Guide-to-Links: VC

*** Guide-to-Links *** VC

VC is used mainly to connect clauses to various words when they act as a subordinating conjunction. It is quite similar to the MVs connector, which is used in many similar situations, however, the VC link is "tighter", in that it must always for a cycle with som other link, typically either X or CP. By contrast, the coordinating conjunctions primarily use the Xx connector.

         +----------Xs---------+                     
         +----->WV----->+      +-------CV----->+     
         +--Wd--+--Sp*i-+--VC--+Cs+-Sp*i+---I--+-Ox-+
         |      |       |      |  |     |      |    |
     LEFT-WALL I.p stayed.v-d so I.p could.v see.v you

VC is used for coordination only, and it links to the head-verb of the previous clause. This is consistent with how subordinating conjunctions are linked, such as "when" and "after". See "W: Coordinating Conjunctions"; and also the coordination overview.

VCq: Conditionals

Another use of VC is in conditional constructions like this one.

              +--VCq--+-SI-+
              |       |    |
      I would do it, were it possible

Here, VCq is used. Instead of linking to the subject of the following clause, the VCq links to a following auxiliary (either "had" or "were"), which is then forced to use an "SI*j+", creating subject-verb inversion. Conditional expressions can also be used as openers in this way: "Had you been there, I would have seen you". For this, COp is used. For this purpose, "had" and "were" have a special "SI*j+ & (VCq- or COp+)" expression.

VCz: Paraphrasing-like constructions

The VCz is used to to connect to the adverbial form of "as", whenever it is used in paraphrasing-like constructions expresing desire, beleif, thoughts, etc. (The Eq together with the CP are used for more direct paraphrasing, and for quotations). The VCz interplays with other link types in a complex fashion:

       +----------------->CPu----------------->+
       +----->WV----->+---VCz---+------CV----->+
       +->Wd--+---Ss--+     +-Xd+-Sa*a+---Pv---+
       |      |       |     |   |     |        |
   LEFT-WALL she   failed   ,   as   was     hoped

Here, the CPu link connects from the left wall to the verb expressing the desire. It forms a cycle with VCz, although it depends on the head-verb connectors WV and CV to accomplish this. The CV link in turn forms a cycle, using the unusual Sa link to "as", in place of the missing subject doing the hoping.