The Two Constituents of English Grammar: A Debate
1. Introduction
In order to understand the syntactical debate pitting the two constituents of English grammar against each other, it is important to first look at their distinctive definitions. A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate. A sentence is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate, which expresses a complete thought. There are two types of clauses: main clauses and subordinate clauses. A main clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence. A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and must be attached to a main clause. There are three types of sentences: simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex sentences. A simple sentence contains one main clause. A compound sentence contains two or more main clauses. A complex sentence contains one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
2. The two constituents of English grammar
Clauses and sentences are the two constituents of English grammar. A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate. A sentence is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate, which expresses a complete thought. There are two types of clauses: main clauses and subordinate clauses. Main clauses are clauses that can stand alone as complete sentences, while subordinate clauses are clauses that cannot stand alone as complete sentences and must be attached to a main clause. There are three types of sentences: simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex sentences. Simple sentences contain one main clause, while compound sentences contain two or more main clauses. Complex sentences contain one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
3. The debate between the two constituents of English grammar
The debate between the two constituents of English grammar centers on whether or not subordinate clauses are essential to the formation of complex sentences. Proponents of the view that subordinate clauses are essential to the formation of complex sentences argue that without subordinate clauses, complex sentences would not be possible. They claim that subordinate clauses provide additional information that is essential to the understanding of the main clause in complex sentences. Opponents of this view argue that while subordinate clauses may provide additional information, they are not essential to the formation of complex sentences. They claim that complex sentences can be formed without subordinate clauses by using other grammatical structures such as ellipsis or rewriting the sentence in another way.
4. Conclusion
The debate between the two constituents of English grammar is ongoing with no clear winner in sight. However, it is clear that both sides have valid arguments and that the use of either constituent is acceptable in different situations. It is up to the writer to decide which constituent to use based on what will produce the desired effect in their writing