Syntax of the Polish Language

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Complex sentences

It isn’t unambiguous what sentences are sentences put together actually. Sentences which, they are occurring at least in are usually counted among sentences put together two decrees expressed with finite verbs. The sentence put together is unfolding on two or more of component sentences.

Sentences containing only one personal form of the verb were also discussed among sentences put together below. One of decrees is expressed with the infinitive or the participle in sentences of this type przysłówkowym. They are saying in this last case too he is occurring in the sentence put together participial sentence word. Discussing of this type of statements put together among sentences it is possible to give the structural similarity to standard sentences put together as a reason for them:

  • Poprosił, abym go obudził. (typowe zdanie złożone – standard complex sentence)
  • Poprosił, aby go obudzić. (funkcję zdania podrzędnego spełnia konstrukcja z bezokolicznikiem – an infinitive construction plays the role of subordinate clause)
  • Usiadł w fotelu i zasnął. (typowe zdanie złożone – standard complex sentence)
  • Usiadłszy w fotelu, zasnął. (funkcję zdania podrzędnego pełni imiesłowowy równoważnik zdania – a participial sentence equivalent plays the role of subordinate clause)

Uwaga: część zamieszczonych poniżej przykładów pochodzi z literatury polskiej i w dzisiejszym języku brzmi archaicznie.

Zdania współrzędnie złożone

Zdania składowe nie zależą jedno od drugiego gramatycznie, ale ich treści łączą się w przestrzeni i czasie. Taka składnia określana jest jako parataksa. Zewnętrznie są albo połączone bezspójnikowo (asyndetycznie), albo przy pomocy spójników (syndetycznie). Można je zastąpić sekwencją dwóch zdań.

Zdania współrzędnie złożone łączne

Zdania połączone stosunkiem łącznym wyrażają czynności (lub oznaczają stany) odbywające się bądź w tym samym czasie, bądź jedna następuje po drugiej. Często czynności te połączone są także przestrzennie, a ich treść jest w jakiś sposób związana. Są przedstawiane w postaci wykresu — … —.

Spójnikowe

Zdania składowe połączone są spójnikami łącznymi (kopulatywnymi) i, oraz, a, aż, również, jeszcze, także, nadto, ponadto, potem, dalej, nawet, następnie, wreszcie, w końcu, jak również, jak i, tudzież, a także, a następnie, a potem, i… i, to, to… to, czy… czy, zarówno… jak i, lecz, nie tylko… lecz także, nie tylko… ale i, nie dość że… to jeszcze, nie dość że… ale jeszcze, już to… już to, częściowo… częściowo, z jednej strony… z drugiej strony.

 

Remark: the part of examples below comes from Polish literature and sounds archaic in the today’s language.

Coordinate complex sentences

Component sentences don’t depend singly from other grammatically, but their contents are connected in space and the time. Such syntax is being determined as parataxis. They are out-of-bandly or merged with no conjunctions (asyndetically), or by means of conjunctions (syndetically). It is possible to replace them with the sequence two of sentences.

Connective coordinate complex sentences

Merged sentences are expressing activities with the total relation (or they mean states) happening be in the same time, be single is occurring after other. These activities are also three-dimensionally often merged and their content is tied in some way.

Copulative

Components are linked by sentences to total conjunctions i, oraz, a, aż, jak również, jak i, tudzież, a także, a następnie, a potem, i… i, to, to… to, czy… czy, czyli (oldish), lecz, nie tylko… lecz także, nie tylko… ale i, nie dość że… to jeszcze, nie dość że… ale jeszcze, już to… już to, częściowo… częściowo, z jednej strony… z drugiej strony.

Remark: in logic conjunction and means conjunction – sentence put together true only when both component sentences are true. The natural language is able to transfer with simple centers of the more content than only ordinary logical dependence and therefore requires the bigger quantity of total conjunctions (therefore it isn’t possible each total conjunctions have various importance though the same logical value).

Noncopulative

Conjunction in of this type sentences misses.

Participial equivalents of connective coordinate sentences

One of the clauses may be replaced with a participial sentence equivalent:

Of this type equivalents are happening currently used for the passive voice with sentences or with sentences bezpodmiotowymi:

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Excluding coordinate complex sentences

Sentences switching off are being visited in the traditional grammar to total. They mean in reality that none of enumerated activities gos.

Copulative

Components are linked by sentences to conjunctions switching off here ani, ani… ani, ni, ni… ni.

Conjunction ani… ani is being used for logic for the expression binegacji – of true sentence only when both component sentences are false. She is required in the today’s said language in of this type sentences denying form of the verb. In literary texts and archaizowanych a positive form of the verb is taking place when or (e.g. neither I like him nor I am esteeming him. I don’t know these surroundings, nor I wish to get to know her).

Noncopulative

Sentences are existing bezspójnikowe:

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Contrasting coordinate complex sentences

Sentences of this type are expressing contrasting contents in the field of the time, space, the method, the person etc.

