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149
The tower clock struck the hour, which changed the train of his thoughts. His pictures were an immediate
success on the varnishing day, which was nothing to wonder.
The construction is conveniently used in descriptions and reasonings.
To attributive clauses belongs also a vast set of appositive clauses which perform an important role in the
formation of complex sentences. The appositive clause, in keeping with the general nature of apposition, does
not simply give some sort of qualification to its antecedent, but defines or elucidates its very meaning in the
context. Due to this specialization, appositive clauses refer to substantive antecedents of abstract semantics.
Since the role of appositive clauses consists in bringing about contextual limitations of the meaning of the
antecedent, the status of appositive clauses in the general system of attributive clauses is intermediary between
restrictive and descriptive.
In accordance with the type of the governing antecedent, all the appositive clauses fall into three groups:
first, appositive clauses of nounal relation; second, appositive clauses of pronominal relation; third, appositive
clauses of anticipatory relation.
Appositive clauses of nounal relation are functionally nearer to restrictive attributive clauses than the rest.
They can introduce information of a widely variable categorial nature, both nominal and adverbial. The
categorial features of the rendered information are defined by the type of the antecedent.
The characteristic antecedents of nominal apposition are abstract nouns like fact, idea, question, plan,
suggestion, news, information, etc. Cf.:
The news that Dr. Blare had refused to join the Antarctic expedition was sensational. We are not prepared to
discuss the question who will chair the next session of the Surgical Society.
The nominal appositive clauses can be tested by transforming them into the corresponding clauses of
primary nominal positions through the omission of the noun-antecedent or translating it into a predicative
complement. Cf.:
...
> That Dr. Blare had refused to join the Antarctic expedition was sensational. > That Dr. Blare had
refused to join the Antarctic expedition was sensational news.
The characteristic antecedents of adverbial apposition are abstract names of adverbial relations, such as time,
moment, place, condition, purpose, etc. Cf:.
We saw him at the moment he was opening the door of his Cadillac. They did it with the purpose that no
one else might share the responsibility for the outcome of the venture.
As is seen from the examples, these appositive clauses serve a mixed or double function, i.e. a function
constituting a mixture of nominal and adverbial properties. They may be tested by transforming them into the
corresponding adverbial clauses through the omission of the noun-antecedent and, if necessary, the introduction
of conjunctive adverbializers. Cf:.
... > -We saw him as he was opening the door of his Cadillac. ... > They did it so that no one else might
share the responsibility for the outcome of the venture.
Appositive clauses of pronominal relation refer to an antecedent expressed by an indefinite or demonstrative
pronoun. The constructions serve as informatively limiting and attention focusing means in contrast to the
parallel non-appositive constructions. Cf:.
I couldn't agree with all that she was saying in her irritation. > I couldn't agree with what she was saying in
her irritation. (Limitation is expressed.)
That which did strike us was the inspector's utter ignorance of the
details of the case. > What did strike us was the inspector's utter ignorance of the details of the case. (The
utterances are practically equivalent, the one with a clausal apposition being somewhat more intense in its
delimitation of the desired focus of attention.)
Appositive clauses of anticipatory relation are used in constructions with the anticipatory pronoun (namely,
the anticipatory it, occasionally the demonstratives this, that). There are two varieties of these constructions -
subjective and objective. The subjective clausal apposition is by far the basic one, both in terms of occurrence
(it affects all the notional verbs of the vocabulary, not only transitive) and functional range (it possesses a
universal sentence-transforming force). Thus, the objective anticipatory apposition is always interchangeable
with the subjective anticipatory apposition, but not vice versa. Cf:.
I would consider it (this) a personal offence if they didn't accept the forwarded Invitation. > It would be a
personal offence (to me) if they didn't accept the forwarded invitation. You may depend on it that the letters
won't be left unanswered.
>
It may be depended on that the letters won't be left unanswered.
The anticipatory appositive constructions, as is widely known, constitute one of the most peculiar
typological features of English syntax. Viewed as part of the general appositive clausal system here presented,
it is quite clear that the exposure of their appositive nature does not at all contradict their anticipatory
interpretation, nor does it mar or diminish their "idiomatically English" property so emphatically pointed out in