Compound Structures Ed McCorduck English 402--Grammar SUNY Cortland

Compound structures are created through coordination. coordination - the joining of elements capable of filling the same slot in a sentence o accomplished through the use of coordinating conjunctions (a.k.a. coordinators) which are a structure class (see the “Descriptive Grammar of English” lecture) The coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or and nor (the last of which is quite formal in register). slide 2: compound structures, coordination and coordinators English 402: Grammar

exx A stamp and an envelope are all I need. subj subj They drew and quartered the miserable traitor. V V Fatboy demanded the last piece of cake or a slice of the pie. dir obj dir obj slide 3: examples of sentences with compound structures English 402: Grammar

He’s a weenie but a good friend. NP NP subj compsubj comp He’s a weenie but cool. NP ADJ subj comp subj comp The grammar lecture left me bewildered and confounded. obj comp obj comp Gilligan built Mary Ann and Ginger a new hut. indir obj indir obj Her sage advice went in one ear and out the other. PP PP ADV ADV slide 4: more examples of sentences with compound structures English 402: Grammar

o coordination is also accomplished through the use of correlative conjunctions The correlative conjunctions are both... and either... or not only... but (also) neither... nor slide 5: correlative conjunctions English 402: Grammar

exx Either Groucho or Harpo will emcee our event. subj subj Constance speaks neither Russian nor Polish. dir obj dir obj They work both efficiently and cheaply. ADV ADV You’re not only a moron but also an asswipe. subj comp subj comp slide 6: examples of sentenceswith correlative conjunctions English 402: Grammar

In Reed-Kellogg diagrams, compound structures are indicated through parallel lines that split off the main line and/or through dashed lines to the right of or on top of which are written the coordinating and correlative conjunctions that join the elements of the compound structure. For example, following is the diagram of the sentence Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pigged out in which the subjects Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are joined by the coordinating conjunction and (i.e., the sentence has a compound subject): slide 7: Reed-Kellogg diagrams of sentences with compound structures English 402: Grammar

(Note: In our Understanding English Grammar textbook, conjunctions are written from bottom to top, i.e., but because the SenDraw program we are using draws vertical text from top to bottom, this is the format I will use in these lectures. In addition, for better symmetry with the dashed lines I will give vertical text to the right of the lines, whereas the book puts them on the left.) slide 8: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram with a compound subject English 402: Grammar

If the compound structure functions as a subject complement, it is also written with a “fork” coming out of the main line, but because of its function in the sentence it must also preceded by the slanted line that always separates complements from preceding elements. For example, here is the diagram of the sentence David Copperfield is a book and a movie: slide 9: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram with a compound subject complement English 402: Grammar

Similarly, if the compound structure functions as a direct object it is also written with a “fork” coming out of the main line, but because of its function in the sentence it must also preceded by the perpendicular that always separates direct objects from preceding elements. For example, here is the diagram of the sentence David Copperfield wrote a book and a movie: slide 10: example of a Reed-Kellogg diagram with a compound direct object English 402: Grammar