Língua Inglesa Estrutura Sintática 2 Aula 4

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Goals
Section 1
Clausal complements: de�nition and characteristics
To recognize clausal complements.
Start section 1
Section 2
Types of clausal complements
To distinguish among the different types of finite and non-finite clausal complements.
Start section 2
Clausal Complements
Profª. Erika de Freitas CoachmanDescription
You will learn how to extend a message with the aid of clausal complements – complex structures that fulfill a necessary
function in a given sentence and often supplement the meaning of a verb, noun, or adjective, for instance.
Purpose
In this Unit, we shall focus on clausal complements. They are subordinate clauses that play necessary functions within
the main clause. As you read, you will realize they typically occupy positions fulfilled by nouns, often taking up
indispensable syntactic roles.In the first section, you will learn what clausal complements are and how they differ from
other subordinate clauses, such as relative clauses. Later on, in the second section, you will understand how such
structures can be classed, depending on their particular features.
Preparation
Make sure you have an English dictionary at hand. If you prefer the screen to the page, you can rely on free online options,
such as the Cambridge and the Merriam Webster dictionaries. If you want to enrich your vocabulary and learn new
expressions, try the Thesaurus, a dictionary that lists antonyms and synonyms for each word.
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1
Clausal complements: de�nition and
characteristics
By the end of this section, you will be able to recognize clausal complements.
Necessary functions within the main clause
When talking about subordination, we come across three main types:
Relative clauses: those that, resembling the function of adjectives, characterize the antecedent clause or noun phrase;
Adverbial clauses: clauses that operate differently, in ways that are similar to the role of adverbs, providing a wide range of circumstantial
meanings ― such as time, manner, place, or reason for a given action or situation presented in the main clause;
Clausal complements: subordinate clauses that are necessary to complete the main clause. In ways that often parallel the syntactic functions
performed by nouns, clausal complements often complement verbs, playing either the role of an object or a subject, for instance.
This Unit shall focus on this third type.
In section 1, you will understand the definition of clausal complements and their particular characteristics. Later on, in section 2, you shall look
into finite and non-finite clausal complements, analyzing their subgroups and the different meanings they usually convey.
Warm-up
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In this Unit, we shall focus on clausal complements. They are subordinate clauses that play necessary functions within the main clause. As you read,
you will realize they typically occupy positions fulfilled by nouns, often taking up indispensable syntactic roles.
You will learn how to extend a message with the aid of clausal complements ― complex structures that fulfill a necessary function in a given
sentence and often supplement the meaning of a verb, noun or adjective, for instance.
As you go through this section, you will become increasingly more familiar with how clausal complements are handled in actual speech.
Before we get started, you shall look into examples extracted from a newspaper called USA Today. They all revolve around the same topic: California
lawmakers’ attempt to pass a bill prohibiting big stores from dividing their items into boy’s and girls’ sections, so that each child should feel
comfortable to pick the toys he or she likes best, regardless of their gender.
Look into the examples below and pay attention to the syntactic roles the clausal complements between brackets play within the main clause:
Object
"People understand [that gender equality is a winning issue]." 
"David said [progress has been made with recent pushes for inclusion]".
Subject
“[How people self-identify] is important (…)”.
“[What we're seeing] is a combination of increased awareness and mobilization”.
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Adapted from USA TODAY: 'Let kids be kids': California considers bill requiring gender-neutral children's sections at large retailers. [S.I], March 6th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/06/calif-bill-require-gender-neutral-kids-sections-some-retailers/4609220001/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
The examples above help us draw a picture on how clausal complements function.
The kinship between noun phrases and clausal complements also becomes evident if we ask the verb phrase from the main clause a wh-question, as
shown below:
The main clauses are “people understand”, “David said”, “is important” and “is a combination of increased awareness and
mobilization”.
The complements in bold are necessary parts of the main clause, in which the first two play the role of direct objects and the last two
function as the subject.
Both syntactic functions ― object and subject ― are often performed by noun phrases, as you will see shortly.
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What do people understand?
[That gender equality is a winning issue].
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What did David say?
That [progress has been made with recent pushes for inclusion].
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What is important?
[How people self-identify].
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What is a combination of increased awareness and mobilization?
[What we're seeing].
Alternatively, these questions could be answered by noun phrases. For instance, they could be rewritten differently if we eliminated their verbs and
replaced the entire clause with a noun phrase, as you can see below:
Object
"People understand [gender equality]." 
"David said [the word 'progress'"].
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Subject
“[Self-identification] is important (…)”.  
“[This situation] is a combination of increased awareness and mobilization”.
Adapted from USA TODAY: 'Let kids be kids': California considers bill requiring gender-neutral children's sections at large retailers. [S.I], March 6th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/06/calif-bill-require-gender-neutral-kids-sections-some-retailers/4609220001/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
According to Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1999), clausal complements are “noun like in nature”. They are embedded within the main clause, in
which they may take up syntactic functions, such as the function of object or subject ― roles which are also typically played by noun phrases.
Because of that, clausal complements can be understood as an integral part of the main clause,
a necessary part of it.
Their similarity with noun phrases may be clearly verified in sentences where the clausal complement plays the role of direct object. Just like noun
phrases, they can be moved from the direct object position to take up the role of subjects, if we change from active to passive voice (CELCE-MURCIA
& LARSEN-FREEMAN, 1999).
Analyze the following sentences to see how these changes can be made:
Active voice
"Many girls believe[that the most important thing in life is to be pretty]".
Passive voice
"[That the most important thing in life is to be pretty] is believed by many girls.
Active voice
"A growing body of academic research has shown [that gender-specific toys can stunt a child's emotional and psychological growth]".
Passive voice
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"[That gender-specific toys can stunt a child's emotional and psychological growth] has been shown by a growing body of academic research.
Adapted from: CBS NEWS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. [S.I], March 8th, 2021. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-
gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/.Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Finite and non-�nite clauses
Clausal complements are either a finite clause or a non-finite clause.
But how can you distinguish �nite from non-�nite?
The first step is to acknowledge that the verbal group is the central element of a clause. Therefore, the classification of a clause depends on the form
of the verb.
We call finite clauses those in which the verb is marked by tense or modality. A verb is tensed, either when it receives present or past tense
inflections or when it requires the use of a given auxiliary (such as “do” or “did”), for instance. Yet, modality is marked by adding a modal to the verb.
In a nutshell, in addition to the notions of person and number, finite clauses contain a finite form of the verb, which is marked by either tense or
modality.
When the verb of a given clause does not carry neither tense nor modality, we classify it as a non-finite clause.
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Classifying clausal complements
While relative clauses are usually introduced by a relative pronoun (typically, “which”, “who” or “that”), clausal complements are often initiated with a
complementizer or subordinator. If we take into account the presence (and the absence) of such complementizers, we can classify clausal
complements into two main categories and four subcategories:
Chart: Types of clausal complements 
Adapted from (DOWNING & LOCKE, 2006).
As seen, complements are either a finite clause or a non-finite clause.
Finite clause: a full clause in which there is a subject and the verb is inflected accordingly. We can break it down into two subgroups:

One of them is initiated by the complementizer that.

