Clauses and predicates

What a clause contains

A clause is a unit in which something is predicated: an event, state, identification or relationship. A finite verb often makes the predication visible, but it is not the definition of a clause. A nominal or adjectival predicate can make a complete assertion in a language and construction that permits it. Conversely, a verbal form can belong to a subordinate clause or a quoted utterance rather than the main assertion. Begin by locating the main predication, then ask which other predications depend on it.

Separate the clause type from its surface form. A declarative presents a proposition; an interrogative asks for information; an imperative or related form directs action. A question particle, imperative ending, speech verb or punctuation in an edition can help, but punctuation may be modern. In a damaged inscription, “this is a question” may itself be a hypothesis. Mark that uncertainty before selecting an English sentence type.

Predicates and their arguments

A predicate licenses participants called arguments. A two-participant verb such as “see” typically has a perceiver and something perceived. Thematic roles name their contribution to the event: agent, patient, experiencer, recipient, goal and others. These semantic roles are not interchangeable with grammatical relations such as subject or object. The experiencer of “fear” may be coded as a subject in one construction and otherwise in another. A phrase that supplies extra setting, such as time or location, may be an adjunct rather than a selected argument. Test whether its omission changes the clause’s completeness or just its detail.

Predicative possession illustrates why translation is a poor first test. WALS cites Written Mongolic na-dur morin bui, with the possessor marked “at,” and translates the whole clause “I have a horse.” This locational construction differs grammatically from the English have-construction even though it describes a comparable situation. A student reading a historical text should first find the actual case, adposition, agreement and predicate, and only then choose a natural English “has” if it fits.

Main and dependent clauses

A main clause can ordinarily stand as an independent utterance. A subordinate clause fills a role inside another clause or modifies an element of it. A relative clause identifies or characterizes a referent; a complement clause can express what someone says or believes; an adverbial clause can frame time, reason or condition. A nonfinite clause may lack a finite verb yet retain arguments and modifiers of its own. Brackets in a teaching diagram show an analysis, not brackets carved into the original object.

For a long sentence, write each predicate on its own line, then connect each dependent predication to its host. If a participle could be an adjective or the head of a reduced clause, keep both analyses until its arguments and context are inspected.

Practice

Take a sentence with two verbs from a cited edition. Mark the proposed main predicate, any subordinate predicate, and each participant. Under each mark write the evidence: inflection, connective, agreement, case, position or editorial punctuation. If two structures remain possible, draw both. This is a more informative result than an unargued fluent translation.