Compound sentence types represented in the literary work

After collecting 49 compound sentences in the short story, we've grouped them according to their structural complexity.

The number of sentences in each group stands as follows:

1) Two-clause compound sentences – 23 (47 %);

2) Multiple-clausecompound sentences – 26 (53 %):

a) three clauses – 17 (35 %):;

b) four clauses – 8 (16 %):

c) five clauses – 1 (2 %):.

Multiple-clausecompound sentences are represented by the following groups:

1) Open structures – 14 (54 %):

2) Closed structures – 12 (46 %):

Let us present the percentage in the form of a pie chart:

Based on the character of connecting means, we've grouped the compound sentences into three types:

1) Syndetic – 29 (60 %);

2) Asyndetic – 9 (18 %);

3) Mixed – 11 (22 %).

The total number of coordinating conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs in all of the compound sentences with either syndetic or mixed connective means is 82. Statistically, the copulative coordinator and is of the most frequent occurrence. The numbers stand as follows (the figures represent the number of times the coordinator occurred in the text):

1) copulative coordinators (64; 78 %): and – 61; besides – 1, nor - 2;

2) disjunctive coordinators (2; 2 %): or – 2;

3) adversative connectors (7; 9 %): but – 6, yet – 1;

4) causative-consecutive conjunction (9; 11 %): for– 4, so – 4, then – 1.

The absolute majority of the sentences has copulative coordinative connection (28; 70 %). However, the three other types are not represented in a pure form, all of them belong to the mixed type of sentences which render complicated semantical and logical relations in the text (12; 30 %).

Thus, for the sake of visual reference, and as it seems to be more informative, we've decided to make a pie chart that represents not different semantico-logical types of compound sentences in the text, but rather the percentage of different coordinators that signify the relations expressed in each of these types:

One compound sentence combines in itself different communicative types of clauses: Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?

Let's substantiate our findings and provide examples for each type of the compound sentences analyzed.

I. Compound sentences classified according to their structural complexity:

1) Two clauses: Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams.

2) Multiple-clausecompound sentences:

a) three clauses: But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by.

b) four clauses: But with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose to give her. and he flung himself down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and wept.

c) five clauses: 'Look, look!' cried the Tree, 'the rose is finished now;' but the Nightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.

Multiple-clausecompound sentences are represented by the following groups:

1) Open structures: But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year.

2) Closed structures: So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.

II. Compound sentences classified based on the character of the connecting means:

1) Syndetic: Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?

2) Asyndetic: Here indeed is the true lover,' said the Nightingale.

3) Mixed: Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the market-place; it may not be purchased of the merchants, 'or can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.

III) Types of the compound sentencesdistinguished on the basis of semantico-logical relations between the coordinate clauses:

1) Copulative coordination: And he went into his room, and lay down on his little pallet-bed, and began to think of his love; and, after a time, he fell asleep.

2) Mixed coordination: But the thorn had not yet reached her heart, so the rose's heart remained white, for only a Nightingale's heart's-blood can crimson the heart of a rose.