And the other one comprises wh-clauses.
Non-finite clause: in which the verb appears either in the infinitive (with to) or in the gerund (with the -ing particle).
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Now that you know how to classify clausal complements, analyze the table below to understand how these categories operate in actual speech. The
examples listed address two topics: one of them has to do with the controversy in the United States regarding gendered signs indicating different
toys for boys and for girls, while the second topic relates to gender inequality in the workplace and the uneven effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on
men’s and women’s professional careers.
Finite that-clause
Signs indicate [that an item is meant either for boys or girls].
The proponent said [that her bill help children express themselves freely and without bias].
Finite wh-clause
A male specialist medicine doctor described [how there is a tendency for others [to speak and defer to him rather than his female colleagues].
A growing body of academic research has shown [why gender-specific toys can stunt a child's emotional and psychological growth].
The girl could not understand [why a store was telling her [which toys were meant for boys] and [which were for girls].
Non-finite to-infinitive clause
We hope [to inspire more girls [to get into science and engineering and mathematics].
We want [to ensure that those periodic tables and dinosaurs are not in the boys' section].
We just want [to let kids be kids].
Hasbro last month decided [to drop the title of "Mr." from the Mr. Potato Head brand].
69% of mothers want [to work from home at least once a week after the pandemic].
Non-finite -ing clause
[Understanding the challenges] may help mitigate the harmful effects of a post-pandemic gender imbalance at work and home.
[Reinforcing domestic roles and stalling women’s earning potential] could intensify gender inequality.
Examples of different clausal complements 
Adapted from Downing & Locke, 2006.
Attention!
Most of the examples you have read so far have shown clausal complements that supplement verbs. However, there are also clausal
complements that accompany nouns or adjectives, as you can see in the following example, in which the clausal complement is an
extension of the adjective “important”:
It is important [that people’s self identification is respected].
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Source: Adapted from USA TODAY: 'Let kids be kids': California considers bill requiring gender-neutral children's sections at large retailers. [S.I], Mar 6th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/06/calif-bill-require-gender-neutral-kids-sections-some-retailers/4609220001/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Mingling Clauses
Studying grammar and dividing clauses into categories may give us the feeling that language is an unequivocal system, where unmistakable
classifications are easily assigned to clauses. But categorizing clauses is not that simple.
After reading the following examples, you will realize that different types of clauses are often mingled within the same sentence and, sometimes,
overlapping makes it difficult to understand where one clause ends and the other one starts.
Children shouldn’t feel stigmatized for [playing with a toy] [that has traditionally been targeted to one gender or another].
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This is [why even parents] [that aren't interested in gender politics] [still object].
Adapted from: CBS NEWS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. [S.I], Mar 8th, 2021. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-
gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021
In the first example, “children shouldn’t feel stigmatized” is the main clause, which is followed by two subordinate clauses. “Playing with a toy” is a
non-finite -ing clausal complement used to complement the meaning of the adjective “stigmatized”. After all, what do children feel stigmatized for?
“For playing with a toy”.
As you can see, it is a noun-like complement that could be alternatively rewritten by replacing the clausal complement with a noun phrase:
Children shouldn’t feel stigmatized for [their favorite toys].
Noun phrase: “their favorite toys”
The clause “that has traditionally been targeted to one gender or another” aims at restricting or defining the sort of toy that makes children feel
stigmatized when they play with it. For instance, girls could feel stigmatized for playing with an action figure, because it is traditionally targeted to
boys. Because it functions as an adjective, specifying the head noun “toy”, “that has traditionally been targeted to one gender or another”, it is a
restrictive relative clause.
To recap:
Children shouldn’t feel stigmatized
for
playing with a toy that has traditionally been targeted to one gender or
another.
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Main clause
Non-finite -ing clausal
complement
Restrictive relative clause
The second example is a little bit trickierbecause, besides mingling different types of clauses, it also contains a case of overlapping. The main
clause “this is” introduces two subordinate clauses. The first one is a finite wh-clausal complement: “why even parents still object” functions as a
subject complement. You must have noticed there is a second subordinate clause splitting the clausal complement into two halves. “That aren’t
interested in gender politics” is a restrictive relative clause that specifies parents who object, explaining that even those who are not interested at all
in gender politics are unhappy about the clear-cut divide between girls’ and boys’ toys. Revising:
This is why even parents
that aren't interested in gender
politics
still object.
Main clause
wh-clausal complement (first
part)
Restrictive relative clause
wh-clausal complement (second
part)
Complementizer that X relative pronoun that
You have learned that one of the types of clausal complements is introduced by “that”. But how can we differ the complementizer that from the
relative pronoun that? Before we go any further, you should keep in mind that complementizers introduce clausal complements, whereas relative
pronouns initiate relative clauses.
That will become clearer once we analyze two contrasting examples:
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Parents [that want their kids to develop more fully academically, musically, artistically and socially] should opt for gender-neutral toys.
(that = parents)
A recent UK-based poll of leaders, managers and employees showed [that 69% of mothers work from home at least once a week after the
pandemic, versus just 56% of fathers].
Adapted from: CBS NEWS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. [S.I], Mar 8th, 2021. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-
gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021 
BBC: Are men-dominated offices the future of the workplace?. [S.I], May 6th, 2021. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity.
Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
In the first example, “that want their kids to develop more fully academically, (…) and socially” is a restrictive relative clause whose referent is the
head noun “parents”. In this case, the relative clause specifies which parents should opt for gender-neutral toys. As Celce-Murcia and Larsen-
Freeman (1999) argue, the relative pronoun replaces the head noun or noun phrase it refers to, avoiding unnecessary repetition.
If we wanted to turn the clauses from the first example into two independent statements, we could rephrase them as:
Parents want their kids to develop more fully academically, musically, artistically and socially.
Parents should opt for gender-neutral toys.
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In other words, the relative pronoun “that” in the original example is a replacement for the head noun “parents”.
But this explanation does not account for complementizers. “That” in the second example functions as a link, as a bond between the main clause
and the clausal complement.
Summing up:
Relative clause
The relative pronoun “that” initiates a restrictive relative clause, in ways that resemble the role played by adjectives.
Clausal complement
Yet, the clausal complement “that” is rather different since it often occupies positions that are typically fulfilled by nouns.
