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Alexandre Daudo Saibo

Berando Vasco Bingano
Dalton Soares
Telmino Victor Alberto Uehereque

SENTENCE WITHIN SENTENCES ( COMPLEMENTISERS THAT AND WHETHER)

(Licenciatura degree in English Language Teaching, 3rd Year)

Universidade Rovuma
Nampula
2023
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Alexandre Daudo Saibo

Berando Vasco Bingano
Dalton Soares
Telmino Victor Alberto Uehereque

SENTENCE WITHIN SENTENCES ( COMPLEMENTISERS THAT AND

WHETHER)
Essay to be submitted to the Department of Letters
and Social Sciences, English Course third year, in
partial fulfilment of the subject: English Syntax II.

Lecturer: Hermenegildo da Helena Nicolau M.A.

Universidade Rovuma
Nampula
2023
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Content Page
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….4
 SENTENCE WITHIN SENTENCE……………………………………………………..5
 Complementisers THAT and WHETHER……………………………………………….6
 The Function of THAT and WHETHER…………………………………………………7
 Subject- Extaposed Subject…………………………………………………………….....7
 Complement of V within VP……………………………………………………………..9
 Complement of A withinh AP……………………………………………..……………10
 Complement of N within NP……………………………………………………..……..11
 Complement of P within PP…………………………………………………….………12

Adverbial Clauses…………………………………………………………………………...…...13

Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………14

General observations……………………………………………………………………………14

References………………………………………………………………………………………16
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Introduction
The present work intends to explain and provide inputs on the Sentences within sentence, mainly
looking at the complementies THAT and WHETHER. It is however believed that these
complementisers have different function. Therefore, this present paper illustrates their functions
and how they are positioned, syntactically in a PS Tree.
Structurally, this paper is presented as follow:
 Sentence within Sentence
 Complementiser THAT and WHETHER.
 Function of complementisers
1. Subject and extraposed subject
2. Complement of V within VP
3. Complement of A within AP
4. Complement of N within NP
5. Complement of P within PP
 Adverbial Clauses
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1. SENTENCE WITHIN SENTENCE

For us to understand this chapter, we need to recall the previous acquired knowledge of types of
sentences. Within this chapter we are mainly going to focus on clausal sentences (the description
of sentence within sentences), that are mostly introduced by subordinators THAT and
WHETHER, rather than compound sentence that are introduced by a coordinator.

Therefore, before moving deeply to the details in the internal configuration of the sentences that
contain sentence as constitutes, it is essential for us to understand these two terms

"SUBORDINATE AND SUPERORDINATE".

According to Roberts (2011/172), simplifies by describing the two terms as following:

 Subordinate- lower class clause and, it is Included in the higher class clause.
 Superodinate- Higher class clause and incluses the lower class clause.

E.g: John said Maria likes banana.

S1[John said], it is then classified as superodinating clause (Higher class clause ) which is
definitely superodinating the second clause S2 [ he likes banana]> which is therefore a
subordinating clause (lower class clause).

The sentence above is a complex sentence rather than the following sentence “You dumped the
rubbish and I cleaned the house" which is a compound sentence joined by co-ordinator. As it was
said before, within this chapter, we are mainly going to focus on complex sentence introduce by
a subordinators.

Now let's use look at the following sentence:

1. Jacob thought John said Maria likes banana.

Within this sentence we can see that we have three clauses. Roberts (2011/172) illustrates that
each clause has a lexical verb (main verb), and we can identify clauses in terms of their lexical
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verb. Looking into the sentence above, the lexical verbs are: verb to think> for the thought
clause, verb to say> for the said clause, and verb to like for the likes clause.

The lexical verbs are: verb to think> for the thought clause, verb to say> for the said clause, and
verb to like for the likes clause.

Therefore, the following sentence can be present in an Abbreviated Clausal Analysis (ACA).

PS Tree

S1

Jacob thoughtS2

John said S3

Maria likes banana

Looking at the AVC above, we can see that the presentation of the clausal structure is right
branching. Each subordinate clause branches off regularly from the right of its superordinate
clause. Although right-branching is preferred in the structure of English, not all clausal structures
are right-branching.

