ASSIGNMENT SECOND BIMESTER.
SYNTAX AND TEACHING GRAMMAR
Topic: MAIN AND SUBORDINATE CLAUSES, SUBORDINATORS, FINITE AND NO-FINITE CLAUSES,
GENDER AND NUMBER.
Student name: Mr. David Vasquez.
Clauses
Main and Subordinate Clauses
I will start with a clear definition
about main an subordinate
clauses; A main clause (also
called independent clause) must
contain a noun phrase and a
verb phrase; it must express a
complete thought , on the other
hand a dependent
subordinate clause cannot stand
alone as a grammatical entity
since it may not be used alone as
a sentence because it depends
on an independent clause to
have full meaning. It is usually
expressed by subordinators
known as subordinating
conjunctions as: when, where,
because, unless and as if.
We have three types of
subordinate clauses:
-Noun Clause: It usually starts
with words such as ‘that, what,
who, whom, whoever’. It acts
exactly like a noun in a sentence
at the place of a subject or an
object.
-Adjective Clause: Which acts as
an adjective in a sentence, it
modifies and add information to
a noun or a pronoun, these
clauses mostly start with relative
pronouns, that, whom, whose,
or which.
-Adverb Clause: Which acts as an
adverb in a sentence, it modifies
Examples
Noun clauses
 I buy whatever I need.
(noun as a subject)
 Now I realized what you
had thought.(Noun as
or an object)
Adjective clauses
 I watch a move which
amused me a
lot.(modifies a noun
‘movie’)
 The building, where he
lives, consists of many
apartments.(modifies
noun ‘building’)
Adverb clauses
 I worked in a factory
while I was living in
London. (modifies verb
‘work’)
 You can succeed in life
provide that you are
sincere to your
work.(modifies verb
‘succeed’)

Story using subordinators
Finite and Non-finite clauses
a verb (action) or another
adverb clause in a sentence. It
mostly uses the following
subordinating conjunctions:
 Time: when, since, until,
before, after, while, etc.
 Cause and effect:
Because, as long as, now
that, so that, since, etc.
 Contrast: Even, while,
although, etc.
 Condition: Only if, even
if, in case provided that,
etc.
My first day of class
At 2015, I had been started to teach English in a preschool, I felt very
nervous, and I didn’t know how to organized and treat the students,
I had prepared the class but when(time) I stood in front of them and
saw them restless and making a lot of noise, for a moment I felt lost
until(Time) the teacher of the class approached me and asked
if(manner) I had already worked with children. I answered no, it was
my first class, so(result) she smiled and told me that(cause and
effect) she would stay with me during the 2 hours the class lasted,
then she used a whistle and at that(cause and effect) moment the
children remained silent and paid attention, she introduced me and
told the children to help me by paying attention and participating in
an orderly manner in class. Although(contrast) she helped me start
my class, I still did not feel connected with the children, as
if(manner) I were a stranger, so(result) the teacher interrupted me
and proposed a game to get to know each of the children and they
also know me so that(purpose) worked and I could have more
connection with them and I could finish my class.
Adverbial: Adverbial clauses are Example:
a group of words with a verb Finite adverbial
that remit adverbial ideas (time,  DESPITE THE FACT
place, contrast, condition, (THAT) SHE SMELLS LIKE
manner, comparison, reason or ROTTEN FISH, I LIKE HER.
cause, purpose, result or
circumstance). - “Despite the fact (that)” is a
subordinating conjunction used
 Finite adverbial clauses to show CONTRAST.
usually contain a
SUBORDINATING - “Despite the fact (that) she
CONJUNCTION (see smells like rotten fish” is a finite
entry on adverbial clause of contrast.
SUBORDINATING
 CONJUNCTION), which - “I like her” is the main clause.
makes it easier to
identify. Non-finite adverbial
 Non-finite adverbial
clauses, however, hardly  SORTING THROUGH ALL
ever (almost never, HER BELONGINGS, SHE
almost) have a FOUND THE OLD PHOTO
subordinating OF HER FIRST BEAU.
conjunction, making
them more difficult to
identify and more open - “Sorting through all her
to interpretation. belongings” is a dependent
clause that can be interpreted
FINITE ADVERBIAL CLAUSES: THREE ways:
Most finite adverbial clauses
have a SUBORDINATING 1) “By sorting through all her
CONJUNCTION, which will aid in belongings” (referring to the
determining the adverbial idea. MANNER in which she found
the photo) – non-finite adverbial
NON-FINITE ADVERBIAL clause of manner reduced by
CLAUSES: gerund; or
Reducing adverbial clauses is 2) “Because she sorted through
common, but confusing. They all her belongings” (referring to
can be reduced in three ways: what CAUSED her to find the
GERUND, PAST PARTICIPLE, and photo) – non-finite adverbial
INFINITIVE. When this occurs, clause of cause (reason) reduced
quite often the SUBORDINATING by gerund.
CONJUNCTION is removed, thus 3) "As she sorted through all her
leaving the sentence open to belongings" (referring to the
interpretation. time she found the photo) -
non-finite adverbial clause of
time reduced by gerund.
Relative:
Example:
 Finite relative clause: Do you know the guy who is
A defining relative clause talking to Will over there?
identifies or classifies a noun.
Present participle clauses Who is the girl sitting next to you
correspond to finite relative in class? (Who is the girl that sits
clauses in the active voice. next to you in class?) (defining
relative clause)