To make such distinction clear, we should look into the excerpt below, taken from an article on sexism at work and published by The Guardian:
Two in five of female and male doctors [that had witnessed sexism] felt [that they could not report it].
Adapted from: THE GUARDIAN: More than 90% of female doctors have faced sexism at work, finds BMA. London, Uk, Aug 26th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/26/more-than-90-per-cent-female-doctors-have-faced-sexism-at-work-finds-bma. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Now, we shall analyze both clauses between brackets.
[that had witnessed sexism] refers to the noun phrase “two in five of female and male doctors”. Such subordinate
clause is aimed at refining the group of doctors the excerpt talks about: not just any female and male doctor, but only
those [that had witnessed sexism].
Because it adds meaning to the noun phrase, characterizing and restricting it, like an adjective would do, we call this
structure a restrictive relative clause, in which “that” is a relative pronoun.
 1 out of 2 
Demonstration
Clausal complements, as we have seen, are subordinate clauses that usually occupy the same position in a sentence that noun phrases do. A clausal
complement, for instance, can play the role of a subject or even of an object, similar to the syntactic functions noun phrases perform. Now let’s see
how noun phrases and clausal complements differ!
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Let’s start with a very simple sentence:
The boy is watching the game.
In this example [the game] is a noun phrase which is complementing the verb “watch”. The noun phrase is then the object of the sentence. Now, if, for
some reason, we decide to replace the noun phrase with an entire clause, the sentence will have to be slightly altered.
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The boy is watching what they are doing.
The boy is watching what is on TV.
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In the sentences above, the three clauses [what they are doing], [what is on TV] and [how to do it] are the respective objects of the sentences in
question. However, they are structured a bit differently. They are all wh-clauses since they are initiated with a question word (“what”, “how”).
Noun phrases and clausal complements, although structurally different, can occupy the same positions in a sentence!
Hands on
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Question 1
Read the statement below and identify the option providing the correct classification for the clause between brackets: 
Many companies are expected [to offer employees newly flexible and hybrid formats]. 
Source: HICKOK, H. Are men-dominated offices the future of the workplace? BBC Worklife. May 6th, 2021. 
A Finite that-clausal complement.
B Finite wh-clausal complement.
C To-infinitive clausal complement.
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C o t e c ausa co p e e t.
D -ing clausal complement.
E Main clause.
Answer
Question 2
Read the statement below, describing workplaces in the post-pandemic world, and choose the option that best describes the clausal
complement embedded in it: 
It’s unlikely [that office workers will comprise only men]. 
Adapted from: HICKOK, H. Are men-dominated offices the future of the workplace? BBC Worklife. May 6th, 2021. 
A
The clausal complement defines the idea conveyed by the subject “it”, explaining that only men will be among the office
workers after the COVID-19 pandemic.
B
The clausal complement is a necessary supplement for the adjective “unlikely”, as it explains that office workers comprising
only men is improbable in the post-pandemic era.
C
The clausal complement provides omissible information, eliciting what should be seen as an implausible work environment
after the COVID-19 pandemic.
D
The clausal complement provides unnecessary information, as it only reiterates that men-dominated offices are unlikely in the
post-pandemic era.
E
The clausal complement is a necessary supplement for the adjective “unlikely”, as it explains that office workers comprising
only men will be relatively common afterthe COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
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Question 3
Mark the option providing the correct classification for “that” and a suitable explanation for the assigned label. 
Recent studies of British and American households showed [that working women have shouldered the lion’s share of childcare and household
burdens during the pandemic]. 
Adapted from: HICKOK, H. Are men-dominated offices the future of the workplace? BBC Worklife. May 6th, 2021. 
A Complementizer, because it introduces a clausal complement, which functions as the object of the verb “showed”.
B Complementizer, because it introduces a clausal complement, which functions as the subject of the verb “showed”.
C Relative pronoun, because it introduces a relative clause that characterizes British and American households.
D
Relative pronoun, because it introduces a relative clause specifying which British and American households the statement
refers to.
E
Complementizer, because it elicits additional (and unnecessary) information in order to describe the results of recent studies
on British and American households.
Answer
Question 4
Read the statement below and identify the option providing the correct classification for the clause between brackets: 
Recent studies of British and American households showed [that working women have shouldered the lion’s share of childcare and household
burdens during the pandemic]. 
Adapted from: HICKOK, H. Are men-dominated offices the future of the workplace? BBC Worklife. May 6th, 2021. 
A Finite that-clausal complement.
B Finite wh-clausal complement.
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C To-infinitive clausal complement.
D To-infinitive clausal complement.
E Main clause.
Answer
Question 5
The excerpt below juxtaposes three clausal complements. How would you classify them? Which syntactic role do they play within the main
clause? 
“[Organising a playdate], [booking the kids’ medical check-ups] and [hiding vegetables in their evening meals] may all seem like small tasks. But
they mount up”. 
Adapted from: HOGENBOOM, M. The hidden load: How 'thinking of everything' holds mums back. BBC Worklife. May 18th, 2021. 
A Finite that-clausal complement, functioning as the object of the verb phrase “may seem”.
B Finite wh-clausal complement, functioning as the subject of the verb phrase “may seem”.
C To-infinitive clausal complement, functioning as the subject complement of the verb phrase “may seem”.
D -ing clausal complement, functioning as the object of the verb phrase “may seem”.
E -ing clausal complement, functioning as the subject of the verb phrase “may seem”.
Answer
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Theory in Practice
In this section, you have learned that clausal complements are not removable accessories. They provide necessary supplement to the meanings
conveyed by verbs, nouns or adjectives. The excerpt below contains two examples of clausal complements. It was extracted from an article
published in 2021 by BBC on gender inequality and working women’s hidden overload at home.
“In fact, an increasing body of research indicates that, for household responsibilities, women perform far more cognitive and emotional labour than
men. Understanding why could explain why gender equality is going backwards […]”.
Adapted from Hogenboom, 2021.
Question 6
Mark the option containing a clausal complement that can be best classed as non-finite: 
Adapted from: HOGENBOOM, M. The hidden load: How 'thinking of everything' holds mums back. BBC Worklife. May 18th, 2021. 
A Numerous studies show [that women still do the bulk of housework and childcare].
B Many couples aim [to split their responsibilities 50:50].
C Some couples think [that they have achieved an equal division of labour].
D Experts say [that women’s hidden work comes in three overlapping categories].
E Mothers worry about [how their kids are managing at school].
Answer
_black
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According to the BBC article, women’s overload includes a lot of mental work and, although contemporary couples tend to make decisions together,
most of the planning, organizing, and researching on how to handle childcare usually falls to the mother.
Can you identify the clausal complements? And which type do they exemplify?
Working it out

