174 – Analytical language 1: sentences
Luther declared his opposition to the sale of indulgences. In his
Ninety-Five Theses. In Wittenberg. On the Chapel door.
This kind of writing is at odds with what an academic essay should
probably be emphasising – the main proposition, contained in the
first sentence, rather than the circumstances of time and place.
2.3
Conjoining clauses into complex sentences
Conjunctions and sentence adverbials
A sentence which consists of a single nominal, referring expression
and a predicating verbal expression is also said to constitute a single
‘main clause’. A main clause asserts the principal proposition of a
sentence. We can add further propositions to a sentence by adding
to the main clause or embedding within it various other kinds of
clause. It is the function of these clauses to extend, elaborate
and enhance the main proposition, very much in the way we saw
these processes operating in chapter 5, section 3. That is to say, they
have these functions: to add on new information; to provide exceptions and alternatives; to clarify, substantiate and exemplify the main
proposition; or to enhance it by imposing such circumstantial restrictions as time, place, manner, means, cause, condition and concession
on its truth and range of application. You can probably handle many
of the structural problems posed by these compound and complex
sentences. There are, however, a few which do commonly cause difficulty. To these we now turn.
The first general point to keep in mind is that certain kinds
of word must normally be employed when you want to attach extra
clauses to the main clause. The most common of these are called ‘conjunctions’ since they conjoin clauses. Examples are ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’,
‘whereas’, ‘because’, ‘so that’, ‘if’ and ‘although’. Conjunctions are to
be distinguished from another class of words whose meanings are similar but whose grammatical use is quite different. These latter (called
‘sentence adverbials’ or ‘linking terms’) do not join together clauses
in the same sentence; rather, they provide the links of thought and
Luther declared his opposition to the sale of indulgences. In his
Ninety-Five Theses. In Wittenberg. On the Chapel door.
This kind of writing is at odds with what an academic essay should
probably be emphasising – the main proposition, contained in the
first sentence, rather than the circumstances of time and place.
2.3
Conjoining clauses into complex sentences
Conjunctions and sentence adverbials
A sentence which consists of a single nominal, referring expression
and a predicating verbal expression is also said to constitute a single
‘main clause’. A main clause asserts the principal proposition of a
sentence. We can add further propositions to a sentence by adding
to the main clause or embedding within it various other kinds of
clause. It is the function of these clauses to extend, elaborate
and enhance the main proposition, very much in the way we saw
these processes operating in chapter 5, section 3. That is to say, they
have these functions: to add on new information; to provide exceptions and alternatives; to clarify, substantiate and exemplify the main
proposition; or to enhance it by imposing such circumstantial restrictions as time, place, manner, means, cause, condition and concession
on its truth and range of application. You can probably handle many
of the structural problems posed by these compound and complex
sentences. There are, however, a few which do commonly cause difficulty. To these we now turn.
The first general point to keep in mind is that certain kinds
of word must normally be employed when you want to attach extra
clauses to the main clause. The most common of these are called ‘conjunctions’ since they conjoin clauses. Examples are ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’,
‘whereas’, ‘because’, ‘so that’, ‘if’ and ‘although’. Conjunctions are to
be distinguished from another class of words whose meanings are similar but whose grammatical use is quite different. These latter (called
‘sentence adverbials’ or ‘linking terms’) do not join together clauses
in the same sentence; rather, they provide the links of thought and