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The position of a dependant consecutive clause in relation to the main clause, or in other words, the possibility of their inversion, is one of those frequently asked questions in Croatian linguistics that is considered answered, although nobody has ever studied it properly and systematically. It is unanimously and without exception considered that the order of clauses in some complex sentences (as in those expressing consequence) main clause – subordinate clause is fixed and non-invertible. However, the claim that complex sentences unlike coordinated sentences can inverse the order of clauses and that the exceptions are only consecutive clauses and some other sentences is not true. This paper shows that in some types of complex sentences expressing consequence and some other sentences, the subordinate clause can precede the main clause, or in other words, that they can switch positions.

Two declarative clauses in cause-consequence relationship are joined by conjunctional syntagms pa/i/te da and pa/i/te kako which introduce a consecutive clause and are composed of the consecutive coordinator pa/i/te and the subordinator da/kako. The consecutive meaning, i.e. the cause-consequence relationship between subordinated clauses, disappears when the consecutive coordinator is omitted, whereas declarative clauses are merely joined together. Rekle su mi da tu stanuje već dovoljno ljudi i da za mene nema mjesta. grlic _memoar 32018 Rekle su mi da tu stanuje već dovoljno ljudi, da za mene nema mjesta. In textual joining of structures comparable to a multi-complex declarative clause whose clause expresses the consequence of the cause given in the previous clause, the connector syntagm pa da is composed of the text coordinator pa and the text subordinator da. In interrogative and exclamatory consecutive clauses of great pragmatic value the syntagm pa da can be interpreted as a syntagm composed of the coordinator and subordinator: the coordinator pa introduces a non-explicit consecutive clause, whereas the subordinator da introduces a declarative clause. However, since pa can be omitted in such clauses, it can also be interpreted as an intensifier. Owing to all reasons explicated in this paper we are more inclined to think in such terms. In all other types of consecutive clauses a, pa and e are intensifiers, particles that can be omitted in the sequence a/pa/e da which, however, clearly affect the sentence structure in the sense that they determine the tense in the clause they introduce (pa obstructs the introduction of the conditional; all clauses introduced by pa da are in the sphere of real consequence). This is caused by the fact that the particle a has a strong opposite meaning.