Let’s practice!
You are very close to reaching your
goals.
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Question 1
While reading this section, you learned how to distinguish relative clauses from clausal complements. Among the five options below, four are
restrictive relative clauses. Choose the only alternative that can be classed as a clausal complement: 
Adapted from SCHNALL, M. Achieving A Gender Just World: Thought Leaders Provide Actionable Ways To Break Through Equality's Biggest
Barriers. Forbes. Aug 19th, 2021.
A Research has found [that only about 4 percent of Pakistan’s High Court judges are women].
B
Pakistan desperately needs judges who understand the hostile environment [that many Pakistani women face both at home
and in society at large].
C
The United Nations Convention [that Pakistan has ratified] obligates governments to “take all appropriate measures to
eliminate discrimination against women.
D There are many organizations, especially in developing nations, [that have been fighting for equality with very little funding].
E It will require building new equitable systems [that address the fundamental unequal power dynamics] (…)
Answer
Question 2
Mark the option containing an example of a finite clausal complement between brackets:
A Multinational corporations need [to ensure fundamental rights like equal pay, access to childcare and family leave for all].
B Multinationals have the power [to move mountains].
C Multinationals can show us [what inclusivity looks like].
D [Supporting small organizations] should be a priority for foundations and individual philanthropists.
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2
Classifying clausal elements
By the end of this section, you will be able to distinguish among the different types of finite and non-finite clausal complements.
Revising Finite and Non-Finite Clausal Complements
As seen, when classifying clausal complements, we shall divide them into two major groups: finite or non-finite. In this section, you will understand
how clausal complements can be classed, depending on their particular features. You shall look into these two categories and deepen your
understanding on where their differences lie.
The following topics will divide clausal complements into finite and non-finite.
E It will take [aiming for specific and bold actions] (…).
Answer