Eg. He reminded the men that he was in charged at every minute.

PS tree

S1

He reminded the men S2 at every moment

that he was in charged

1.1. Complementisers THAT and WHETHER

With further details, to the explanation of clausal sentences, it is noticed that "THAT" is used to
introduced a subordinating clause (a lower clause clause) as it's seen in the last example in the
sentence "He reminded the men that he was in charges at every minutes" As Roberts ( 2011/174)
says “THAT” is a marker of clausal subordination. It serves to introduce subordinate clauses.
When it functions in this way (rather than as a determiner), THAT is a complementiser”.
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Futhermore, that subordinate clauses are introduced by a complementiser and therefore

dominated by S-bar.

Examples:

 John said S'[that Maria likes banana]

PS Tree

S'

C S
That Maria likes banana

Furthermore, "THAT" isn't the only complementiser which introduces subordinate clauses. As
Robert (2011./175) explains "Not all subordinate clauses are THAT-clauses, however. Another
expression that can occupy C, and thus introduce a subordinate clause, is WHETHER"

Examples:

 She asked S'[whether the teacher will arrive or not]

 Alex does knows S'[whether his application was a successful]

S'

C S
whether his application was a successful

1.2. The Function of THAT and WHETHER

Normally, that can function as in subject and subject extraposed; complement within V VP;
complement of A within AP, complement of N within NP; complement of P with PP.

1.2.1. Subject- Extaposed Subject

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THAT can function as a subject clausal which will be dominated by NP. According to Nosek
(1966) “Subject clausal is clause that is a subject of the sentence.” Furthermore, Roberts (2011)
illustrates tha,t clausal subjects are introduced by THAT and they are dominated by NP.

For example:

 S'[That the king was in his palace] disconcerted Maria

 S'[That she is under sixteen] is irrelevant
 S'[That I was too old] worried her.

PS Tree

S
NP VP
S' disconcerted Maria
C S
That the king was in his palace

Clausal Subjects can be replaced by the pronoun “it”.

 [It] disconcerted Maria

 [It] is irrelevant
 [It] worried her

Roberts (2011) further explains that one of the characteristic of clausal subjects is that, they can
be extraposed from under the subject NP node to the end of the sentence, leaving behind the
empty pronoun it.

For Example, taking the sentences presented above:

Clausal Subjects Extraposed Subjects

1. S'[That the king was in his palace] disconcerted  It disconcerted Maria [That the king was in his
Maria. palace]

2. S'[That she is under sixteen] is irrelevante.  It is irrelevant [That she is under sixteen]
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3. S'[That I was too old] worried her.  It worried her [That I was too old]

PS Tree

NP VP S'
N
It disconcerted Maria That the king was in his palace

1.2.2. Complement of V within VP

As it was previously said, THAT and WHETHER different functions and it is hereby illustrated
as a complementisers which are found within VP. Roberts (2011/179) explains that in VP we can
find clausal sentences functioning as direct objects of the verb, mostly in transitive verbs.

For instance:

 Maria said that she burned the fritters.

 Alex thinks that I went to the park

PS Tree

NP VP

P V S'

Alex [trans] C S

[pres] that I went to the park

thinks
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However, not only transitive verbs take clausal sentences as direct objects. It is believed that
some ditransitive verbs can also take clausal sentences as directs objects. As Roberts (2011/179)
specifies “We have seen that the ditransitive verb remind can take a clausal direct object. Other
such ditransitive verbs are tell, convince, warn, persuade, promise, and inform.”

Exemples:

 I told him that that shirt was dirty

 They finally covinced me that I shloud be a president

PS Tree

S
NP VP
Pro V NP NP
I [ditrans] him S'
[past] C S
told that that shirt was dirty

Furthermore, Roberrts (2011) Higlighted that, THAT- and WETHER-clauses cannot function as
indirect objects of ditransitive verbs for the simple reason that indirect objects must be able to
refer to animate entities, whereas clauses (sentences) cannot. They don’t refer even to concrete
entities but denote propositions. Propositions are abstract and hence not animate.

