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English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Should subjectless clauses always be adverbial?

1) Are subjectless clauses only used if they have adverbial properties? In other words, if it were only adjectival in function, would it not be used?

I will exemplify my case:

Afraid and worried, I am not very skilled in English.

This adjective phrase is adjectival and has no relationship (adverbial) to the clause. It only modifies the subject.

If I were to alter the main clause, it now has adverbial properties, correct?

Afraid and worried, I slinked past my parents and out the front door, turning the knob with a loud creek.

(Sorry, I embellished a little on this sentence). Now it has an adverbial property while still retaining its adjective function.

2) Does this mean that phrases of this type should only be included if they are adverbial, relating to the entire clause?

Thanks
  

Top answer

English 1b3 Are subjectless clauses only used if they have adverbial properties? No. Subjectless clauses are used for other purposes.

— CalifJim

  • English 1b3 Are subjectless clauses only used if they have adverbial properties?
  • No.
  • Subjectless clauses are used for other purposes.
  • For example, imperatives are subjectless.
  • Call the police immediately.
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21 Answers
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English 1b3Are subjectless clauses only used if they have adverbial properties?
No. Subjectless clauses are used for other purposes. For example, imperatives are subjectless. Call the police immediately.

It also depends on your definition of clause. I'm anxious to go, in some analytical methods, has the subjectless clause to go
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Sorry, I should have been more specific with my terminology.
CalifJimYour analysis of the "afraid and worried" sentences strikes me as essentially correct. It is not at all unusual for a phrase of that type to have both adjectival and adverbial properties.
Would you say then that both sentences with 'afraid and worried' are grammatical? Semantically, the forme
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Would you say then that both sentences with 'afraid and worried' are grammatical? Yes.
Semantically, the former just doesn't seem right. Maybe so, just slightly, but that doesn't make it ungrammatical. Strictly speaking, grammar is syntax, not semantics. As Chomsky famously pointed out, the following sentence is pe
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I have never heard that quote before, but I must say it made me laugh.

It may be grammatical, but one can't call it good writing...surely.

Cheers
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Please pardon my forwardness.

Sometimes, the way you phrased and structure your question and sentences really lost me. I think we had similiar discussions sometime back.
English 1b3
Afraid and worried, I am not very skilled in English.

This adjective phrase is adjectival and has no relationship (adverbial) to the clause. It only modifies the subject.
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dimsumexpressPlease pardon my forwardness.

Sometimes, the way you phrase and structure your questions and sentences really loses me. I think we had a similiar discussion sometime back.
English 1b3
Afraid and worried, I am not very skilled in English.

This adjective phrase is adjectival and has no relationship (adverbial) to
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You don't have to thank me for my input. I just have a habit of sticking my nose in places where it should not be. We definitely have different mindsets when it comes to composing sentences.
English 1b3Tired and hungry, I walked to the bathroom and washed my hands.
I still can't connect what "tired and hungry" has to do with " walked to the bath
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dimsumexpress
I still can't connect what "tired and hungry" has to do with " walked to the bathroom and washed my hands". If there is no relevence, it matters little if it's adverbial or adjectival.


It has no relation to the predicate of the main clause. That's what CJ and I have been saying. It doesn't relate to the predicate, but ra
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I am really baffled. If we negate the relevance of "tired and hungry" to "walked to the bothroom..." then ,they are just structures of word that make no sense. If that is your case, "tired and hungry" are just two adjectives which was what I said also.

I may be wrong, but I think it's ungrammatical to form an adjectival structure like "tired and hungry" without a present participle as
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dimsumexpressI think it's ungrammatical to form an adjectival structure like "tired and hungry" without a present participle as a modifier.
Actually it's OK. It's not used much in spoken English, if at all, but you'll find that the present particple is omitted in literary works fairly often. This kind of pattern might be considered an element of "literary st
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