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The finite category comprises two subgroups:

Finite that-clausal complements.

Finite wh-clausal complements.
The non-finite category is divided into two subgroups as well:

Non-finite to-infinitive clausal complements.

Non-finite -ing clausal complements.
Finite Clausal Complements
That-clausal complements
Here, we shall focus on that-clausal complements and wh-clausal complements. Unlike wh-words, that is a complementizer adding barely no
semantic value to the main clause. Instead, its function is to introduce the embedded clause, as it does in the example below, initiating the clausal
complement of the verb “said” [that many toys marketed to boys are associated with violence and competitiveness]:
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Indiana University psychology professor Judith Blakemore said [that many toys marketed to boys are associated with
violence and competitiveness].
Adapted from: CBS NEWS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. [S.I], March 8th, 2021. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bill-
gender-neutral-childrens-toys-clothing/. Accessed Sept 20th, 2021
According to Downing and Locke (2006), that-clausal complements can be divided into three main categories, as next chart describes. To sum up,
they can be used to express:
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Facts, beliefs, doubts, and perceptions.
Reports.
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Proposals.
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Chart: Types of that clausal complements 
Adapted from (DOWNING & LOCKE, 2006)
In order to express facts, beliefs, doubts and perceptions, we must choose from two specific verb groups: verbs of cognition and verbs of
expectation. According to Downing and Locke (2006):
Verbs of cognition
Verbs such as “think”, “know”, “believe”, “imagine”, “see” and “doubt”.
Verbs of expectation
Verbs such as “expect”, “hope”, “suppose” and “wish” .
Examine the examples below to understand how such verbs are used in the main clause and completed by a corresponding clausal complement.
Some of the excerpts were taken from an article published by the Time magazine and written by Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, whereas some of the others were published in the Financial Times on her professional and personal paths.
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I already supposed [that the pandemic would lead to devastating setbacks for women everywhere].
 1 out of 4 
Adapted from: TIME: Melinda Gates: Why Women's Voices Must Be at the Center of Rebuilding After COVID-19. [S.I], Jan 15th, 2021. Available at: https://time.com/5929800/melinda-gates-womens-
voices-rebuilding-covid-19/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021
In “I once hoped […]”, Melinda Gates describes what she had expected from our decade before the COVID-19 pandemic. In “I already supposed […]”,
she mentions that, from the very beginning, she felt the outburst of the new disease would be particularly challenging for women. In both cases,
verbs of expectation are used.
In “I believed […]”, she talks of her initial thoughts on the 2020s, a decade she had thought would mark the beginning of a new era for girls. In “I think
[…]”, she talks of what she considers most valuable in a relationship: “love, respect and reciprocity”. Both verbs, “think” and “believe” are verbs of
cognition, that is, verbs that convey meanings related to mental processes of knowing and reasoning, which have to do with what we learn, think, and
believe in.
In the first example below “that” initiates a clausal complement supplementing the verb “know”, affirming that women are aware “that they need more
cover than me”, since most female leaders are more questioned than men and most often held responsible for bad results.
However, in the second and third examples, the use of “if” in the place of “that” conveys doubt, rather than certainty. In the second excerpt, we are
told specialists do not know whether or not women are “naturally more community-minded”. The same meaning of doubt is present in “I wonder if
we think of risk-taking as a good thing] because it is affiliated with men”.
Comment
Other verbs of cognition such as “know” or “wonder” may also be followed by “whether” or “if” instead of the complementizer “that”
(DOWNING & LOCKE, 2006).

 
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Women are also questioned and second-guessed more frequently. For these
reasons, female leaders know [that they need more "cover" than men].
Verb of cognition followed by "that".
 1 out of 3 
Adapted from FORBES: Achieving A Gender Just World: Thought Leaders Provide Actionable Ways To Break Through Equality's Biggest Barriers. [S.I], Aug 19th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marianneschnall/2021/08/19/achieving-a-gender-just-world-thought-leaders-provide-actionable-ways-to-break-through-equalitys-biggest-barriers/?sh=26965e811e14.
Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
As you have seen, that-clausal complements also initiate reports with the help of verbs of communicating, such as “say”, “tell”, “answer”, “mention”,
“admit”, “confess”, and so on. Let’s see some examples:
"A recent public opinion survey of 28 countries stated [that nine in ten people want a more sustainable and equitable world after the
pandemic".
"Another survey reported, across 27 countries, [that a majority wants more inclusive economies]".
"Therese Houston explained, in one study, [that 71% of men considered themselves smarter than the average]".
"Th t d d [th t th d i h b t d i ti i liti b t d i l t ll f lif ]"
 
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Adapted from: TIME: Melinda Gates: Why Women's Voices Must Be at the Center of Rebuilding After COVID-19. [S.I], Jan 15th, 2021. Available at: https://time.com/5929800/melinda-gates-womens-
voices-rebuilding-covid-19/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021 
FORBES: Why Do Women Make Such Good Leaders During COVID-19?. [S.I], Apr 19th, 2021. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/camianderson1/2020/04/19/why-do-women-make-such-
good-leaders-during-covid-19/?sh=6b4f9c5142fc. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021 
THE GUARDIAN: Covid could endanger progress on gender equality, says Merkel. [London, Uk], Mar 6th, 2021. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/06/covid-could-endanger-
progress-on-gender-equality-says-merkel. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
At last, that-clausal complements may also express proposals, a meaning conveyed by verbs such as “propose”, “suggest”, “recommend” and
“demand” ― which “aim at getting someone to do something” (DOWNING & LOCKE, 2006, p. 103). When such verbs are used in the main clause, we
can choose from three options for the form of the verb in the subordinate clause:

The uninflected subjunctive.

