He was detained for four hours at the store yesterday. His crime? Shopping while black.
From Wiktionary.
I see Shopping while black as a matrix clause. I take the "Shopping" as a main clause and while black as a verbless embedded clause in which the gerund-participle is implied, namely while [being] black.
On the other hand, I wonder whether the non-finite clauses might be classified as matrix clauses.
My question is:
Can non-finite clauses that have embedded non-finite clauses in them be classified as matrix ones?
anonymousI see Shopping while black as a matrix clause.
I would take it as a gerund-participial.
His crime was [shopping while black].
Here, it is an argument for the (implied) matrix clause.
anonymousShopping" as a main clause
I don't see how it can be the root clause.
anonymousI wonder whether the non-finite clauses might be classified as matrix clauses.
No, I wouldn't say so. Matrix clauses can include obligatory/optional non-finite clausal arguments/adjuncts, but not the other way round.
anonymousMy question is:
Can non-finite clauses that have embedded non-finite clauses in them be classified as matrix ones?
Yes. My understanding of "matrix clause" is "the next higher clause", so you can choose any clause in a sentence and look at it from the viewpoint of a matrix clause, a clause to which other clauses may be subordinated. I've never seen a statement to the effect that non-finite clauses are excluded from being matrix clauses, but then who knows?
I wouldn't say that any of your opinions are necessarily wrong.
In any case, you're treading on territory (speech fragments) that, as far as I know, most linguists are not particularly interested in, so you might need to do a review of the literature on this topic to get a definitive answer/opinion. (I would consider that a thankless task, but if you're very interested, you may enjoy it.)
CJ