Form and function

Form: Phrases and sub-clauses (finite & non-finite)

Phrases: nominal, adjectival, adverbial, verbal, & prepositional
1. Nominal Phrase (noun phrase)
a) car b)
a
car c)
a
car in the street
H/N

PM/D H/N

NP

NP

H/A

H/Adv

AdvP

enough
PM/Adv

gone c)

Lex. V

H/A

VP

5. Prepositional Phrase
a) in the shadows
P

OP/NP
PP

was a child,

Sub. Conj. S/NP PREDICATE

PM/Adv

H/A

PM/To-inf.
Cl

PREDI
b) A notebook

is

computer

got lost at a mall

S/NP

CATE

which

can

be carried

4. Verb Phrase
went b)
has

VP

to be here

c)

very

quickly

PM/Adv

H/Adv

AdvP

PM/Adv

When

happy

AP

3. Adverbial Phrase
a) quickly b) quickly

a)

a)

AP

H/Adv

Examples:

very

happy c)

PM/Adv

AP

PM/PP

NP

2. Adjectival Phrase
a) happy b)
very
H/A

PM/D H/N

Finite sub-clauses: nominal, adjectival (relative), and adverbial

Finite sub-clauses have a subject and a predicate. That-clauses,
yes/no-clauses, and adverbial clauses are introduced by a
subordinating conjunction. Wh-interrogative clauses and relative
clauses are wholly divided into subject and predicate.

PM
VP

AdvP

S/NP

could

have

gone

PM/Adv

H/A

PM/To-inf. Cl

VP

H/N

around.

P
PM/Relative Clause
/D
SC/NP

PREDICATE

Non-finite sub-clauses: to-infinitival, bare infinitival, present participial,

past participial, and gerundial.
Non-finite sub-clauses consist of a predicate, and generally no
subject.
To-infinitival: I just want to sleep.
Bare infinitival: All she does is sleep all day.
Present participial: Lying on her bed, she studied for hours.

Past participial: Shocked by the slaughter of baby animals, Lisa

became a vegetarian.
Gerundial: Smoking cigarettes is bad for your health.
Present participial and gerundial clauses have the exact same form,
and can only be distinguished according to their function.

Function:
The main two functions to identify are subject and predicate.
Subjects correspond to nominal structures, therefore noun
phrases, nominal clauses, gerundial clauses, and infinitival
clauses (to- and bare-) can perform as subjects.
Predicates do not correspond to one form, but to the verb phrase,
and the objects, complements, and adjuncts which it requires.
Mono-transitive verbs require one object. Di-transitive verbs
require two objects. Complex-transitive verbs require one object
and its complement, while linking verbs require one
complement.
In general, the correspondence between form and function goes as
follows:
Subjects and objects take a nominal form.
Complements can be either nominal or adjectival.
Adjuncts are adverbial in nature.

Adjectival phrases: Pre-Modifier in a Noun Phrase, PostModifier in a Noun Phrase, Subjective Complement, Objective
Complement.
Adverbial phrases: Pre- and post- Modifier in an Adjectival
Phrase, Pre- and post- Modifier in an Adverbial Phrase,
Adverbial Adjunct, Adverbial Complement.
Prepositional phrases: Post-modifier in a Noun Phrase,
Post-modifier (or Adjectival Complement) in an Adjectival
Phrase, Post-modifier in an Adverbial Phrase. Adverbial
Adjunct, Adverbial Complement.
Nominal clauses: Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object,
Subjective Complement, Objective Complement.
Relative clauses: Post-modifiers in Noun Phrases.
Adverbial clauses: Adverbial adjuncts.
Gerundial clauses: Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object,
Subjective Complement, Objective Complement, Object to a
Preposition.
Present participial clauses: Post-modifier in a Noun Phrase,
Adverbial Adjunct.
Past participial clause: Post-modifier in a Noun Phrase,
Adverbial Adjunct.
To-infinitival clause: Subject, Direct Object, Subjective
complement, Objective Complement, Post-modifier in a Noun
Phrase, Post-Modifier (Adjectival Complement) in an
Adjectival Phrase), Adverbial Adjunct.
Bibliography:

Here is a more comprehensive list of functions that different

structures may have:

Aarts, B. (1997) English Syntax and Argumentation. London,

Macmillan Press Ltd. (Chapters 2 5)

Noun phrases: Subject, Direct Object, Indirect Object,

Subjective Complement, Objective Complement, Object to a
Preposition, Adverbial Adjunct (as in I woke up this
morning), Pre-Modifier in a Noun Phrase (as in bus
station).

Quirk, R. and S. Greenbaum (1973) A University Grammar of

English. London, Longman. (Chapter 2)

Sol Tovar - 2015