Should + bare infinitive.

The indicative.
"The study warned [that the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities between women and men in almost all areas of life]".
"Angela Merkel said [that women must finally earn the same as men]".
"She warned [that covid could endanger progress on gender equality"].
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Analyze the following examples and pay attention to how the verb in the subordinate clause shifts in accordance with each of these three
alternatives:
Unin�ected subjunctive
The prime minister demanded [that a woman earn the same as a man].
Should + bare in�nitive
The prime minister demanded [that a woman should earn the same as a man].
The indicative
The prime minister demanded [that a woman earns the same as a man].
As you can see, the verb in the subjunctive remains uninflected: the third person singular inflection (“s”) used in the Present Simple tense only
appears in “earns” when it is transformed into the indicative form. Whereas in the second alternative, the modal “should” is followed by the bare
infinitive form of the verb “earn”.
Before we move on, it is worthwhile remarking that the complementizer “that” is omissible: its deletion does not affect the meaning of the sentence
as a whole. In the examples below, the ideaconveyed by the sentence remains the same after the suppression of “that”:
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Female leaders know (that) they need more cover than men.
I already supposed (that) the pandemic would lead to devastating setbacks for women everywhere.
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FORBES: Why Do Women Make Such Good Leaders During COVID-19?. [S.I], Apr 19th, 2021. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/camianderson1/2020/04/19/why-do-women-make-such-good-
leaders-during-covid-19/?sh=6b4f9c5142fc. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021 
TIME: Melinda Gates: Why Women's Voices Must Be at the Center of Rebuilding After COVID-19. [S.I], Jan 15th, 2021. Available at: https://time.com/5929800/melinda-gates-womens-voices-rebuilding-
covid-19/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021
However, according to Downing and Locke (2006), omitting or retaining the complementizer is influenced by a few factors. In general, we drop the
complementizer when:
The main verb is either “think” or “say”:
Angela Merkel said women must finally earn the same as men.
The subjects of the main clause and the that-clause are the same:
Female leaders know they need more cover than men. 
They = “female leaders”.
When a pronoun rather than a noun initiates the that-clause:
Female leaders know they need more cover than men.
Adapted from: THE GUARDIAN. London, Uk, Mar 6th, 2021. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/06/covid-could-endanger-progress-on-gender-equality-says-merkel. Accessed
Sep 21st, 2021 
On the other hand, the complementizer “that” tends to be retained when:
That-clauses are coordinated:
I hoped [that 2020 would launch a new era for girls] and [that women’s power would be expanded].
 1 out of 3 
 
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In addition, you must also beware that the complementizer “that” is typically retained in more “formal written registers”, as Downing and Locke (2006,
p.104) remind us.
Wh-clausal complements
Now, we shall devote our attention to the second type of finite clausal complement. It is time to explore wh-clausal complements and become
familiar with some of their most important characteristics. While the complementizer “that” functions as a mere link between the main and the
embedded clauses, wh-words convey a relevant meaning, as they typically hint at the relationship between the verb phrase and its clausal
complement.
According to Downing and Locke (2006), they can be divided into the three categories:

Indirect wh-interrogatives.

Indirect wh-exclamatives.

Nominal relatives.
We use indirect wh-interrogatives to express lack of knowledge on a given topic, while also employing verbs such as “ask”, “wonder” or “doubt” to
control such indirect questions. With indirect wh-interrogatives, you may not need the interrogative structure, in which a modal or an auxiliary
precedes the subject.
All in all, indirect interrogatives do not require such inversion.
Below you will go through paired examples that will help you compare direct questions and indirect questions expressed by wh-clausal complements:
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Indirect wh-clausal complement
Dr. Abbie Oliver researches [how people respond to female leaders].
Direct question
"How do people respond to female leaders?" - enquires Dr. Abbie Oliver.
Adapted from: FORBES: Why Do Women Make Such Good Leaders During COVID-19?. [S.I], Apr 19th, 2020. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/camianderson1/2020/04/19/why-do-women-
make-such-good-leaders-during-covid-19/?sh=6b4f9c5142fc. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.

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Indirect wh-clausal complement
Therese Houston wonders when people will actually accept women as viable leaders.
Direct question
"When will people actually accept women as viable leaders?" - wonders Therese Houston.
Adapted from: FORBES: Why Do Women Make Such Good Leaders During COVID-19?. [S.I], Apr 19th, 2020. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/camianderson1/2020/04/19/why-do-women-
make-such-good-leaders-during-covid-19/?sh=6b4f9c5142fc. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Now, we shall analyze a second type of wh-clausal complements: indirect exclamatives.
For Downing and Locke (2006), such constructions may follow two easily detectable patterns. The main verb is either succeeded by:

