Meaning of complementizer | Babel Free

Definitions

A subordinating conjunction that can convert a clause into a complement clause, i.e. one that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object.

Equivalents

Examples

“Near-synonym: subordinating conjunction”

“"That" is a complementizer in the sentence "Mary believes that it is raining".”

“However, what is of particular interest⟳ to us here is the fact that the presence of the Complementiser whether in (37) (b) above excludes the possibility of having an inverted Auxiliary in pre-subject position, as we see⟳ from the ungrammaticality of (38) below: (38) *John wondered whether would he get⟳ a degree Why should this be? The answer⟳ we propose⟳ here is that this is because both Complementisers and inverted Auxiliaries occupy⟳ the pre-subject C position: hence, when (as in (38) above) the C position is already filled by the Complementiser whether, inversion of the Auxiliary is not possible, on the assumption that once a given position is filled by one constituent, it cannot be filled by another (i.e. we can only have⟳ one constituent occupying any given position).”

CEFR level