CLASSIFICATION OF SENTENCES

1. By function or meaning:

• Statements (affirmative or negative)
• questions
• Exclamations
• Commands

      2. According to the structure:

• Simple (only one finite verb)
• Compound (two conjoins added together in sequence)  
• Complex (a main clause modified by one or more subordinate clauses dependent upon it .
• Compound-complex: made up of  number of simple sentences and at least one subordinate clause.

CLASSIFICATION OF CLAUSES

• Main clause (principal, free, primary, matrix), and
• Subordinate Clause (dependent, bound, secondary, embedded, included, constituent)

Main clauses may be coordinated to each other. Subordinate clauses are attached to a main clause and are subdivided into:

-Noun clauses (or nominal clauses)

- Relative clauses (or adjectival clauses)

- Adverbial clauses (adverb  clauses)

Noun clauses:

1. THAT- CLAUSES
2. IF AND WHETHER CLAUSES
3. WH- INTERROGATIVE CLAUSES
4. NOMINAL RELATIVE CLAUSES

Activity. .

a. Read the definitions of sentences and clauses *main or sub, and write examples.

b. Analyse syntactically:

That he is dead seems certain.

I consider it likely that he might come.

My suggestion was that he should do it.

The idea that he had stolen the money surprised me.

I was sure that I had seen her.

(All noun clauses: THAT CLAUSES)