“What” and a nominal group.
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
“How” and an adjectival group.
As you can see in the following examples:
“We understand what a difficult situation this is for them”.
Understand: main verb 
what a difficult situation: what + nominal group
Adapted from THE GUARDIAN: New Zealand fires nine border workers who refused Covid vaccine. London, Uk, May 3rd, 2021. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/03/new-
zealandrd-fires-nine-border-workers-who-refused-covid-vaccine. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
It does not matter [how stressed we were], [how difficult it was], or [how tired we were of our pandemic lives]. We
should be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
How stressed: how + adjective 
How difficult: how + adjective 
How tired : how + adjective
Adapted from: THE NEW YORK TIMES: ‘Be Kind Whenever Possible. It is Always Possible’. Apr 17th, 2021. NY, USA. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/17/opinion/letters/personal-
philosophy.html. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Nominal relatives are the third and last type of wh-clausal complement we shall analyze here.
But why are they called relatives?
Because they can be rewritten as a relative clause instead. Look at the examples below to understand how that can actually happen. The first
example was taken from an article published by CNN on arguments used in the past to deprive women from their right to vote.
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Women can already get [what they want without the vote].
Women can already get the things [that they want without the vote].
Adapted from: CNN: The most ridiculous historical arguments denying women the right to vote. [S.I], Aug 26th, 2021. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/26/us/womens-equality-day-right-
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to-vote-trnd/index.html. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
In the first example, “what they want without the vote” is a wh-clausal complement that aims at completing the verb “want” by playing the syntactic
role of its direct object. If we rewrite it, we can replace “what” with the noun phrase “the things” followed by a relative clause that restricts the
meaning of this head noun. What can women get? The things that they want.
The second example of a nominal relative comes from an article published in The Guardian on Paloma Faith, a singer who talks about her challenges
and achievements coping with work and her two children.
I don’t understand [why I can’t have everything].
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Adapted from: THE GUARDIAN: Paloma Faith: ‘If anyone can do it, it’s me’. London, Uk, Aug 29th, 2021. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/aug/29/paloma-faith-if-anyone-can-do-
it-its-me. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Combination of wh-words and non-�nite verb forms
Before we move on, we should analyze the combination of wh-words and non-finite verb forms. In both examples below, “what”and “how” are
followed by the to-infinitive forms of the verbs.
The first excerpt describes a woman’s hectic routine during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she had to juggle her work and her children. The second one
tackles the abrupt changes provoked by Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, where classrooms and workplaces will be either gender-divided or
all-male.
Most of the time, I feel lost and don’t know what to do first.
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Her university hasn’t yet sorted out how to put on the gender-divided classes the new regime demanded.
Adapted from: MIAMI HERALD: Women’s mental health took a beating in the pandemic. It’s time to make it a priority |. [S.I.], Sep 14th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article253501549.html. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021. 
Adapted from: THE GUARDIAN: Afghanistan’s shrinking horizons: ‘Women feel everything is finished’. London, Uk., Sep 12th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/12/afghanistans-shrinking-horizons-women-feel-everything-is-finished. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Finite Clausal Complement
Now, it’s time to revise that- and wh-clausal complements. Check this out!
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Non-�nite clausal complements
To-in�nitive clausal complements
In this topic, we shall focus on two types of non-finite clausal complements: to-infinitive and -ing clausal complements.
According to Downing and Locke (2006, p. 109), to-infinitive clauses typically “evoke a situation that is potential”; in other words, they usually
spotlight “the movement towards the event”, rather than the event itself. Some of them come right after the main verb, while others are set apart from
the main verb by a nominal group.
“Agree”, “need”, “want”, “learn”, “decide”, “promise”, “wish”, “love”, “hate”, “intend” and “arrange” are amongst some of the verbs that best show
such movement towards a given action, rather than describing the action.
The first two examples revolve around Melinda Gates’ wishes and promises for women’s future.
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I want [to see more women in decision-making positions] ― she declared in Time magazine in October 2019.
She pledged [to invest $1bn in gender equality].
Adapted from: CNBC: CLOSING THE GAP Gates Foundation commits $2.1 billion over the next five years to gender equality. [S.I], Jun 30th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/30/gates-foundation-commits-2point1-billion-to-gender-equality-over-next-5-years.html. Accessed Sep 22nd, 2022.
The next excerpt was taken from The Guardian, from a text discussing toys targeted for specific genders and the different types of behavior expected
from boys and girls:
You see it a lot in discussions that happen around schooling, the idea that you need [to school boys and girls
differently] because every boy wants [to run around in the playground and fight each other]. Whereas girls like [to sit
still and do colouring in].
Adapted from: THE GUARDIAN: Hamleys' baby steps towards gender equality. London, Uk, Dec 13th, 2011. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/13/hamleys-steps-
towards-gender-equality. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
The following statement describes world leaders’ commitment to the promotion of women’s economic independence, introducing their promise with
a to-infinitive clausal complement:
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In response, world leaders promised [to promote women’s economic independence].
Adapted from: THE TIMES: Gender equality is an economic necessity. London, Uk, Jul 1st, 2021. Available at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gender-equality-is-an-economic-necessity-9x6bjvj5h.
Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Our last example of to-infinitive clauses is a subordinate clause in which an Afghan woman is told [not to come to work and to her university]. In this
example, as well as in the previous ones, the theme is not the action itself, but the movement towards it: a promise, a pledge, a wish, likes or dislikes,
or orders. When compared to the other examples, this one stands out because between the main verb (“told”) and the to-infinitive clause there is a
pronoun (“her”).
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After the Taliban took over Kandahar, her manager told [her not to come to work and to her university].
Adapted from: THE GUARDIAN: Afghanistan’s shrinking horizons: ‘Women feel everything is finished’. London, Uk., Sep 12th, 2021. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/12/afghanistans-shrinking-horizons-women-feel-everything-is-finished. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
The possibility of adding a nominal group (NG) is described in this table:
To-infinitive clauses To-infinitive clauses with NG after the main verb.
World leaders promised [to promote women's economic
independence].
World leaders promised their votes [to promote women's economic
independence].
Every boy wants [to run around in the playground. Every boy wants their friends [to run around in the playground].
Table: Nominal groups between the main verb and the to-infinitive clausal complement. 
Adapted from Gates, 2021b.
- ing clausal complements
Before we reach the end of this Unit, there is one type of clausal complement we should focus on. Here, we shall discuss non-finite ing-clausal
complements, subordinate clauses that often complete verbs such as “like”, “love”, “avoid”, “dislike”, “hate”, “enjoy”, “miss”, “help” “resent”,
“remember”, “forget”, “start” and “stop”.
You can find an example of an ing-clausal complement in the following newspaper headline. The article discusses the fact that 40% of managers
prefer not to hire younger women so as not to cope with the due arrangements for their maternity leave.
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Printscreen of The Guardian website.
In the headline above, the main verb “avoid” is followed by the non-finite -ing clause “hiring younger women”.
You can find other examples in the list below. They were taken from a speech delivered by Kamala Harris, the first female vice-president of the United
States, on Women’s Equality Day.
We recognize our duty to continue that fight to ensure that our daughters can enjoy [having the same rights and opportunities as our sons].
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We are committed to [strengthening women’s political participation and leadership around the world].
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We are focused on [making sure] that all Americans have the opportunity to fully participate in our society.
Adapted from: THE WHITE HOUSE: A Proclamation on Women’s Equality Day, 2021. Washington D.C., Aug 26th, 2021.Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-
actions/2021/08/26/a-proclamation-on-womens-equality-day-2021/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Verbs such as “remember” and “forget” are also commonly employed with -ing clauses, as you can see in the following example, which describes a
woman’s memory of being sexually harassed in her teenage years:
Ruth used to commute when she was a teenager and remembers men [rubbing against her].
BBC NEWS: What is it like for a woman who is harassed?. [S.I.], Oct 23rd, 2018. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45949835. Accessed Sep 20 th, 2021.
In the next example, the verb “like” is followed by a non-finite-ing clause. In her statement, Ruth complains about women being treated as “a lesser
sex”:
Women don't like [rubbing their bodies against men]! It's a society thing, like we're a lesser sex.
Adapted from BBC NEWS: What is it like for a woman who is harassed?. [S.I.], Oct 23rd, 2018. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45949835. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Non-Finite Clausal Complement
How about revising non-finite clausal categories? Click and watch!
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Demonstration
Throughout this Unit, you have learned how to complete verbs of communicating with the help of clausal complements. Throughout these sections,
you have become familiar with how we use verbs such as “confess”, “warn”, “report”, “say”, “whisper”, “denounce”, “say” or “tell” when we want to
introduce someone else’s speech.
When we refer to words uttered by others, we can choose between direct speech or indirect (or reported) speech:
Direct speech
We use direct speech when we just reproduce the exact same words of a third party, using quotation marks to set such utterances apart.
Indirect speech
We use indirect speech to refer to such statements without quotation marks, focusing on the transmission of the core ideas rather than on
the reproduction of every single word.
Take as an example the statement made by the activist Tarana Burke, a prominent leader of the #Metoo movement.
First you will read the copy of an excerpt from the interview she gave the magazine Marie Claire. Then, you will examine ways we can use to pass on
Tarana Burke’s ideas. This is a faithful copy of an excerpt taken from the original transcript of the interview:
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Marie Claire: There is a powerful line in your book: “It's a trap in which so many Black girls find themselves, either performing our pain or performing
through it.” What would you, now, tell that young girl who was performing through and performing her pain?
Tarana Burke: I'd tell her so much: “You are not the sum total of the things that happened to you.”
Now, how can we refer to a part of Tarana Burke’s ideas?
There are different ways of doing that. Let’s see them!
Source: TIME: I Founded ‘Me Too’ in 2006. The Morning It Went Viral Was a Nightmare. [S.I.], Sep 14th, 2021. Available at: https://time.com/6097392/tarana-burke-me-too-unbound-excerpt/. Accessed
Sep 20th, 2021.
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Tarana Burke said: “you are not the sum total of the things that happened to you.”

