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Leekevin2012 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Types of Sentences
When you're counting the number of subordinate and independent clauses to determine what type of sentence you're working with, do you count clauses that are in parentheses? What about clauses that are in titles of a book or movie? Example:
Columbus arrived in America first (See Footnote 1).
^Is that a simple sentence? The clause outside of the parentheses is just a single independent clause. Or is it a compound sentence because you also have to include the clause in the parentheses.
Example 2:
I watched the television show "Whose Line is it Anyways"?
^Simple or Complex? I have a feeling it's simple because the title of the tv show is acting as a noun. Am I right?
Next question now. Can someone explain what an infinitive clause is? My textbook says "An infinitive clause consists of an infinitive with a subject, along with any modifiers and complements the infinitive has." For example:
Columbus was the first to land in America.
^Is "to land in America" an infinitive clause?
Next question. Can subordinate and independent clauses overlap? Example:
What is truly amazing is that no human hands touch the products.
^First of all, is "What is truly amazing" a subordinate or independent clause? It can stand alone if it's a question, but in context, it seems like a subordinate clause. If that clause is a subordinate clause and "that no human hands..." is also subordinate, what kind of sentence is it?
Another example:
Whether the state government should raise taxes was the issue before the legislature that afternoon.
^I have no idea what kind of sentence this is...please explain.
Thanks for the help....even my teacher couldn't figure some of these out.
Columbus arrived in America first (See Footnote 1).
^Is that a simple sentence? The clause outside of the parentheses is just a single independent clause. Or is it a compound sentence because you also have to include the clause in the parentheses.
Example 2:
I watched the television show "Whose Line is it Anyways"?
^Simple or Complex? I have a feeling it's simple because the title of the tv show is acting as a noun. Am I right?
Next question now. Can someone explain what an infinitive clause is? My textbook says "An infinitive clause consists of an infinitive with a subject, along with any modifiers and complements the infinitive has." For example:
Columbus was the first to land in America.
^Is "to land in America" an infinitive clause?
Next question. Can subordinate and independent clauses overlap? Example:
What is truly amazing is that no human hands touch the products.
^First of all, is "What is truly amazing" a subordinate or independent clause? It can stand alone if it's a question, but in context, it seems like a subordinate clause. If that clause is a subordinate clause and "that no human hands..." is also subordinate, what kind of sentence is it?
Another example:
Whether the state government should raise taxes was the issue before the legislature that afternoon.
^I have no idea what kind of sentence this is...please explain.
Thanks for the help....even my teacher couldn't figure some of these out.
Top answer
Hello, Kevin - and welcome to English Forums. When you're counting the number of subordinate and independent clauses to determine what type of sentence you're working with, do you count clauses that are in parentheses? -- First: you need only one dependent clause to have a complex sentence, 2 independent clauses to have a compound sentence, and both of those to have a compound-complex sentence, so you don't have to count the number of dependent clauses.
- Hello, Kevin - and welcome to English Forums.
- When you're counting the number of subordinate and independent clauses to determine what type of sentence you're working with, do you count clauses that are in parentheses?
- -- First: you need only one dependent clause to have a complex sentence, 2 independent clauses to have a compound sentence, and both of those to have a compound-complex sentence, so you don't have to count the number of dependent clauses.
- Columbus arrived in America first (See Footnote 1).
- Is that a simple sentence?
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1 Answers
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Hello, Kevin - and welcome to English Forums.
When you're counting the number of subordinate and independent clauses to determine what type of sentence you're working with, do you count clauses that are in parentheses? What about clauses that are in titles of a book or movie?-- First: you need only one dependent clause to have a complex sentence, 2 independent clauses to have
When you're counting the number of subordinate and independent clauses to determine what type of sentence you're working with, do you count clauses that are in parentheses? What about clauses that are in titles of a book or movie?-- First: you need only one dependent clause to have a complex sentence, 2 independent clauses to have
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