Spanish Syntax: Attributes and Circumstantial Complements

The Circumstantial Complement (CC)

The Circumstantial Complement (CC) modifies the verb, providing data on the circumstances in which the verbal process unfolds.

Characteristics of the Circumstantial Complement

• Unstressed pronouns are replaceable by tonic pronouns.
• They have more freedom in sentence position than other complements.
• The same verb can support various kinds of circumstantial complements.
• They may be adverbial or non-adverbial.

Adverbial Circumstantial Complements

These complements support replacement by an adverb. They express circumstances of place, time, manner, and quantity. They can be constructed with a preposition + noun phrase or by adverbs.

Non-Adverbial Circumstantial Complements

These complements cannot be replaced by adverbs but provide circumstantial information. They include:

• Company
• Cause
• Purpose
• Recipient
• Subject
• Means
• Instrument
• Deprivation

The Attribute (Atr)

The Attribute is a function related to the subject through a copulative or semi-copulative verb. It serves to identify the subject, provide information on the class to which the subject belongs, or express a quality of the subject.

Linking verbs are ser, estar, and parecer. Verbs with predicative semantics are typically constructed without an Attribute. Certain predicative verbs are sometimes titled semi-copulative because they can occasionally be built with an Attribute. It is also possible for the verbs ser and estar to be constructed without an Attribute.

Attribute Characteristics

Attributes function as adjectives, nouns, adverbs of manner, and prepositional constructions. The Attribute matches in gender and number with the nucleus of the subject. Substituted Attribute pronouns always appear in the neutral gender.

Sentence Modifier

A Sentence Modifier affects the entire sentence or statement. They are typically separated from the rest of the sentence by punctuation (breaks).

Spanish Lyrical Poetry

Popular Castilian Lyric

These traditional compositions are simple in expression, possessing great beauty and lyricism. Its metric density is irregular, and the most common theme is love. A key composition used is the villancico (carol).

The Villancico Structure

The carol has opening lines that are partially or completely repeated, forming the chorus (*estribillo*). It consists of a *mudanza* (move) and two or more lines of link: one that rhymes with the move, and another called the *vuelta* (turn). These verses were also used in the representation of biblical themes.

The Romancero (Ballad Collection)

The Romancero is a literary expression of oral poetry, popularly appreciated. The first ballads (*romances*) appeared in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. They derived from fragments of epic poems that remained in the collective memory of the people. Their appropriate form was epic.

Ballad Structure and Themes

They possessed lines of 16 syllables, rhyming every second verse with assonance. These ballads formed part of the Romance Viejo (Old Ballad) tradition. They are lyrical and deal with a variety of topics:

• Historical
• Frontier
• Breton or Carolingian
• Romantic and lyrical

They mix narration and dialogue, characterized by simplicity of expression, spontaneity, and the use of varied resources (parallels, repetitions). The success of the ballads grew, leading to new compositions by learned authors in the 16th and 17th centuries (*Romances Nuevos*).