# Sentence: Sentences, Clauses, and Imperatives

Last update: 2006-12-18 16:59:02 CET

- Clauses
- Clauses missing object noun phrases
- Imperatives
- Embedded sentences
- Sentences

Produced by gfdoc - a rudimentary GF document generator. (c) Aarne Ranta (aarne@cs.chalmers.se) 2002 under GNU GPL.

        abstract Sentence = Cat ** {

## Clauses

The `NP VP` predication rule form a clause whose linearization gives a table of all tense variants, positive and negative. Clauses are converted to `S` (with fixed tense) with the `UseCl` function below.

          fun
            PredVP    : NP -> VP -> Cl ;         -- John walks

Using an embedded sentence as a subject is treated separately. This can be overgenerating. E.g. whether you go as subject is only meaningful for some verb phrases.

            PredSCVP  : SC -> VP -> Cl ;         -- that you go makes me happy

## Clauses missing object noun phrases

This category is a variant of the 'slash category' `S/NP` of GPSG and categorial grammars, which in turn replaces movement transformations in the formation of questions and relative clauses. Except `SlashV2`, the construction rules can be seen as special cases of function composition, in the style of CCG. Note the set is not complete and lacks e.g. verbs with more than 2 places.

            SlashV2   : NP -> V2 -> Slash ;         -- (whom) he sees
            SlashVVV2 : NP -> VV -> V2 -> Slash;    -- (whom) he wants to see
            AdvSlash  : Slash -> Adv -> Slash ;     -- (whom) he sees tomorrow
            SlashPrep : Cl -> Prep -> Slash ;       -- (with whom) he walks

## Imperatives

An imperative is straightforwardly formed from a verb phrase. It has variation over positive and negative, singular and plural. To fix these parameters, see Phrase.

            ImpVP     : VP -> Imp ;              -- go

## Embedded sentences

Sentences, questions, and infinitival phrases can be used as subjects and (adverbial) complements.

            EmbedS    : S  -> SC ;               -- that you go
            EmbedQS   : QS -> SC ;               -- whether you go
            EmbedVP   : VP -> SC ;               -- to go

## Sentences

These are the 2 x 4 x 4 = 16 forms generated by different combinations of tense, polarity, and anteriority, which are defined in `Common`.

          fun
            UseCl  : Tense -> Ant -> Pol -> Cl  -> S ;
            UseQCl : Tense -> Ant -> Pol -> QCl -> QS ;
            UseRCl : Tense -> Ant -> Pol -> RCl -> RS ;

An adverb can be added to the beginning of a sentence.

            AdvS   : Adv -> S  -> S ;            -- today, I will go home

        }