on. They can often move around a
sentence, or they can be left out altogether.

A A

The dogs attacked me (furiously). The dogs attacked me (with great fury).
AvP PP

Note that the adverbial can be left out and the sentence will still be complete.

S P O

(The dogs) (attacked) (me).

NP VP NP
CLAUSE STRUCTURE
Adverbial

Adverbials are usually AvP’s or PP’s which give information about time, place, manner and so on. Identify the
Adverbials in the following sentences:

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his
lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam..
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I could
see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched on his
lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam.

NB: ‘to Tam’ is an Adverbial here. If the sentence had been

‘He handed (Tam) (the Irn Bru)’ then it would be Oi.

Q: What kind of words have not yet been analysed? (That is, the ones in black…)
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Tam looked at me for a moment as I slammed the door shut, but remained silent. I
could see that Richie was providing the sandwiches from the plastic lunch box, perched
on his lap. He swigged the Irn Bru and handed it to Tam.

Q: What kind of words have not yet been analysed?

A: Conjunctions: as, but, that, and
 CLAUSE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

S P A A
(Tam) (looked) (at me) (for a moment)
NP VP PP PP
S P O Co
as (I) (slammed) (the door) (shut),
NP VP NP AjP
P Cs
but (remained) (silent).
VP AjP

This is a complex sentence, made up of an embedded clause and two coordinate clauses:
[Tam looked at me for a moment [as I slammed the door shut]] but [remained silent]
MORE ON SENTENCE
STRUCTURE NEXT WEEK!
Don’t forget the moodle quiz!