Clause analysis of 1 sentence

Question

I'm like a comedian in the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.What type of clause is this, please?Thanks

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I'm a comedian in the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.

Isn't it a noun complement (of 'way')? I dunno offhand.

English 1b3 · Answer

Would have been my guess. We shall both agree and defend our case. Cheers.

Anonymous · Answer

Adjective Clause

Anonymous · Answer

The whole sentence is a simile: the quality of my acting as a comedian is compared to the quality of the Burger King's service being on a level with a restaurant. The clause "that Burger King is a restaurant" is a copula doing the job of the co-ordinating main clause in the sentence (the other main clause is "I'm like a comedian").

Clive · Answer

Hi,

It seems to me an adjectival clause describing 'way'.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

English 1b3 in the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.

It's a relative clause. The antecedent is "way".

Burger King is a restaurant this way (whichever way that happens to be).

I'm like a comedian this way, too. So, I'm like a comedian the same way.

So,

I'm like a comedian (in) the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.

It's common to use this abbreviated pattern with "way", and not say:

I'm like a comedian in the same way in which Burger King is a restaurant.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

I'm like a comedian in the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.

Burger King is like a restaurant in the same way that I'm a comedian

CalifJim
English 1b3 in the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.
It's a relative clause. The antecedent is "way".Burger King is a restaurant this way (whichever way that happens to be).I'm like a comedian this way, too. So, I'm like a comedian the same way.So,I'm like a comedian (in) the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.It's common to use this abbreviated pattern with "way", and not say:I'm like a comedian in the same way in which Burger King is a restaurant.CJ

Hi CJ,

It's a fine explanation. However, how do you know that the that is a relative pronoun here but not a conjunction. For me, a non-native one, such a that sometimes is so confusing.

BillJ · Answer

English 1b3I'm like a comedian in the same way that Burger King is a restaurant.
What type of clause is this, please?

It's a declarative content clause, introduced by the subordinator 'that', functioning as complement of the noun 'way'. This is evident from the fact that the rest of the clause, i.e. 'Burger King is a restaurant' does not differ from that of a main clause. Relative clauses (minus their relative word) cannot normally stand alone as main clauses. The clause does not contain any anaphoric link to the head noun 'way': it merely gives the content of the way.

BillJ

CalifJim · Answer

Then does this sentence contain a relative clause?

I'm like a comedian in the same way in which Burger King is a restaurant.
_______________

How do we analyze these? Both content? One content -- one relative? Both relative?

Mark knew the reason (that) I showed up.
Mark knew the reason for which I showed up.
_______________

And just one more. Is it true that the "that" of a content clause after a noun cannot be omitted and leave a grammatical construction behind?

The fact that he was late -- OK.
The fact he was late -- Not OK.

It seems to me I've read this somewhere.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

BillJThis is evident from the fact that the rest of the clause, i.e. 'Burger King is a restaurant' does not differ from that of a main clause.

It seems to me that this happens whenever a place, time, manner, or reason is relativized, because those will be adjuncts in the subordinate clause. Isn't that true?

This is the place where I used to eat lunch.

'I used to eat lunch' doesn't differ from a main clause, right? Does this mean 'where I used to eat lunch' is a content clause? Or is this an exception and therefore a relative clause?

This is the time of day when/that I usually eat lunch.

Same. 'I usually eat lunch' doesn't differ from a main clause. Content clause? Exception and therefore a relative clause?

And so on.

CJ

Clause analysis of 1 sentence

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