7. I.V. Arnold’s classification (syntactical).

This classification is called syntactical by Dubenetz A.M.; the author herself calls it structural; G.N.Babich names it functional.

I.V. Arnold developed traditional structural classification of phraseological units. Within each class she has done further subdivisions.

I. Noun phraseologisms, denoting an object, a person, a living being, e.g. bullet train, latchkey child.

Noun phraseologisms can have different structures:

N + N - maiden name ‘the surname of a woman before she was married’; family jewels ‘shameful secrets of the CIA’.

N’s + N - cat’s paw ‘one who is used for the convenience of a cleverer and stronger person’; Hobson’s choice ‘no choice at all, when a person has to take what is offered or nothing at all’ (Thomas Hobson, a 17^th -century London stableman, made every person hiring horses take the next in order).

N’s + N - ladies’ man ‘one who makes special effort to charm or please women’.

N + prep +N - skeleton in the cupboard ‘family secret’; the arm of the law.

N + A knight errant ‘any chivalrous man ready to help and protect oppressed and helpless people’.

N and N – all the world and his wife ‘everybody’; rank and file ‘the ordinary working members of an organization’.

A + N - high tea ‘an evening meal which combines meat or some similar extra dish with the usual tea’.

N + subordinate clause - ships that pass in the night ‘chance acquaintances’.

II. Verb phraseologisms denoting an action, a state, a feeling, e.g. to make headlines, to nose out, etc.

They can have different structures:

V + N - to take advantage

V and V - to pick and choose

V+ (one’s) + N + (prep) – to snap one’s fingers at

V + one + N – to give one the bird ‘to fire somebody’

V + subordinate clause – to see how the land lies ‘to discover the state of affairs.

III. Adjective phraseologisms, denoting a quality, e.g. loose as a goose, dull as lead, etc.

They can have the following structure:

A + and + A – high and mighty ‘power ful’

as + (A) + as + N - as mad as a hatter,as old as the hills

Such phraseological units are often used as predicatives but not attributively, if used attributively they are replaced by compounds, e.g. a mad–as–a–hatter man.

IV. Adverb phraseological units.

They can have different structures:

N + N - tooth and nail ‘изо всех сил’

Prep + N - by heart, against the grain ‘против шерсти’

Adv + prp + N - once in a blue moon

Prep + N + or + N - by hook or by crook

Conj + clause - before one can say Jack Robinson

V. Preposition phraseological units.

Prep + N + prep in the course of; on the stroke of

VI. Interjection phraseological units.

Catch me! ‘ни за что!’

Well, I never! ‘Вот уже не ожидал!’

They are often structured as imperative sentences: God bless me! Take your time! Hang it all!

In I.V. Arnold’s classification there are also sentence equivalents: proverbs, sayings and quotations: The sky is the limit ‘Нет предела!; What makes him tick ‘То, что является стимулом для него’; I am easy ‘Мне все равно’.

Proverbs are usually metaphorical, e.g. Too many cooks spoil the broth ‘У семи нянек дитя без глазу’.

Sayings are as a rule, are non–metaphorical, e.g. Where there is a will, there is a way ‘Кто хочет, тот добьется’.