Representing being and having
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Using linking verbs | page 3 of 7 |
Descriptive clauses
As their name suggests, descriptive clauses describe people or things by:
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putting them into some kind of class or category (normally represented by
a noun or noun group  ) |
I am a midwife and my partner is a teacher. (Bank of English)
Officially what Knighton called "the vilification" is over, the two men are friends and colleagues again. (Microconcord Corpus A)
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giving information about some quality they have (normally represented by
an adjective or adjective group ) |
America is very comfortable, especially California. (Microconcord Corpus A)
On paper it looks impressive but in practice it will be chaotic.
(Bank of English)
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giving some circumstantial information about them, such as their location
in time or space (normally represented by a prepositional phrase) |
The 16-bore, double-barrelled shotgun was in a locked cupboard.
(SCMP 11/3/94).
I couldn't figure out why the road was at a 50-degree angle to my face.
(Bank of English)
Unlike identifying clauses, descriptive clauses cannot normally be reversed or changed to passive voice:
I am a midwife and my partner is a teacher.
A midwife am I and a teacher is my partner.On paper it looks impressive but in practice it will be chaotic.
On paper impressive is looked by it but in practice chaotic will be it.
Introduction
Descriptive clauses
