Where are the clauses?

Question

I can't figure out these 2 sentences, how many clauses each of them have? Are they subject, predicate, or object?
1) It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too.

2) It’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Silvia BlackI can't figure out these 2 sentences, how many clauses each of them have?

Different people count clauses differently. Usually it's a count of verb phrases, usually just the finite verbs.

It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too. [3]

It’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family. [2] finite + [1] non-finite

CJ

Tkacka15 · Answer

Silvia Black I can't figure out these 2 sentences, how many clauses each of them have? Are they subject, predicate, or object?1) It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too.2) It’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family.

Is the 1) a cleft sentence?

CalifJim · Answer

tkacka15Is ~~the~~ 1) a cleft sentence?

Yes.

CJ

Tkacka15 · Answer

CalifJimYes.

Thank you for the reply.

Silvia Black · Answer

I still understand nothing, please help, I’m in a big trouble!

Where are the main clauses?

It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too.
It was only then – the main clause?
that I realized - subject?
that she was travelling too – object?

It’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family.
how it hurts at these times – subject?
not to be part of your proper family - object?

And what about “it”? It supposed to be formal object or subject?

Tkacka15 · Answer

Silvia Black1) It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too.

I'm not a native and not a teacher. Nevertheless, it's my try to parse the first sentence. If it is accepted by the native speakers, then you may use that parsing as an example to analyse the second sentence.

1) It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too.

It was A that S P O ( S a subject, P a predicator, O an object, A an adverbial, It a dummy subject).

It was only than - a main clause where;
It - a dummy subject;
was - a predicator;
only then - an adverbial;
that I realized - a relative clause where:
that - a relative adverb
I - a subject;
realized - predicator;
that she was travelling too - an object (a noun clause, a subordinate one) where
that - a conjunction;
she - a subject;
was travelling - a predicator;
too - an adverbial.

BillJ · Answer

Silvia Black I can't figure out these 2 sentences, how many clauses each of them have? Are they subject, predicate, or object?1) It was only then that I realized that she was travelling too.2) It’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family.

I'll analyse just the first of your two examples - the function of each clause is in square brackets:

1. Matrix clause (main clause) [the sentence itself]
2. Main clause: "It was only then". [head of matrix clause]
2. Relative clause: "That I realised that she was travelling too". [modifier of “only then”]
4. Content clause: "That she was travelling too". [complement of “realized”]

BillJ

CalifJim · Answer

BillJ2. Relative clause: "That I realised that she was travelling too". [modifier of “only then”]

A modifier of 'only then' would be a dependent of 'only then', wouldn't it, forming the constituent "only then that I realised that she was travelling too"? But that's not a constituent, is it? I don't think 'modifier of only then' is the right description.

See the tree diagram of a very similar structure and quoted discussion by Huddleston and Pullum at .

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

Silvia BlackIt’s odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family.

Two cases of preposed dummy 'it', one embedded in the other. If you're just parsing the surface structure, both "it"s are subjects, but you can pull the sentence apart more if you want.

It is odd how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family.
comes from
how it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family | is odd

it hurts at these times not to be part of your proper family
comes from
not to be part of your proper family | hurts at these times

So the underlying structure is

(how) [ not to be part of your proper family | hurts at these times ] | is odd.
............- - - - - - - subject - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - predicate - - - - - .............
............- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - S U B J E C T - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - PREDICATE

'how' has to be treated as you would treat 'that'.

CJ

Where are the clauses?

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