The Sentence

 

Parataxis

Examine this sentence:

 

We are here 6,000 feet above the sea, || and the equatorial sunshine is immensely hot and bright. |||

 

The words that join the clauses (and, but, or, so) are called linking conjunctions. (In traditional grammar, they are known as co-ordinating conjunctions.) Sometimes, there is only some form of punctuation (like a comma, or sometimes a semicolon or a colon). What has happened is that two clauses have been put, rather loosely, side by side and the relationship between the two clauses have not been made very explicit.

 

We will call this way of joining clauses parataxis; clauses linked in this way are said to have a paratactic relation to each other. The term parataxis comes from two Greek words – para means ‘by the side of’, and taxis means ‘arrangement’. Think of terms like paramedic (someone who works alongside a doctor); syntax (meaning literally ‘arrangement with’).

 

Hypotaxis

Now consider this version of the sentence:

 

Although we are here 6,000 feet above the sea, the equatorial sunshine is immensely hot and bright.

 

This is more explicit (clearer, more precise) because the relationship between the two clauses is spelt out. The initial although signals that there is something that is unexpected. Of the two clauses, only the second one can stand alone grammatically. We say that the first clause depends on the second clause. The first clause is the dependent clause, and the second one is the dominant clause.

 

The term used to describe this way of joining clauses is hypotaxis. The term comes from two Greek words – hypo means ‘below’, and taxis means ‘arrangement’. (Think of terms like hypodermic which means below (hypo) the skin (derma). )

 

The conjunctions used in hypotaxis are known as binding conjunctions. (In traditional grammar, they are known as subordinating conjunctions.) These include items like when, while, until, before, after, if, unless, since, because, where, whereas, so that. These spell out the relationship between the clauses in more explicit terms, and this relationship can be logical (because), conditional (unless), temporal (while), and so on.

 

One interesting feature of hypotaxis is that the re-ordering of the clauses does not change the core meaning of the sentence. Compare the following.

 

(a)        I was exhausted and I left the office early.

()      I left the office early and I was exhausted.

(b)        Because I was exhausted, I left the office early.

()      I left the office early because I was exhausted.

 

(a) and () are joined paratactically, and the difference between the sentences is to do with the re-ordering of the clauses. Because the relationship between the clauses ‘I was exhausted’ and ‘I left the office early’ is not made explicit, re-ordering results our interpreting the relationship between the two differently. For example, I would understand (a) to mean that the speaker left the office because he or she was exhausted; whereas () would mean, perhaps, that the speaker left the office and became involved in household chores that left him or her exhausted.

 

(b) and () are joined hypotactically; the binding conjunction because makes it explicit that one clause (the one immediately after the conjunction) represents CAUSE  and the other represents RESULT. Re-ordering the clauses does not result in any major difference in meaning or interpretation.

 

Today, we have available both resources for joining clauses: parataxis and hypotaxis. The choice of which predominates might depend on the text type that we examine. Have a look at these examples.

 

Sentence structure: conversation

C: now I only did it I’ve been putting it off for years the other day Dave put erm he must have been going to wash up or something and he put down - a wet frying pan and it absolutely gouged that thick - and totally round a huge and I said that’s it -- and I just scraped it down with bleach and I didn’t use paint stripper or anything I put two coats of varnish - and it’s quite pretty isn’t it

D: yes

C: nice colour now

D: yes it’s sort of *blonded it up*

C: *goldy colour*

D: yes it’s nice

 

Informal conversation is typically full of clauses joined loosely.

 

·        now I only did it

·        I’ve been putting it off for years

·        the other day Dave must have been going to wash up or something

·        and he put down a wet frying pan

·        and it absolutely gouged out a huge [circle of paint?]

·        and I said that’s it

·        and I just scraped it down with bleach

·        and I didn’t use paint stripper or anything

·        I put two coats of varnish

·        and it’s quite pretty, isn’t it?

 

Sentence structure: children’s story

The neighbours were all very respectful to Father Bear and people raised their hats when he went by. Father Bear liked that and he always politely replied to their greetings. Mother Bear had lots of friends. She visited them in the afternoons to exchange good advice and recipes for jam and bottled fruit. Baby Bear, however, had hardly any friends. This was partly because he was rather a bully and liked to win games and arguments. He was a pest too and always getting into mischief. Not far away, lived a fair-haired little girl who had a similar nature to Baby Bear, only she was haughty and stuck-up as well, and though Baby Bear often asked her to come and play at his house, she always said no.

 

This version of the story seems to have a combination of ways of joining (or not joining!) clauses.

 

Sentence structure: legal document

IF UPON THE DEATH OF THE LIFE INSURED there shall be no duly constituted personal representative or nominee or assignee of the Life Insured able and willing to give a valid receipt for the sum payable such sum may in the discretion of the Committee of Management be paid to one or more of the next-of-kin of the Life Insured whose receipt shall effectually discharge the Society from all liability under this policy.

 

This might look very formidable, but can be reduced to the bare skeleton of: ‘If … there shall be no … representative, such sum may … be paid to… the next-of-kin’.

 

We now have the main structure as CONDITION followed by CONSEQUENT ACTION. Legal documents are meant to be watertight, so the use of the explicit way of joining clauses is not surprising.

 

Sentence structure: Old English

 

The passage is highly paractactic. Not many people in the Old English period (450–1100) could read, and English was largely an oral medium. Written English at that time therefore had a structure that was similar to that in spoken English.

 

We could therefore say that the hypotactic way of joining clauses was something that developed later which became important in academic writing. This text type developed later, and was partly influenced by Latin, which was the language used for academic writing up until nearly the 18th century.

 

A. What is grammar?

B. The Morpheme and Word

C. The Phrase

D. The Clause

 

If you’re ready to take the quiz based on this topic, go to the IVLE page and click on ‘Assessment’ on the left, and then on ‘Grammar’.

 

Home