THE DECLARATIVE AND
INTERROGATIVE CLAUSE TYPES
SUMMARY
1 Syntactically, the five clause types are distinguished in English by the presence or absence of Subject and the ordering of Subject (S) and a finite verb (F). The rest of the clause remains the same. The Finite is realized by a primary verb (am, is, are, was, were, has, had ), a modal verb (can, must, etc.) or a tensed lexical verb (sells, sold, etc.), and is the first or only element of the verbal group.
2 The declarative is the basic clause type, with Subject-Finite ordering (It is ready, I can swim, Ice melts). Interrogative and negative clauses in English require a finite operator. The primary verbs be and have, and the modal verbs (can, will, etc.) function as finite operators, carrying inversion (Is it ready? Can you swim?), polarity (the positive–negative distinction) – as in It is ready vs It isn’t ready – and emphasis (I am ready). If there is no primary or modal verb in the clause, a form of do is used as operator (Does she smoke? She doesn’t smoke).
3 Interrogative structures in English are of two main types: yes/no (polar) and wh- (non-polar), the latter with a preceding wh-element. Both have Finite-Subject ordering except when Who is Subject (Who said that?). A sub-type, the alternative interrogative, consists of two polar interrogatives joined by or (Do you want it or don’t you?). The wh- words ending in – ever act as intensifiers (Whatever do you mean?), as do more colloquial items (What the devil . . .).
4 Echo questions repeat all or part of a previous speaker’s utterance (We leave at 5 a.m. – 5a.m?). Double interrogatives consist of one interrogative embedded within another (Do you know what time it is?), the answer being pragmatically determined.
5 Abbreviated clauses (I can’t, Is it? You did? (AmE) ) are independent ellipted clauses based on Subject–operator and operator – Subject patterns. They are commonly used as short interactive responses after questions, statements, exclamations and directives.
6 Question tags are also abbreviated yes/no interrogatives. They are not independent, but appended to a main clause. There are two types in BrE, reversed and constant, distinguished by polarity and, in part, intonation. A third type, the copy tag, is common in AmE. Invariant tags include right and okay. Like other ellipted forms, tags are an important interactive device in spoken English.