Tarana Burke wanted to tell young black girls that they are not the sum total of the things that happened to them.
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
Tarana Burke emphasized that young black girls are not the sum total of the things that happened to them.
As a university student, you must be careful not to distort someone else’s ideas and make sure you always quote the authors whose ideas you
include in your own work.
Hands on
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Question 1
The excerpts below were taken from the Amnesty International website. Mark the option in which you can find an indirect wh- interrogative
between brackets. 
Source: Adapted from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. Women´s Rights: women’s rights are human rights! 2018.
A On this page we ask [what women’s rights actually are] and [what Amnesty is doing].
B
New movements have flourished in the digital age, such as the #MeToo campaign [which highlights the prevalence of gender-
based violence and sexual harassment].
C Recent figures show [that women currently earn roughly 77% of men’s salaries for the same work].
D I remember [being discriminated against].
E Research has shown [society gets better for everyone when women’s rights are upheld and taken seriously].
Answer
Question 2
Now, mark the alternative in which a non-finite clausal complement is presented between brackets. 
Source: Adapted from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. Women´s Rights: women’s rights are human rights! 2018.
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A On this page we ask [what women’s rights actually are] and [what Amnesty is doing].
B
New movements have flourished in the digital age, such as the #MeToo campaign [which highlights the prevalence of gender-
based violence and sexual harassment].
C Recent figures show [that women currently earn roughly 77% of men’s salaries for the same work].
D I remember [being discriminated against].
E Research has shown [society gets better for everyone when women’s rights are upheld and taken seriously].
Answer
Question 3
Choose the alternative in which a nominal relative is between brackets: 
Source: Adapted from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. Women´s Rights: women’s rights are human rights! 2018.
A On this page we ask [what women’s rights actually are] and [what Amnesty is doing].
B The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women defines [what obligations states have].
C Recent figures show [that women currently earn roughly 77% of men’s salaries for the same work].
D Research has shown [society gets better for everyone when women’s rights are upheld and taken seriously].
E I remember [being discriminated against].
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Answer
Question 4
All the excerpts below are related to an open letter calling for actions to stop domestic, family, sexual violence in Australia. Choose the option in
which a wh-clausal complement is followed by a non-finite verb form. 
Source: Adapted from: FULLER, K. ‘It’s a public health emergency’: Call for nine actions to stop domestic, family, sexual violence. ABC News. Sep
2nd, 2021.
A Our vision is [that, by 2031, Australia has reduced the 2021 rates of domestic and family violence by 80 per cent].
B The signatories also wanted [to see “at least 20 women's trauma recovery centres across Australia in the next 10 years"].
C We need [to have an investment in community approaches].
D
[What we are asking for] is the construction of new social, affordable and accessible housing units (…) so that women and
children have safe housing options.
E The summit is gathering information and ideas about [how to develop the next national plan].
Answer
Question 5
What is the difference between -ing and to-infinitive clausal complements placed after the verb stop? You should consider the examples below
to choose the option that best explains the difference between them. 
Some organizations have stopped to call for actions against sexual violence. 
Some organizations have stopped calling for actions against sexual violence.
A
The ing- and the to-infinitive clausal complements convey the same meaning when they follow the verb “stop”. In both cases,
we understand that the organizations no longer call for actions against sexual violence.
The ing and the to infinitive clausal complements convey the same meaning when they follow the verb “stop” In both cases
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B
The ing- and the to-infinitive clausal complements convey the same meaning when they follow the verb stop . In both cases,
we understand organizations stopped whatever they were doing before in order to call for actions against sexual violence.
C
The ing- and the to-infinitive clausal complements convey different meanings when they follow the verb “stop”. The ing-clausal
complement suggests organizations no longer call for actions against sexual, while the to-infinitive implies that organizations
stopped whatever they were doing before to call for actions against sexual violence.
D
The ing- and the to-infinitive clausal complements convey differentmeanings when they follow the verb “stop”. The ing-clausal
complement suggests that organizations stopped whatever they were doing before to call for actions against sexual violence,
while the to-infinitive implies that organizations no longer call for actions against sexual.
E
The ing- and the to-infinitive clausal complements convey the same meaning when they follow the verb “stop”. Both of them
are used to introduce memories from a distant past.
Answer
Question 6
Mark the option that best classifies the clausal complement between brackets. 
We have enquired [how many women (…) have been subjected to sexual violence and rape] (…). 
Adapted from: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. Women´s Rights: women’s rights are human rights!. Women’s rights are human rights!. [2018].
Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/discrimination/womens-rights/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
A Indirect wh-interrogative.
B Finite that-clausal complement.
C Non-finite ing-clausal complement.
D Non-finite to-infinitive clausal complement.
E Indirect wh-exclamative.
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Theory in Practice
Special cases of to-in�nitive and -ing complement
When tackling verbs of retrospection (such as “regret”, “remember” and “forget”), Downing and Locke underline that there is a meaningful difference
between choosing a to-infinitive or an -ing complement.
The sentence deals with the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary statement on democracy being in retreat. The author of the article is clearly critical
of the United Kingdom’s government, by remarking that:
Answer
_black
In a previous example ― “Women don't like [rubbing their bodies against men]! It's a society thing, like we're a lesser sex” ―, the -ing
complement presents a situation that happened before the moment of speaking.
In the next excerpt, the verb “forgot” is followed by a to-infinitive complement, which indicates the clause does not express a distant
memory, but an action the speaker forgot to do at the moment of speaking.
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The foreign secretary forgot to include the UK in his list of antidemocratic regimes.
THE INDEPENDENT: Police clashing with women weakens Britain’s stance on human rights. London, Uk, March 17th, 2021. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/police-officers-
britain-human-rights-violations-b1818439.html. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
A similar difference should be observed regarding verbs such as “stop” or “start”, since non-finite -ing clauses and to-infinitive clauses complete them
with quite distinct meanings. If we turn back to the examples dealing with sexual harassment, we should be able to realize that the following two
statements, despite being very similar, describe two completely disparate situations:
The accused man stopped [harassing women].
The accused man stopped [to harass women].
Can you tell the difference between them?
Working it out
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
Let’s practice!
You are very close to reaching your
goals.
Question 1
The following excerpt comes from an article written by Tarana Burke on how she launched the #Metoo movement to denounce sexual violence
and pull survivors together. 
“I had started [using the phrase “me too”] (…) for survivors to connect with each other and to make a declaration to the world”. 
Source: BURKE, T. I Founded ‘Me Too’ in 2006. The Morning It Went Viral Was a Nightmare. TIME. Sep 14th, 2021. 
Now, mark the option that best classifies this clausal complement:
A Non-finite to-infinitive clausal complement.
B Non-finite ing-clausal complement.
C Indirect wh-interrogative.
D Indirect wh-exclamative.
E Finite that- clausal complement.
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Final issues
In this Unit, you learned about clausal complements. At first, we devoted our attention to understanding how they actually work in speech, often
playing syntactic roles that resemble the ones typically occupied by nouns. You have also come across examples aimed at helping you perceive
some of the differences between relative clauses and clausal complements, with a special focus on the distinctive traits of the relative pronoun “that”
and the complementizer “that”.
Answer
Question 2
Mark the option that best classifies the clause between brackets: 
“I was explaining [what the “me too” movement was”]. 
Adapted from: TIME: I Founded ‘Me Too’ in 2006. The Morning It Went Viral Was a Nightmare. [S.I.], Sep 14th, 2021. Available at:
https://time.com/6097392/tarana-burke-me-too-unbound-excerpt/. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
A Non-finite to-infinitive clausal complement.
B Non-finite ing-clausal complement.
C Indirect wh-interrogative.
D Indirect wh-exclamative.
E Finite that- clausal complement.
Answer
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In the second section, you became familiar with different types of clausal complements. We kicked off our analysis with examples on finite that- and
wh- clausal complements. After that, we covered the non-finite types, looking into the uses of the -ing and the to-infinitive forms of the verbs within
clausal complements.
Podcast
Let’s listen to professor Erika Coachmann revising some of the main topics of the Unit.
00:00 22:12
1x
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References
AFP. Agence France-Presse. Covid could endanger progress on gender equality, says Merkel. The Guardian. Mar 6th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. Women´s Rights: women’s rights are human rights! 2018. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
ANDERSON, C. Why Do Women Make Such Good Leaders During COVID-19? Forbes. Apr 19th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
BELL, Brandon. ‘Be Kind Whenever Possible. It is Always Possible’. The New York Times. Apr 17th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
BIDEN JR., J. R. A Proclamation on Women’s Equality Day, 2021. The White House. Aug 26th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
BROOKS, K. J. California bill would eliminate "boys" and "girls" toy sections in stores. CBS News. March 8th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
BURKE, T. I Founded ‘Me Too’ in 2006. The Morning It Went Viral Was a Nightmare. TIME. Sep 14th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
CAMPBELL, D. More than 90% of female doctors have faced sexism at work, finds BMA. The Guardian. Aug 26th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
CELCE-MURCIA, M; LARSEN-FREEMAN, D. The Grammar Book. Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers, 1999.
CONNLEY, C. Gates Foundation commits $2.1 billion over the next five years to gender equality. CNBC. Jun 30th, 2021. Accessed Sep 2nd, 2022.
DOWNING, A.; LOCKE, P. English Grammar: A University Course. New York: Routledge, 2006.
FULLER, K. ‘It’s a public health emergency’: Call for nine actions to stop domestic, family, sexual violence. ABC News. Sep 2nd, 2021. Accessed Sep
20th, 2021.
GATES, M. F. Melinda Gates: Why Women's Voices Must Be at the Center of Rebuilding After COVID-19. TIME. Jan 15th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th,
2021a.
GATES, M. F. Gender equality is an economic necessity. The Times. July 1st, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021b.
GRAHAM-HARRISON, E. Afghanistan’s shrinking horizons: ‘Women feel everything is finished’. The Guardian. Sep 12th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th,
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HICKOK, H. Are men-dominated offices the future of the workplace? BBC Worklife. May 6th, 2021. Accessed 20th, 2021.
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HOGENBOOM, M. The hidden load: How 'thinking of everything' holds mums back. BBC Worklife. May 18th, 2021. AccessedSep 20th, 2021.
IYER, K. 'Let kids be kids': California considers bill requiring gender-neutral children's sections at large retailers. USA Today. March 6th, 2021.
Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
MCCLURE, T. New Zealand fires nine border workers who refused Covid vaccine. The Guardian. May 3rd, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
MIAMI HERALD. Women’s mental health took a beating in the pandemic. It’s time to make it a priority. Sep 14th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
RYDER, S. What is it like for a woman who is harassed? BBC News. Oct 23rd, 2018. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
SCHNALL, M. Achieving A Gender Just World: Thought Leaders Provide Actionable Ways To Break Through Equality's Biggest Barriers. Forbes. Aug
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THE INDEPENDENT. Police clashing with women weakens Britain’s stance on human rights. March 17th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
WILLIAMS, Z. Hamleys' baby steps towards gender equality. The Guardian. Dec 13th, 2011. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
WILLINGHAM, A. J. The most ridiculous historical arguments denying women the right to vote. CNN. Aug 26th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
WISEMAN, E. Paloma Faith: ‘If anyone can do it, it’s me’. The Guardian. Aug 29th, 2021. Accessed Sep 20th, 2021.
Go Further
If you enjoy learning the English grammar, but you are more interested in innovative and communicative ways to approach grammar, you should
consider reading Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik’s A Communicative Grammar of English.
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