Analysis
Hi.
Humans are “eating away at our own life support systems” at a rate unseen in the past 10,000 years by degrading land and freshwater systems, emitting greenhouse gases and releasing vast amounts of agricultural chemicals into the environment, new research has found.
[link to the original article]
I think the underlined part is the main clause of the sentence, and the boldfaced part is a declarative clause functioning as complement of the verb 'found' in the main clause.
Am I correct, please?
What's the name of such inverted construction where the complement clause comes first followed by the main clause set off by a comma?
Top answer
The main clause is the entire sentence, since new research has found cannot stand alone as a clause. I'd call this 'preposing of an internal complement'. The declarative content clause has been preposed to the front of the clause, where normally one would expect it to serve as a link to the preceding discourse, or as in this case to the Guardian headline.
- The main clause is the entire sentence, since new research has found cannot stand alone as a clause.
- I'd call this 'preposing of an internal complement'.
- The declarative content clause has been preposed to the front of the clause, where normally one would expect it to serve as a link to the preceding discourse, or as in this case to the Guardian headline.
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The main clause is the entire sentence, since new research has found cannot stand alone as a clause.
I'd call this 'preposing of an internal complement'. The declarative content clause has been preposed to the front of the clause, where normally one would expect it to serve as a link to the preceding discourse, or as in this case to the Guardian headline.
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