English Syntax

3rd year 2011 - 2012

English Syntax

WORD ORDER
The general/ basic word order pattern for an English sentence Subject predicate object (direct indirect prepositional) adverbial (manner place time purpose/reason/ etc.)

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The position of subject and predicate: Inversion 1. Formally: Partial vs Total Inversion 2. Functionally: Grammatical vs Stylistic Inversion

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1.1. Partial Inversion Should I give him the dictionary now? Was she doing anything? Did he give you those boots? When a wh- word is the subject of a sentence, no inversion takes place. Who gave you those boots? What items sell quickly?

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1.2. Total inversion

Is there a bull in the china shop? Was she pretty? Have you many friends?

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2.1. Grammatical inversion

2.1.1. Interrogative sentences including tag questions. Have you met Michael? You have bought the house, havent you? They dont like thrillers, do they? !! Indirect/Reported questions do not require inversion. He asked me what I was talking about.

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2.1.2. Exclamatory sentences and Interrogative sentences with an exclamatory meaning:

How nice she is! What a beautiful girl Jane is! May she live long! Havent you grown! Am I surprised!

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2.1.3. Echoing answers as well as compound sentences after neither, nor or so: I like musicals. So do I. I dont like musicals. Neither do I. I dont listen to folk music and neither does my brother. I love your paintings and so does Tim.

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2.2. Stylistic Inversion

2.2.1. 1. Negative adverbials of time or manner such as: little, seldom, rarely, in vain; never, nowhere, at no time, in no way, on no condition, on no account, under no circumstances, etc.
Never have I seen such a great performance. Under no circumstances are you to let them watch that violent film. In vain did they try to find the missing children.

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2.2.2. Direct objects expressed by:

1. Negative phrases such as not a sound, not a finger, etc (usually part of negative expressions: not lift a finger, not utter a sound, etc.) Not a sound did they utter. Not a finger did she lift. 2. The formal phrase many a + Noun in the singular Many a conversation have I had with him about it. Many a time have I been there.

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2.2.3. Correlative negative constructions such as hardly/scarcely/barelywhen, no soonerthan, not onlybut also: Hardly had he left the room, when his friends burst into laughter. No sooner had she opened the window than it started to rain. Not only can he knit, but he can also make cakes.

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2.2.4. The restrictive adverb only followed by later, now, then, or by an adverbial. Only later did he find the answer to that tricky question Only on special occasions does she make her opinions known. 2.2.5. Not until and only after/if/when require inversion in the main clause. Only when I had got home did I realise I had been swindled. Not until I had seen her car did I find out about her accident

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2.2.6. Adverbs such as so/thus, now/then, here/there and adverbs indicating direction/ position such as in/out, up/down, etc. So ends another day in the countryside. Out went the boy, jumping for joy. !! When the subject is expressed by a personal pronoun inversion does not occur. Out he went, jumping for joy.

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2.2.7. Adverbials of place, when the subject is long; the THERE transformation is frequently applicable in such sentences.
In the middle of the square stood all the remaining soldiers of the second division and very few of their superior officers.

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2.2.8. So followed by an adjective or adverb, and such (meaning so great/so much) when the verb of the main clause is be; a clause introduced by that must follow the main clause. So beautiful was the girl that all the guests were dumbfounded. Such was the enthusiasm of his speech that the audience stood up and applauded frantically. So quickly did it happen that nobody noticed anything.

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2.2.9. A predicative adjective (in clauses of concession) followed by as or though:

Young as she may seem, my sister has already written three books. Stupid though she is, George is the richest man of his village.

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2.2.10. Three types of conditional clauses where the conjunction is deleted. Were his parents to come earlier, there would be a tragedy. Should you hear from him, send me an email. Had I had a camera last summer, I would have taken loads of pictures.

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The theoretical order of adjectival premodifiers in a noun phrase

Quality/ size/ shape/ condition/ age/ colour/ origin (nationality)/ material Noun

An ugly/big/ round/ chipped/ old/ blue/ French/ porcelaine vase.

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The position of adverbial modifiers The adverbial of definite time is normally placed at the end of the sentence; for emphatic reasons, it may be placed in sentence initial position.

Ill try it tomorrow. Tomorrow Ill try it.

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Now and then can be placed in nearly any position in the sentence, except between the predicate and the object. Then she could not remember the word. She then could not remember the word. She could then not remember the word. She could not then remember the word. She could not remember the word then. *She could not remember then the word.

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If there are several adverbials of definite time, the more precise is placed before the more general. Lets meet at 9 tomorrow. If one adverbial indicates duration, it precedes the other definite time adverbial(s). I read for many hours that day.

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The adverbials of indefinite time and frequency (always, frequently, often, seldom, rarely, sometimes, ever, never, etc.) are placed: Between the subject and the predicate in the case of simple tense forms. He always/ often told me everything. After the verb be. He was always/ often at home. Between the first auxiliary and the notional verb. She must always/ often be there. I have never learnt the truth.

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The adverbial sometimes has a less fixed position. Sometimes she is most boring. She sometimes is .... She is sometimes .... She is most boring sometimes.

In interrogative sentences, these adverbials immediately follow the subject.

Does he often come to see you? Have you ever been to Oslo? Is she always so boring?

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The adverbial of place is usually placed at the end of a sentence, after the object. For slightly emphatic reasons, it may be placed at the beginning of the sentence. I have an excellent view of the street from my window. From my window I have an excellent view of the street.

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When several adverbials of place occur in the same sentence, then the more specific precedes the more general ones. I remember it very well that I put it on the desk in my study. The adverbial of place generally precedes those of time and those of purpose.

Ive been here a long time. I went there to meet him.

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The adverbial of manner is placed after the verb, if the verb is an intransitive one, and after the object(s), if the verb is a transitive one.
She spoke softly. I object to it very strongly. She passed me the book very quickly.

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For slightly emphatic reasons, the adverbial of manner expressed by an adverb proper comes after the last auxiliary, in front of the lexical verb or, in the case of simple tenses, between the subject and the predicate. I have been suddenly called back. She hastily removed her make-up. For strong emphasis, the adverbial is placed at the beginning of the sentence. Hastily, she removed her hat. Suddenly, they changed their opinion.