FINITE AND NONFINITE CLAUSES

THEORY OF LANGUAGE III: SYNTAX

FINITE CLAUSES
Finite clauses are those clauses containing a subject and
finite verb (marked for tense, person, and number).

There are three main types of finite dependent clauses:

- that-clauses,
- adverbial clauses, and
- wh-clauses.
Wh-clauses may also be
independent.
FINITE CLAUSE: THAT-CLAUSES

That-clauses are so named because they usually begin

with the subordinating conjunction.

(1)That coffee grows in Brazil is well known to all.

(2)I know that coffee grows in Brazil.
(3)He told his mother that coffee grows in Brazil.
(4)My understanding is that coffee grows in Brazil.
(5)He is certain that coffee grows in Brazil.
(6)His claim that coffee grows in Brazil is correct.
(7)It is well known that coffee grows in Brazil.
FINITE CLAUSE: THAT-CLAUSES
Form.
We begin with the internal structure of the clause. The
subordinating conjunction that which begins the clause has
no function within the clause, but serves to connect the
clauses.
We say that it syntactically subordinates the second clause
to, makes it dependent on, or embeds it in the first clause.
That is thus a marker of subordination which we call a
complementizer (Comp).
FINITE CLAUSE: THAT-CLAUSES

The remainder of the clause after that is a fully formed S:

- it has a finite verb;
- it may have any number of auxiliaries:
that coffee might have been growing in Brazil;
- it may be passive: that coffee was grown in Brazil;
- it may be negative: that coffee doesn’t grow in Brazil; and
- it may itself be complex: that though coffee tastes good, it
is bad for your health.
FINITE CLAUSE: THAT-CLAUSES
The two restrictions on the form of the that-clause are that:
- it may not be a question (*that does coffee grow in Brazil)
and;
- it may not be an imperative (*that buy some Brazilian
coffee!).

In other words, there may be no disruption of the normal

clausal order.
FINITE CLAUSE: THAT-CLAUSES
Function.
In all cases, the that-clause has a nominal function;
That-clauses may serve virtually all of the functions served
by NP’s.

1. subject 2. direct object 3. direct object after

indirect object
4. subject complement 5. complement of A 6.
complement of N
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES

Three types of wh-clauses:

1. wh-questions;
2. relative clauses; and
3. indirect questions.

The first is a type of main clause; the second

two are types of subordinate clauses.
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: WH-QUESTIONS

Forms of the Interrogative Wh-Complementizer

(a) Pronoun
What happened to you last night? (subject)
Who called you last night? (subject)
What did you do last night? (direct object)
Whom did you see last night? (direct object)
Whom did you give the money to? (indirect object)
Whom did you go to the movie with last night? (object of
preposition) What did you call me? (object complement)
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: WH-QUESTIONS
(c) Adverb
(b) Determiner
Why did you leave early?
Whose car did you take?
When did the movie let
Which movie did you
out?
see?
Where did you park?
What movie did you see?
How did you get to the
theatre?
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: WH-QUESTIONS

(d) Degree Word

How expensive was the show? (modifying A)
How quickly can you get here? (modifying Adv)
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: RELATIVE CLAUSES
The second kind of wh-clause is the relative clause.
The internal structure of relative clauses is similar to that of
wh-question: both begin with a wh-word which serves a
function in its own clause and which has been fronted.
Just as in wh-questions, the wh-words have different forms
depending on the function they serve within their clause:
– relative pronouns: who(m), which, that
– relative adverbs: why, when, where
– relative determiner: whose
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: RELATIVE CLAUSES

Note that the inventory of wh-relatives differs somewhat

from the inventory of wh-interrogatives.
Relative pronouns may serve most of the nominal functions:
Su: who [t] had done the work
dO: whom he had hired [t] (< he had hired whom)
OP: which he stood on [t] (< he stood on which)
iO: whom he owed it to [t] (< he owed it to whom)
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: RELATIVE CLAUSES

He paid the money to the man {who, that} had done the
work
{who(m),
that} he had hired.
to whom
he owed it.
who(m) (that)
he owed it to.
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: RELATIVE CLAUSES

The chair {which, that} he broke is being

repaired.
{which, that} belongs to me
on which he stood
which he stood on
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: RELATIVE CLAUSES

I gave the book to the woman whose sister is

my friend.
I enjoy reading books whose author I know.
the author
of which I know.

This is the year when the Olympic Games are

held.
Give me one good reason why I should do it.
I told him the place where I had hidden the
gift.
 Indirect questions. The third kind of wh-clause is indirect questions
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: INDIRECT QUESTIONS
(1){How he gets the money/Whether he gets the money} is his own
affair.
(2)I asked {when he was going to do it/whether she will get the
fellowship}.
(3)He asked his friend {when he was leaving on his holidays/whether
he was taking holidays}.
(4)The question is {how he will get the money/whether the work will
get done}.
(5)We are concerned about {how soon he can get here/whether he will
lose his job}.
(6)She is uncertain {which one to choose/whether she will be on
time}.
FINITE CLAUSE: WH-CLAUSES: INDIRECT QUESTIONS
The functions of the indirect question clause are the same
as those of the that-clause. They serve various nominal
functions in the following functions exemplified:
1. subject 2. direct object 3. direct object after
indirect object 4. subject complement
5. object of preposition 6. complement of adjective 7.
complement of N 8. extraposed subject

Like the that-clause, the indirect question clause cannot

function as indirect object nor as object complement and is
normally extraposed when serving as subject of the main
NONFINITE CLAUSE

Nonfinite clauses are clauses where the verbal

element is not marked for person, number, or tense.
By definition, nonfinite clauses are always
dependent, or embedded, since a main clause must
have a finite verb.
NONFINITE CLAUSE
Forms of Nonfinite Clauses
The verbal element in nonfinite clauses may take
one of four(4) forms, usually determined by the verb
in the main clause.
The first (1) nonfinite form is the bare infinitive
(what we have encountered before as the stem form
of the verb), as in the followings:
The teacher made me do it.
I saw Aaron leave.
NONFINITE CLAUSE
The second (2) nonfinite form is the to-infinitive.
It consists of to followed by the stem form of the
verb or auxiliary. It can also include the perfect,
progressive, and passive in the order:
simple active: I want to give you a present.
perfect active: He seems to have left.
progressive active: Sally appears to be
doing well.
NONFINITE CLAUSE
perfect progressive active: He seems to have been
doing better recently.
simple passive: She wants to be given more
responsibility.
perfect passive: He seems to have been overlooked.
progressive passive: ? To be being asked stupid
questions all the time bothers him.
perfect progressive passive: To have been being
asked stupid questions all the time bothered him.
NONFINITE CLAUSE

The third (3)nonfinite form is the -ing participle, or

present participle.
It too occurs in a number of different forms, always
beginning with an -ing form:
simple active: He stopped working there a year
ago.
perfect active: Having arrived late, she missed
much of the concert.
NONFINITE CLAUSE

perfect progressive active: Having been writing for a

long time, she took a break.
perfect passive: He resents having been asked to
help.
progressive passive: She doesn’t like being left out
of the plan.
perfect progressive passive: Having been being
given so much attention pleases him.
NONFINITE CLAUSE

The fourth (4) nonfinite form is the -en participle. It

has only one form:
simple passive: The book given to him yesterday is
very valuable.