Hi there,

I have the following sentence:

"They do seem to expect you to visit them."

I am trying to work out the number of clauses in it. I think it is 3, as in "They do seem" as the main clause, "to expect" as a complement clause, and "you to visit them" as another complement clause". Is this correct?

Thanks

Hi guys,

I have the following sentence:

"They do seem to expect you to visit them."

I am trying to work out the number of clauses in it. I think it is 3, as in "They do seem" as the main clause, "to expect" as a complement clause, and "you to visit them" as another complement clause". Is this correct?

It depends on your definition of a clause. I take the traditional approach to this, ie that a clause contains a finite verb, and that a subordinate clause is like 'a sentence within a sentence'. By this definition, this  sentence consists of one clause.

Some definitions of 'a clause' now include structures that have a non-finite verb, or even no verb at all. I would consider these things as 'phrases'.

Best wishes, Clive