 Non-finite relative Bill, waiting outside in the rain,

clause:
A non-defining relative clause
adds extra information about a
noun which already has a clear
was getting more and more
annoyed. (Bill, who was waiting
outside in the rain, was getting
more and more annoyed.) (non-
defining relative clause)
 reference.
The present participle in a non-
finite relative clause can occur if
the preceding noun is the
subject of the participle.
The Mona Lisa was painted by
Leonardo da Vinci, who was also
a prolific engineer and inventor.

Sometimes, the use of commas
marks a difference in meaning.
Complement
The athletes who failed the drug
test were disqualified. (defining)
The athletes, who failed the
drug test, were disqualified.
(non-defining)
Examples:

"A complement clause is a clause  I am sure she is coming.

which is used as the complement
of some other word (typically as
the complement of a verb,
adjective or noun). Thus, in a
sentence such as He never
expected that she would come,
the clause that she would come
serves as the complement of the
verb expected, and so is a
complement clause."
(Andrew Radford, Syntax: A
Minimalist Introduction.
Cambridge University Press,
1997)
OR I am sure that she is
coming.
 My mother suggested I
should consult a doctor.
OR My mother
suggested that I should
consult a doctor.
 She said that she wasn’t
coming.
 I don’t know whether
she will come.
 She asked me if I was
coming.

A complement clause is a
notional sentence or predication
that is an argument of a
predicate. A complement clause
is attached to a preceding noun,
adjective or verb.
In some cases the
complementize may be
optionally omitted.

Gender Examples:
 I just saw a mouse. It was running across the room.
 The spider was spinning its web.
 The beetle crawled into its hole.
 The baby threw down its rattle.
 I’ve got a new boat; she’s a real beauty.
There are also special cases, such as the association of neuter
gender with babies and small animals, or feminine gender with a
 vehicle.
 Barry saw Linda. He called out to her that he had found her
book.
 Marcia saw Paul. She called out to him that she had found
his book.
 Madeleine saw Kim. She said ‘Hello’ to her.
Nouns denoting male persons and animals are masculine in that
they are used with the pronouns and possessive determiners he,
him, his.
Nouns denoting female persons and animals are feminine in that
they are used with the pronouns and possessive determiners she,
her, hers.
 The government has changed its policy.
 The team has won its first medal at a major championship.

Some nouns denoting people have the same form for masculine and
feminine. Nouns used for a group, EX. government or team, have
common or neuter gender, even when we know that the group is
made up exclusively of male or female members.

Number Number is a grammatical category which relates to nouns,

pronouns, adjectives, and verbs. In English, the two number
categories are singular and plural.

Examples:
 A range of factors is to be considered. (Note: The word
factors is not the subject. It's part of a prepositional phrase
that modifies range.)
 Please ask your guest to remove his coat outside. (English
doesn't handle this situation very well. If we do not know
the gender of the guest, we're stuck with the rather clumsy
his/her option, rewording, or hoping that his (to mean
his/her) doesn't offend. But, at least, the number is correct.)
 The news is at 6.30 p.m.
 Athletics is good for young people.
 Linguistics is the study of language.
(Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.)
 My trousers are too tight.
 Her jeans are black.
 Those glasses are his.
(Some nouns have a fixed plural form and take a plural verb. They
are not used in the singular, or they have a different meaning in the
singular. Nouns like this include: trousers, jeans, glasses, savings,
thanks, steps, stairs, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages,
spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits).