[Grammar] One sentence has two clause but no any conjunction.

[GoesStation]

In the case that "Useful as these tools may be" be concessive adjunct and discarded, the sentence would be "they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention".

This is obviously not a complete sentence since antecedent is omitted, thus I don't think it's a concessive adjunct.

It's a perfectly good sentence. We just don't know what "they" refers to.

 

[PaulMatthews]

According to Wiki Adjunct(grammar), an adjunct is an optional part of a sentence, clause, or phrase that, if removed or discarded, will not otherwise affect the remainder of the sentence.

In the case that "Useful as these tools may be" be concessive adjunct and discarded, the sentence would be "they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention".

This is obviously not a complete sentence since antecedent is omitted, thus I don't think it's a concessive adjunct.

I favor TheParser's answer.

I'm well aware of what an adjunct is, thank you.

Of course it's a complete sentence. The demonstrative "these" in "these tools" is obviously anaphoric to a preceding element in the discourse, so "they" can also be anaphoric to that element.

"Useful as these tools may be" is a concessive adjunct. (Note that The Parser's source also called it a concessive, and concessives are always adjuncts.)

 

[jutfrank]

PaulMatthews,

I would be very grateful if you could address the question I asked in post #19. Let me rephrase it:

For what reason(s) does modern grammar describe as and though as prepositions, not conjunctions?

I look forward to hearing your answer, however brief.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

PaulMatthews,

I would be very grateful if you could address the question I asked in post #19. Let me rephrase it:

For what reason(s) does modern grammar describe as and though as prepositions, not conjunctions?

I look forward to hearing your answer, however brief.

Words' uses and meanings change because language changes.

(I'm surprised that those were ever conjuctions! But I'm not a grammarian.)