COMPLEX SENTENCES WITH PREDICATIVE CLAUSES

1. Predicative clauses perform the function of the predicative. Below is the model of the complex sentences with a predicative clause

principal clause + link verb + predicative clause

• Eliot felt as if he had no care in the world. (felt – link verb; as if – conjunction connecting the main and the predicative clause; he had no care in the world - predicative clause)

 

2. Predicative clauses have a fixed position in the sentence, they always follow a link verb, with which they form a compound nominal predicate. There is a limited number of link verbs that are used with predicative clauses:

most common link verbs	to be, to look (like), to feel (like), to seem (as if);
less frequent link verbs	to appear, to remain, to sound (as if)

• He looked as if he hadn't washed for a week.
• It seemed as if he wanted us to leave.
• The fact remains that racism is still a considerable problem.
• To me it sounds as if he needs professional help.
• I felt like I really achieved something.

 

3. A predicative clause may be introduced by the following connectors:

conjunctions	that, whether, as, as if, as though, lest, the way; either …or; whether … or
connectives	who, whoever, what, whatever, which, where, wherever, when, whenever, how, why, before

· The fact was that Gordon had completely forgotten about the meeting.

· That is what your husband wants you to think about all this matter.

· It was as though their last meeting was forgotten and they were strangers.

• Betty looks as if she were ill.

• Everything in his room remains as it used to be before his death.

• Marion’s attitude to this matter is that facts are facts.

• The time just about sunset was what Julian loved best.

• The question was how was the matter to be kept quiet.

• That was why the boy was not scared to death.

• The manager’s suggestion was that the workers should work longer hours.

• Fiona’s fear was lest her father would find her guilty.
• That was the way Mr. Dolby dealt with all his students.
• That was before we decided to go hiking in Italy.

4. Predicative clauses may also be joined asyndetically, e.g.

· Another thing was they couldn’t find a baby-sitter for their baby.

· The result was they had to take the test again.

· It appeared Ferdinand hadn’t been fired after all.

5. Predicative clauses are found in two different structures:

a) they may follow the main clause in which the subject is a notional word with a very general meaning, e.g.

thing	question	problem	idea	fact	news	evil	rule	trouble
news	suggestion	sensation	result	attitude

· The good news is that tomorrow will be fine and sunny.

· The fact is that this is a business deal.

b) they may follow the main clause with the formal/dummy subject ‘it’+ link verb, e.g.

· It seems he knows everyone here. (‘it’ – formal subject; ‘seems’ – link verb; ‘he knows everyone here’ – predicative clause)

· It appears that all the files have been deleted.

 

6. Do not confuse subject and predicative clauses with formal/dummy subject ‘it’. Compare:

Subject Clause	Predicative Clause
It + link verb + adjective + clause	It + link verb+ clause
It seems clear that we will be late for the meeting. (‘it’ – formal subject; ‘seems’ – link verb; clear – predicative expressed by an adjective = main clause + that we will be late for the meeting – subject clause)	It seems (that) we will be late for the meeting. (‘it’ – formal subject; ‘seems’ – link verb; (that) we will be late for the meeting’ - predicative clause)

 

7. Predicative clauses introduced by the conjunctions as if, as though should not be confused with adverbial clauses of comparison introduced by the same conjunctions. Compare:

Predicative clauses	Adverbial clauses of comparison
After the exam Ben felt (link verb) as if he had been beaten with stones.	Sally is 13 and she hates (notional verb) to be talked to as if she were a child. (no link verb)

 

8. Past tenses are used both in predicative clauses and adverbial clauses of comparison and manner introduced by the conjunctions as if and as though to speak about unreal present situations, e.g.

· It looks as if we are going to need more help. (predicative clause - a real situation)

· He looks as if he hadn't washed for a century. (predicative clause - an unreal situation)

· It seems like you're catching a cold, Taylor. (predicative clause - a real situation)

· It seems as if the end of the world had come. (predicative clause - an unreal situation)

· He behaves as if he owned the place. (clause of comparison/manner – an unreal situation)

· He talks as though he knew all the mysteries of the world. (clause of comparison/manner – an unreal situation)

9. If both the subject and the predicative are expressed by clauses, the principal clause consists only of a link verb, e.g.

· What we wanted to know was what our competitors would do in response.

· What he usually says is that children are always ungrateful.

10. Punctuation. Predicative clauses are not separated from principal clauses by a comma unless the connection is asyndetical, e.g.

· That was exactly what the president wanted all people to believe.

· The truth was, he had never loved anyone but himself.