a construction that performs the function of predication, including the predicate (which may be a complex predicate) and the referring phrases and other roles dependent on the predication. Example: The birds were singing is an instance of a clausal construction. This is the prototypical function of clauses; there are also nonpredicational clauses that perform different information packaging functions. The prototypical predicational clause is a verbal clause. (Sections 1.3, 2.2.2, 6.1.1)