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35 The composite sentence, as different from the simple sentence, is formed by 2 or more predicative lines. Being a polypredicative construction, it expresses a complicated act of thought, i.e. an act of mental activity which falls into two or more intellectual efforts closely combined with one another. It terms of situations and events this means that the composite sentence reflects two or more elementary situational events viewed as making up a unity. The logical sequence of simple sentences is not evident, so if we transform a composite sentence into a chain of simple sentence: When I sat down to dinner I looked for an opportunity to slip in casually the information that I had by accident run across the Driffields; but news travelled fast in Blackstable. If we place the sentences in their temporal succession, it will destroy the original purpose of communication.

The use of composite sentences is characteristic of literary written speech rather than colloquial oral speech. The three reasons for this relate to the actual needs of expression, the possibilities of production and the conditions of perception. This type of speech deals with lengthy reasoning, descriptions, narrations, details. Situational foreground and background, sequence of events is interrupted by cross-references and comments. Form the point of view of the possibilities of production the written speech is edited, prepared, and form the point of view of the possibilities of perception, the written speech can neglect the limits of the recipient’s immediate memory.

The true limiters of the written sentence volume are logic and style, which are in contradiction with each other. From the point of view of logic, the situation can be described in one composite sentence, however long and structurally complicated it might be. For the reasons of style the unity of events and circumstances should be presented as a chain of simple sentences, the whole complex of reflections forming a multisentenial paragraph. Which of the approaches to choose, has to be decided out of considerations of form and meaning, the purpose of the text and so on.

The first principle of classification of composite sentences is the way in which the parts of a composite sentence (its clauses) are joined together. This may be achieved either by means of special words designed for this function, or without the help of such words. In the first case, the method of joining the clauses is syndetic, and the composite sentence itself may be called syndetic. In the second case the method of joining the clauses is asyndetic, and so is the composite sentence itself.

SYNDETIC COMPOSITE SENTENCES

We should distinguish between two variants of syndetic joining of sentences, the difference depending on the character and syntactic function of the word used to join them.

This joining word may either be a conjunction, a pronoun or an adverb. If it is a conjunction, it has no other function in the sentence but that of joining the clauses together.

If it is a pronoun or an adverb (i. e. a relative pronoun or a relative adverb), its function in the sentence is twofold: on the one hand, it is a part of one of the two clauses which are joined (a subject, object, adverbial modifier, etc.), and on the other hand, it serves to join the two sentences together, that is, it has a connecting function as well.

It is to syndetic composite sentences that the usual classification into compound and complex sentences should be applied in the first place.

We start, then, from a distinction of compound sentences and complex sentences. The basic difference between the two types would appear to be clear enough: in compound sentences, the clauses of which they consist are arranged equipotently, that is, none of them is below the other in rank, they are co-ordinated.

In complex sentences, on the other hand, the clauses are arranged on the relation of domination. In the simplest case, that of a complex sentence consisting of two clauses only, one of these is the main clause, and the other a subordinate clause, that is, it stands beneath the main clause in rank. Of course, there may be more than one main clause and more than one subordinate clause in a complex sentence.

So far the classification of syndetic composite sentences looks simple enough. But as we come to the problem of the external signs showing whether a clause is co-ordinated with another or subordinated to it, we often run into difficulties. As often as not a clear and unmistakable sign pointing this way or that is wanting. In such cases we have to choose between two possible ways of dealing with the problem. Either we shall have to answer the question in an arbitrary way, relying, that is, on signs that are not binding and may be denied; or else we shall have to establish a third, or inter-mediate, group, which cannot be termed either clear co-ordination or clear subordination, but is something between the two, or something indefinite from this point of view. It is also evident that the problem is connected with that of co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions.