clausecombining

Clausecombining refers to the set of linguistic processes by which multiple clauses are connected to form larger sentences. It includes coordination of independent clauses, subordinate clauses within complex sentences, and embedding within noun or verb phrases. The aim is to convey relations such as sequence, cause, and reference while maintaining coherence and economy of expression. In descriptive grammar, clausecombining is central to syntax and discourse organization across languages.

Coordination joins two or more independent clauses with conjunctions (and, but, or) or punctuation, as in She left, and he stayed. Subordination introduces dependent clauses: adverbial clauses of time or reason (When the bell rang, we left), relative clauses (the book that I read), and complement clauses (I believe that you are right). Embedding includes nonfinite clauses (Having finished the work) and participial phrases. Ellipsis and gapping omit repeated material (She bought ice cream, and he did too). Nominalization and clause fusion shorten clauses by turning verbs or propositions into nouns or modifiers.

Clausecombining varies across languages. Some favor serial or chained clauses; others rely more on subordination or relative clauses. The topic matters for language description, teaching, parsing, and natural language generation, where accurate modeling of clause connections affects coherence and interpretation. Researchers study clausecombining to understand information structure, discourse relations, and processing load in production and comprehension.