1.2.3. Complement of A withinh AP

Roberts (2011/181) “. Adjectives can also be complemented by a that-clause or a whether-clause.

So: an AP can consist of the head A plus a clausal (S′) complement. ”
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Examples are:

 He became happy [that they had not stolen his money]

 He was not aware [that he had overstepped the mark.
 They were unsure [whether they would present or not]

PS Tree

NP VP
Pro V AP
He [intens] A S'
[past] happy C S
became that they had not stolen his money

1.2.4. Complement of N within NP

Roberts (2011/182) highlighted that THAT clauses can also be found in NP complementing the
N. However, it is crucial to note that, one of the features of Noun complementing clauses when
they appear in NP, they can only complement abstract nouns like: fact, rumour, idea, news,
claim, suggestion, rule, message, indication,

Examples:

 The fact that life is getting hard

 The rumours that Bernardo was leaving

They are ungrammatical if they appear as following:

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 *The books that life is getting hard

 *The newpaper article that Bernardo was leaving

PS Tree
 The fact that life is getting hard

NP
Det NOM
ART N S'
The fact C S
that life is getting hard

1.2.5. Complement of P within PP

Interrogative (whether-) clause can function as the complement of a preposition within PP, by
contrary, (that clause) cannot function as complemente of P within PP.

Examples:
 The question [of whether they should set up a website was raised]
 Sarah’s concerns [about whether anyone had enough time were ignored.]
 It depends [on whether the rations arrive in time]

It is ungrammatical when:

 *The question [of that they should set up a website was raised]
 *Sarah’s concerns [about that anyone had enough time were ignored.]
 *It depends [on that the rations arrive in time]

PS Tress

PP

P S'
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of C S

whether they should set up a website was raise

1.3. Adverbial Clauses

In english structure, syntatically, adverbials clauses are introduced by words such as: if
(conditional adverbial), because (adverbial of reason or results) and so (adverbial of purpose).
Therefore, adverbial clauses are represented within the S'

Examples:

 Things will be better [if she leaves the building]

 Students are complaining [because the teachers are giving them a lot of tasks]
 I’m slaving away here [so you can have clean clothes tomorrow]

S
NP VP
Things VP S'
MOD VP C S
[pres] V AP if she leaves the building
Will [intens] better
be
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Conclusions

It has been Concluded that, in normal circumstances, grammatically, THAT and WHETHER
function as a complementisers which can be found in NP, AP, PP, Subject- extraposed subject
and V within VP. However both complementisers cannot be found in all mentioned contintuents.
For instance THAT Conplementiser (that-cluase) can be used in the following contintuents: V
within VP, Subject-extraposed subject, A within AP, in the contrary, THAT Complementiser
cannot be used in the P Clauses. The sentence will be ungrammatical.

General observations

1. Subject

 [That the king was in his palace] disconcerted Maria

1.1. Extraposed subject

 It disconcerted Maria [That the king was in his palace]

2. V within VP

 I told him that that shirt was dirty

3. A within AP

 He became happy [that they had not stolen his money]

 They were unsure [whether they would present or not]

4. N within NP

 The fact that life is getting hard

 The rumours that Bernardo was leaving

5. P within PP

 The question [of whether they should set up a website was raised]
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Adverbial clauses are introduced by words such as: if (conditional adverbial), because
(adverbial of reason or results) and so (adverbial of purpose). Therefore, adverbial clauses are
represented within the S'

 Things will be better [if she leaves the building]

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References

 Dušková, L. (1999) Studies in the English Language, Part 2., Prague: Karolinum – Charles
University Press
 Nosek, J. (1966) Contributions to the Syntax of the New English Complex Sentence, Acta
Universitatis Carolinae, Philologica, Monographia XIII, Praha: Universita Karlova
 Roberts B. N (2011) Analysing sentences- an introduction to English Syntax, 3rd Ed, Great
Britainm. Person