Mastering Compound Sentence Structures
Classification of Compound Sentences
According to the syntactic relations between propositions, compound sentences are classified as:
Coordinated Clauses
- Maintain a relationship of equality (neither depends on the other).
- If separated, they function as independent sentences.
- They are joined by a non-coordinating link (not part of either of the two sentences).
Subordinate Clauses
- They consist of two clauses that have a relation of dependence: a main clause and a subordinate clause.
- A subordinate clause lacks
Pragmatics and Applied Linguistics: Language in Context and Practice
Pragmatic Linguistics: Language in Context
“Pragmatics studies the factors that govern our choice of language in social interaction and the effects of our choice on others.” — David Crystal
In contrast to Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, and other fields that describe different levels of language structure, Pragmatics deals with language use. Pragmatics primarily focuses on the relationship between linguistic signs and their users. It investigates how context (both situational and linguistic)
Read MoreUnderstanding Word Categories and Noun Structure
1. Categories and Functions of Words
Words are grouped into different classes or grammatical categories: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, determiners, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. However, these same words can form larger units (phrases or clauses) that perform specific syntactic functions within a sentence. A phrase is a syntactic unit consisting of a word or group of words clustered around a central element called the nucleus. Phrases are classified as:
- Noun Phrases
Complementos del Nombre y Relativos en Gramática Española
Complementos del Nombre en Gramática Española
Los complementos del nombre (CN) son adyacentes que se caracterizan por tener significado y función sintáctica plena, la de complementar al núcleo nominal. Pueden aparecer antes o después del núcleo sustantivo.
En castellano, el sustantivo puede tener, entre otras, las siguientes estructuras complementarias:
Sustantivo + Adjetivo o Adjetivo + Sustantivo
Ejemplos: la casa bonita / una bonita casa. El adjetivo concuerda en género y número con el sustantivo
Key Concepts in Linguistics
Linguistics: Animals and Human Language
What is Communication?
Communication involves two types of signals: communicative signals and informative signals.
Informative signals are those not produced intentionally. Examples include:
- A sneeze
- Nervous behavior
- Non-matching socks (indicating disorganization)
Communicative signals are those that are intended to convey something.
What is Reflexivity?
The ability to reflect on language using language itself. In other words, to comment and to think actively about
Read MoreSpanish Subordinate Clause Types and Functions
Understanding Spanish Subordinate Clauses
Comparative Subordinate Clauses
These clauses connect to the main clause to establish a comparison. They indicate whether the quality or quantity in the main clause is equal to, greater than, or less than that in the subordinate clause.
Equality: The link in the main clause is tan (adverb) or tanto/a/os/as (adjectives), and the conjunction or link in the subordinate clause is como or cual.
Examples:
- Miente tanto como habla. (He lies as much as he speaks.)
- Tengo