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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
A name to my pain
I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause...
"Should you need any help, go to the front desk and ask for assistance"
It's the 'should' and it's use at the beginning of the clause that I'm confused about. I'm not that knowledgable on grammar. I'm pretty sure it's not inversion...is it an introductory adverbial clause? OK, I'm stabbing in the dark now. Can anyone offer any wisdom on how I might describe this introductory clause. Thanks.
"Should you need any help, go to the front desk and ask for assistance"
It's the 'should' and it's use at the beginning of the clause that I'm confused about. I'm not that knowledgable on grammar. I'm pretty sure it's not inversion...is it an introductory adverbial clause? OK, I'm stabbing in the dark now. Can anyone offer any wisdom on how I might describe this introductory clause. Thanks.
Top answer
lee wrote on 24 May 2004: [nq:1]I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause... "Should you need any help, go to the front desk and ... I'm confused about.
- lee wrote on 24 May 2004: [nq:1]I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause...
- "Should you need any help, go to the front desk and ...
- I'm confused about.
- I'm not that knowledgable on grammar.
- [/nq] No, the first word is a modal auxiliary, "shall/should", a verb, so it cannot be an adverbial clause.
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51 Answers
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lee wrote on 24 May 2004:
[nq:1]I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause... "Should you need any help, go to the front desk and ... I'm confused about. I'm not that knowledgable on grammar. I'm pretty sure it's not inversion...is it an introductory adverbial clause?[/nq]
No, the first word is a modal auxiliary, "shall/should", a verb, so it cannot be an adverbial clause.
[nq:1]I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause... "Should you need any help, go to the front desk and ... I'm confused about. I'm not that knowledgable on grammar. I'm pretty sure it's not inversion...is it an introductory adverbial clause?[/nq]
No, the first word is a modal auxiliary, "shall/should", a verb, so it cannot be an adverbial clause.
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[nq:1]lee wrote on 24 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause... "Should ... pretty sure it's not inversion...is it an introductory adverbial clause?[/nq]
Yes, it is. Specifically, it's a conditional clause, which is a type of adverbial clause. And actually there is inversion working here too: the inversion of the subject (you) and the auxiliary (should
[nq:2]I'm stumped on how to describe this introductory clause... "Should ... pretty sure it's not inversion...is it an introductory adverbial clause?[/nq]
Yes, it is. Specifically, it's a conditional clause, which is a type of adverbial clause. And actually there is inversion working here too: the inversion of the subject (you) and the auxiliary (should
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[nq:2]In American English, it would be "If you need help, ... it would be called a "conditional clause" or an "if-clause".[/nq]
[nq:1]Riight... except that "should you need help" is also American English.[/nq]
It's American English, all right, but formal to the point of stiltedness.
The simplest way to put this in American English is "If you need help, ask at the front desk."
[nq:1]Riight... except that "should you need help" is also American English.[/nq]
It's American English, all right, but formal to the point of stiltedness.
The simplest way to put this in American English is "If you need help, ask at the front desk."
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Anderew wrote on 24 May 2004:
[nq:2]lee wrote on 24 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, it is. Specifically, it's a conditional clause, which is a type of adverbial clause.[/nq]
Well, it seems that you are terminologically right for once:
"Conditional clauses
"Direct and indirect condition"
(Quirk et al., 15.33, p. 1094)
"Inversion may also occur in a somewhat literary style
[nq:2]lee wrote on 24 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, it is. Specifically, it's a conditional clause, which is a type of adverbial clause.[/nq]
Well, it seems that you are terminologically right for once:
"Conditional clauses
"Direct and indirect condition"
(Quirk et al., 15.33, p. 1094)
"Inversion may also occur in a somewhat literary style
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[nq:1]Anderew wrote on 24 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]Riight... except that "should you need help" is also American English.[/nq]
[nq:1]But not likely to be found anywhere but an American literary society or Mensa facility.[/nq]
Seems to be pretty common on the web, with no obvious regional bias. Granted, most examples aren't at the beginning of the sentence, as is the case here, but I'm not
[nq:2]Riight... except that "should you need help" is also American English.[/nq]
[nq:1]But not likely to be found anywhere but an American literary society or Mensa facility.[/nq]
Seems to be pretty common on the web, with no obvious regional bias. Granted, most examples aren't at the beginning of the sentence, as is the case here, but I'm not
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[nq:2]Wrong again, Franke. You sure use a lot of big words like "modal", "auxiliary", "subjunctive", and "hypothetical"...[/nq]
[nq:1]And I use them correctly.[/nq]
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
If you did use them correctly it was only by accident, since you obviously didn't understand what you were saying. You have NO right to use such a technical vocabulary if you don't even know what an adverbial
[nq:1]And I use them correctly.[/nq]
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
If you did use them correctly it was only by accident, since you obviously didn't understand what you were saying. You have NO right to use such a technical vocabulary if you don't even know what an adverbial
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Dylan Nicholson wrote on 24 May 2004:
[nq:2]Anderew wrote on 24 May 2004: But not likely to be found anywhere but an American literary society or Mensa facility.[/nq]
[nq:1]Seems to be pretty common on the web, with no obvious regional bias. Granted, most examples aren't at the beginning ... a different mode of expression. And yes, "if you need help" is far more common, but again, regardle
[nq:2]Anderew wrote on 24 May 2004: But not likely to be found anywhere but an American literary society or Mensa facility.[/nq]
[nq:1]Seems to be pretty common on the web, with no obvious regional bias. Granted, most examples aren't at the beginning ... a different mode of expression. And yes, "if you need help" is far more common, but again, regardle
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"Anderew" (Email Removed) schrieb im Newsbeitrag
No, I think you owe Franke an apology, not to mention the rest of us who download your posts only to discover that they contain nothing but personal insults.
Franke made a mistake. You pointed it out to him (which is fine) but also used the opportunity to launch a direct attack on him. Franke admitted his error, but apparently that's n
No, I think you owe Franke an apology, not to mention the rest of us who download your posts only to discover that they contain nothing but personal insults.
Franke made a mistake. You pointed it out to him (which is fine) but also used the opportunity to launch a direct attack on him. Franke admitted his error, but apparently that's n
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[nq:1]Dylan Nicholson wrote on 24 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:1]Quirk et al call it literary and I agree. It's not run-of-the-mill AmE and would occur much less frequently than ... is normal English", but it's still more BrE than AmE, and when it is AmE, it sounds a bit pretentious.[/nq]
Cf. 'had he needed help...'. A shade high-flown in BrE, but not exclusively literary. Not the first time I've qu
[nq:1]Quirk et al call it literary and I agree. It's not run-of-the-mill AmE and would occur much less frequently than ... is normal English", but it's still more BrE than AmE, and when it is AmE, it sounds a bit pretentious.[/nq]
Cf. 'had he needed help...'. A shade high-flown in BrE, but not exclusively literary. Not the first time I've qu
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[nq:1]I don't really like the characterizing of conditional clauses as adverbial, either. Perhaps it's a matter of taste.[/nq]
They function as adverbs.
They function as adverbs.
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