Conditional clauses.

Direct and indirect clauses

The central uses of conditional clauses express a direct condition in the sense that the situation in the
matrix clause is directly contingent on that of the conditional clause. In other words, the truth of the matrix
proposition is a consequence of the fulfillment of the condition in the conditional clause: If you put the
baby down, she'll scream.

Open conditions (also called real) are neutral in that they leave unresolved the question of the fulfillment
or non-fulfillment of the condition

.Rhetorical conditional clauses seem to express open conditions, but they actually make strong
assertions.If the proposition in the matrix clause is obviously absurd, the proposition in the conditional
clause is shown to be false: If they're Irish, I'm the Pope.

Indirect condition Indirect conditions are open conditions that are dependent on an implicit speech act of
the utterance, and are therefore style disjuncts. They are commonly realized as if-clauses: If you don't
mind my saying so, your slip is showing.

Clauses of reason. Direct and indirect reason relationship Clauses of reason is a general term for
several types of subordinate clauses that express similar relationships to their matrix clauses.
a.Cause and effect: the construction expresses the perception of an inherent objective connection in the
real world:The flowers are growing so well because I sprayed them.
b. Reason and consequence: the construction expresses the speaker's inference of a connection:She
watered the flowers because they were dry.
c. Motivation and result: the construction expresses the intention of an animate being that has a
subsequent result:I watered flowers because my parents told me to do so.
d. Circumstances and consequence: the circumstantial clause combines reason with a condition
assumed to be fulfilled or about to be fulfilled; the construction expresses a relationship between a
premise in the subordinate clause and the conclusion in the matrix: Proportional clauses are similar to
comparison clauses in that they express a proportionality or equivalence of tendency or degree between
two situations. They are introduced by as... (so), or the correlative the.. the construction followed by
comparative forms:
As he grew disheartened, (so) his work deteriorated.

Comment clauses are parenthetical disjuncts, characteristic of spoken English. They may occur initially,
medially or finally, and generally have a separate tone unit which is pronounced with increased speed and
lowered volume.

Matrix-like comment clausesThis type of comment clauses, which is the most important, usually
contains a transitive verb or adjective elsewhere requiring a nominal that-clause as object or complement.
There were no other applicants, I believe, for that job

.Unattached nonfinite and verbless clauses It is considered an error when the understood subject
argument of the nonfinite or verbless adverbial clause is not identifiable with the subject of the matrix
clause, or perhaps with any other element in the sentence at all. Such participles are called dangling,
unrelated and pendant:a. ?Driving to Chicago that night, a sudden thought struck me.b. Driving to
Chicago that night, I was struck by a sudden thought.
 Subjectless supplementive clauses The formal characteristics of subjectless supplementive clauses
are: a. they are participle or verbless clauses. b. their most typical positions in the superordinate clause
are initial, final and immediately after their antecedent.