Matrix clause
He was detained for four hours at the store yesterday. His crime? Shopping while black.
From Wiktionary.
I see Shopping while black as a matrix clause. I take the "Shopping" as a main clause and while black as a verbless embedded clause in which the gerund-participle is implied, namely while [being] black.
On the other hand, I wonder whether the non-finite clauses might be classified as matrix clauses.
My question is:
Can non-finite clauses that have embedded non-finite clauses in them be classified as matrix ones?
Top answer
anonymous I see Shopping while black as a matrix clause. I would take it as a gerund-particip ia l. His crime was [shopping while black].
- anonymous I see Shopping while black as a matrix clause.
- I would take it as a gerund-particip ia l.
- His crime was [shopping while black].
- Here, it is an argument for the (implied) matrix clause.
- anonymous Shopping" as a main clause I don't see how it can be the root clause.
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anonymousI see Shopping while black as a matrix clause.
I would take it as a gerund-participial.
His crime was [shopping while black].
Here, it is an argument for the (implied) matrix clause.
anonymousShopping" as a main clause
0anonymousMy question is:
Can non-finite clauses that have embedded non-finite clauses in them be classified as matrix ones?
Yes. My understanding of "matrix clause" is "the next higher clause", so you can choose any clause in a sentence and look at it from the viewpoint of a matrix clause, a clause to which other clauses may be subordinated.
0
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