Coordinated & Subordinated Sentences in Spanish Grammar

Posted on Oct 9, 2024 in Teaching & Education

Coordinated Sentences

1.1 Classification

1.1.1 Coordinated Copulative Sentences

Proposals that combine their meanings.

  • Conjunctions: y (and), e (and), o (or)
  • Example: Él llegó a casa temprano e hizo sus deberes. (He came home early and did his homework.)

1.1.2 Coordinated Disjunctive Sentences

Proposals that deny the claim of the other (mutually exclusive).

  • Conjunctions: o (or), u (or), bien (either)
  • Example: ¿Te gusta el Carnaval de Cádiz o prefieres el de Tenerife? (Do you like the Carnival of Cadiz or do you prefer the one in Tenerife?)

1.1.3 Coordinated Distributive Sentences

Statements that are not mutually exclusive.

  • Correlative words: pronouns and adverbs that work in conjunction but have syntactic function and meaning of their own.
  • Conjunctions: uno…otro (one…another), este…aquel (this…that), cerca…lejos (near…far), etc.
  • Example: Aquí cenamos a las nueve, allí cenan a las seis. (Here we have dinner at nine, there they dine at six.)

1.1.4 Coordinated Adversative Sentences

Restrictive or partial: The proposition preceded by the adversative link fixes or limits the meaning of the other.

  • Conjunctions: pero (but), sin embargo (however), no obstante (nevertheless)
  • Example: Come mucho, pero no engorda. (He eats a lot, but he doesn’t get fat.)

Exclusive or total: The proposition preceded by the adversative link excludes the meaning of the other; their meanings are incompatible.

  • Conjunctions: sino (but), mas (but)
  • Example: Me gusta montar en bicicleta y nadar, sino que… (I like cycling and swimming, but…)

1.1.5 Coordinated Explanatory Sentences

The second sentence clarifies and expands the meaning of the first.

  • Conjunctions: es decir (that is), o sea (that is to say), esto es (that is), por ejemplo (for example)
  • Example: Raúl padecía agorafobia, es decir, tenía miedo a los espacios abiertos. (Raul suffered from agoraphobia, that is, he was afraid of open spaces.)

Subordinate Substantive Clauses

Completive Clauses

  • (prep) + que + verb in person + (other complements)
  • Conjunction with no syntactic function
  • Example: Dijo [que vendría]. (He said [that he would come].)

Total Indirect Questions

  • Si (whether/if) + verb in person + (other complements)
  • Conjunction without syntactic function
  • Example: No sé [si lloverá mañana]. (I don’t know [if it will rain tomorrow].)

Partial Indirect Questions

  • (prep) + interrogative (‘accent mark’) + verb in person + (other complements)
  • Syntactic function: cómo (how) -> interrogative pronoun, dónde (where) -> interrogative adverb
  • Act as a link => Always have an accent: qué, cuánto, cómo, dónde
  • Example: Pregunté [cuántos relojes tenía]. (I asked [how many watches he had].)

Infinitive Clauses

  • (prep) + infinitive verb + (other complements) -> No link!
  • Example: [Viajar con él] siempre es una aventura. (Traveling with him is always an adventure.)

Subordinate Adjective Clauses

Specified / Explanatory Clauses (CN)

  • (prep) + relative nexus (det / pron / adv) + verb in person + (other elements)
  • Relative pronoun (que, quien, el cual) -> Le compré un regalo [que es bonito]. (I bought him a gift [that is nice].)
  • Relative adverb -> Encontré el disco en el lugar [donde me dijiste]. (I found the disk in the place [where you told me].)
  • Relative determinant -> Vimos los libros [en los cuales su padre hacía los dibujos]. (We saw the books [in which her father made the drawings].)

Relative Noun Clauses

  • Do not take explicit antecedent (not shown)
  • (prep) + relative pronoun + article + que + verb + (other complements)
  • Quien (headless relative pronoun)
  • Example: [Quien te lo ha dicho] miente. ([Whoever told you that] is lying.)
  • Example: Dáselo [a los que estén allí]. (Give it [to those who are there].)

Item 5 – Administrative-Legal Texts

Legal-administrative texts have a prescriptive and regulatory function in society.

1. Text Types

  • Legal Texts: Standards developed by legislators.
  • Judicial Texts: Business records of the judiciary.
  • Administrative Texts: Documents issued by practitioners and government.

2. Linguistic Features

Unnatural language, use of excessive formality, ornate and elaborate vocabulary, and reserved syntax.

Morphosyntactic Features

  1. Extensive use of nominal categories and noun phrases
  2. Third-person singular and first-person plural with impersonal value
  3. Verbal nouns
  4. Verb periphrasis for obligations and possibilities
  5. Future and present imperative with timeless and future value
  6. Future subjunctive
  7. Non-personal verbal forms: constructions with participles, infinitives, incorrectly used gerunds
  8. Prepositional phrases
  9. Denominative adjectives
  10. Acronyms
  11. Periphrastic and reflexive passive
  12. Long and complex sentences

Semantic Features

  1. Abstract nouns, processes, and qualities
  2. Adjectives of relationships and values
  3. Performative verbs
  4. Specific terminology
  5. Euphemisms
  6. Synonymy, polysemy, and monosemy
  7. Neologisms