[Grammar] Minor Clauses

[annabellegl]

If I had the clause:

1. The man

It would be a minor clause

but if I have:

2. A man with no hat and broken bones

Would this be a minor clause?

 

[jutfrank]

We call those noun phrases.

They are not clauses as they don't have verbs.

 

[Raymott]

There are mentions of "minor clauses" in some grammars.

https://www.thoughtco.com/verbless-clause-1692588
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-minor-sentence-1691393

Nevertheless, this terminology doesn't seem to be commonly used. I've never noticed it being used here, and unless it's a specific part of your lessons, I think you could easily forget about "minor clauses" and find a more common descriptor for these fragments.

 

[Tdol]

A: Who did it?

B: The man.

I've seen this described as a minor sentence. Could the OP mean this?

 

[Raymott]

In that case, "A man with no hat and broken bones" could also be a minor clause.

A: "What did the rescue workers find down the well?"
B: (They found) "A man with no hat and broken bones".

But wouldn't you need the context to call it a minor clause/sentence?

 

[Tdol]

I think so- there may be examples that work without a context, but these two, and most others, don't.