ABSTRACT
What we see here, then, is a clause which is functioning as part of a nominal group inside another clause. This is a further example of embedding (discussed in Chapter 7 in connection with prepositional phrases). In systemic terminology it is also known as rankshift because, in terms of the rank scale (see Chapter 1), an item of one rank (clause) is being used as the whole or part of an item of a lower rank (group). That holds the service fuse retains its intrinsic qualities as a clause (with its own SFPCA functions), but it is also a Postmodifier in a nominal group inside another clause. ● We call the clause which is inside another clause the embedded (or
rankshifted) clause. ● We call the clause which contains the embedded clause the superordinate
clause.