Copulative

Components are linked by sentences to contrasting conjunctions a, ale, lecz, zaś, jednak, jednakże, a jednak, aczkolwiek, przecież, natomiast, tymczasem, a tymczasem, za to, mimo że, a mimo to, choć, atoli, lubo, wszak, wszakże, raczej, a raczej, a przecie, owszem, tylko. The conjunctions zaś, jednak, wszak sometimes occupy (particularly in older texts) the second or farther position in the clause.

Remark: logic does not distinguish przeciwstawności and of contact, because isn’t analysing contents of sentences but only their logical value (truth – falsehood), contrasting sentences have the value of the conjunction also from here (both component sentences are true).

Noncopulative

Noncopulative contrasting sentences:

At the same subject both of sentences is sometimes possible replacing of one of sentences with participial equivalent, e.g. left for the wealthy person, loving the other person. The so resultant sentence isn’t differing from sentences with the building site with the participial equivalent of the łącznego.

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Separate coordinate complex sentences

Sentences with contents one part of which precludes existence of the other.

Copulative

Clauses are linked with separate conjunctions albo, albo też, albo… albo, lub, lub też, czy, czy… czy, czy też, bądź, bądź… bądź, to… to.

Remark: three kinds of associations are being distinguished in logic, whom separate conjunctions are answering ‘with’. The conjunction lub is expressing ordinary alternative – true sentence, if at least one of sentences of components is true. Sentence I will visit ZOO or I will pass myself on the merry-go-round so means that I am intending or only to visit ZOO, or only to drive on the merry-go-round or to do both things. The natural language rarely requires such precision and therefore or is able to express the separate alternative also. In the said language the conjunction or is replaced with the conjunction often or, at least they are expressing other associations in logic.

The conjunction albo… albo both in logic and in the natural language expresses separate alternative, and so returning complex true only when one of sentences of components is true exactly. Sentence either I will visit ZOO or I will pass myself on the merry-go-round means that I intend to do only single from these things.

The conjunction albo expresses disjunction in logic, and so returning true when at least one of sentences of components is false. Owls, the disjunction are false with other people only when both sentences are true. The disjunction is true too when both component sentences are false. Sentence I will visit ZOO or I will pass myself on the merry-go-round means that I don’t intend to do both of these things, and so I intend to do only one of them or none (to tell better for clarity at most I will visit ZOO or I will pass myself on the merry-go-round). Since in the natural language situation so is rare, conjunction or most often expresses the separate alternative in reality (that is the same, what conjunction albo& or). Remark: the disjunction isn’t identical to the separate alternative. Authors aren’t noticing it among other things of some encyclopaedias. You will find about logical associations between sentences bigger here.

Noncopulative

Separate sentences bezspójnikowe they are rare and they most often occur in questions:

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Explaining coordinate complex sentences

They are being called also sentences synonymous or including, they were being counted among total sentences more ancient. Content both sentences are being completed one another, the sentence is other with the report on the content first or with specification.

Copulative

Components are linked by sentences to conjunctions czyli, to jest, to znaczy, to znaczy że, innymi słowy, a więc, mianowicie:

Noncopulative

Noncopulative explaining sentences are also possible:

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Resultative coordinate complex sentences

The content of one of sentences is pointed as a result of the content of the other sentence.

Copulative

The first type of destination sentences consists of the sentence expressing the reason and the introduced sentence with destination conjunction i, a, więc, tak więc, tak że, dlatego, w wyniku czego, wobec tego, zatem, toteż, tedy, to, to i, przeto, za to, stąd.

An effect is being enumerated first in the other type of destination sentences, afterwards the introduced reason with conjunction wszak, wszakże, przecież.

Noncopulative

There exist noncopulative resultative sentences:

Remark: destination sentences are conjunctions from the point of the view of logic, because the bill of sentences isn’t examining whether one fact is causing other. He is similarly in the natural language and therefore conjunction and often introduces the destination sentence.

Despite grammatical independence both component sentences they aren’t equal-valuable, because is expressing the reason singly, and other consequence. Will be let express every destination sentence in the form reason, so consequence or consequence, after all reason. The sentence expressing the consequence is answering the question and what from it (is resulting)? Such a test is helping to distinguish destination sentences with the conjunction and from total sentences.

In case of the identity of subjects both of sentences, it is possible to replace the sentence expressing the reason with participial equivalent, e.g. you are able to die, going to the war. Having saturated legs, przeziębiłem oneself. The so resultant sentence isn’t differing from sentences with the building site with the participial equivalent of the total sentence.

Meaning of Resultative coordinate complex sentences it is often the same how of subordinate clauses fitted together and the causal sentence. Both types are differing with grammatical structure. Compare the sentence e.g. współrzędnie complex go, I am waiting after all and sentence put together subordinately at least, because czekam.

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Sources of the examples

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Continuation


Main pagePolish grammar

2008-02-21