-ma clauses

In contrast to sentences containing noun clauses marked with -DIK or -(y)AcAK (24.4.3), which are to do with factual perception, knowledge or communication, sentences  constructed with -mA clauses deal with states and events in terms of description or evaluation, of causation processes in which they are involved, or of people’s attitudes  towards them or attempts to bring them about. Below we describe the typical functions that -mA clauses can have in different grammatical roles within the sentence. (i) As subject:  (a) Description/evaluation:  [Fatma Hanım-ın üç kat merdiven çık-ma-sı] çok zor.  ‘It’s very difficult [for Fatma Hanım to go up three flights of stairs].’ (b) Causation:  [Ayla’nın işten hep geç ve yorgun gelmesi] evde gerginlik yaratıyordu.  ‘[The fact that Ayla always got back from work late and tired] was creating  tension in the house.’  (c) Desired action or state:  [Herkes-in birer hikaye anlat-ma-sı] iste-n-iyor-muş.  ‘It seems they want [everyone to tell a story].’  (d) Indirect commands, requests and recommendations: [Bu ürünün elde yıkanması] tavsiye edilir.  ‘It is recommended [that this product be washed by hand].’  (ii) As subject complement:  Önemli olan [sizin bu evi beğenmeniz].  ‘The important thing is [that you (should) like this house].’  Bizim ricamız [toplantının haftaya ertelenmesi] olacak.  ‘Our request is (lit. will be) [that the meeting be postponed to next week].’  (iii) With accusative case marking as direct object:  (a) Desired action or state:[Bu tablo-nun şura-ya as-ıl-ma-sın]-ı isti-yor-uz.  ‘We want [this picture to be hung here].’  (b) Indirect commands, requests and recommendations: The principal main verbs involved are söyle- ‘tell’, emret-‘order’, iste- ‘ask’, rica et- ‘request’, and tavsiye et- ‘recommend’, ‘advise’.  Otel müdürü [oda-yı hemen boşalt-ma-ların]-ısöyle-di.  ‘The hotel manager told [them to vacate the room immediately].’  (c) Causation:  A process that facilitates or obstructs the occurrence of the situation expressed by  the noun clause has as its main predicate a verb such as sağla- ‘ensure’,  kolaylaştır- ‘make (it) easy (for)’, zorlaştır- ‘make (it) difficult (for)’, engelle- ‘hinder’, önle- ‘prevent’.   İlkbahardaki yağmurlar [mahsulün bol olmasın]-ısağladı.  ‘The spring rains have ensured [that the harvest is plentiful].’  (d) Object of verbs expressing attitude:  Some of the most commonly occurring verbs in this category are beğen- ‘like’,  ‘approve of’, kına- ‘deplore’, affet-/bağışla- ‘forgive’, hoş gör- ‘condone’: [Kocasının kendisine yalan söylemesin]-i affedemiyordu.  ‘She couldn’t forgive [her husband’s lying to her].’  Mehmet, [Ali-nin kendisini çağır-ma-ma-sın]-a gücendi.  ‘Mehmet was offended by [Ali’s not inviting him].’[Tülay’ın sürekli kendisinden söz etmesin]-den sıkılıyorum.  ‘I get bored by [Tülay talking about herself all the time].’  (b) Causation:  Dative-marked -mA clauses occur as oblique objects of verbs such as neden/ sebep ol- ‘cause’, yol aç- ‘cause’, yardım et- ‘help’, müsaade et-/izin ver- ‘allow’:  Sıcak havalar, [meyvalar-ın erken olgunlaşmasın]-a yol açtı bu yıl.  ‘The hot weather has caused [the fruit to ripen early] this year.’  Çocuklar [burayı toplamanız]-a yardım etsinler.  ‘The children should help [you to clear up in here].’  Ev sahibimiz [kedi ya da köpek beslememiz]-e izin vermiyordu.  ‘Our landlady didn’t allow [us to have a cat or dog].’  (v) With genitive marking:  Ben-ce {[Ali-yi çağır-ma-mız]-ın anlam}-ı yok  I don’t think there’s any point in [us asking Ali to come].

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