S E M I N A R 1

P A R T 1

Realisation of grammatical categories of the verb

1. General Categorial Meaning of the Verb

2. Verb Classifications: Semantic, Morphological and Functional

3. General Characteristics of Grammatical Categories of the Verb

4. Tense

1. Absolutive and Non-Absolutive Time Denotation

2. Problematic Cases in the English Tense System

3. The Problem of Futurity

P A R T 2

Study questions and Projects

1. Lexico-Grammatical Field of Temporality

2. Analytical Tendencies in the System of English Tenses

3. The Category of Finitude (Finiteness)

P A R T 3

Sentence parsing

Recommended Reading:

1. Blokh M.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar. - M.:

Vyssaja Sckola, 1983. -P. 85-102; P. 137-176; P. 176-203

2. Morokhovskaya E.J. Fundamentals of English Grammar: Theory and

Practice. -Kyiv: Vysca Skola, 1993. - P. 184-194

3. Noth W. Handbook of Semiotics// Ed. Th.R.Sebeok. – Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. – P. 329-333.

4. Иванова И.П., Бурлакова В.В., Почепцов Г.Г. Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка. -M.: Высшая школа, 1981. -С. 46-86

5. Хрестоматия по английской филологии// Составитель д-р филол. наук проф. Александрова О.В. – М: Высшая школа, 1991. – P/98-103

1. General Categorial Meaning of the Verb

Verb is defined as the part of speech with the general categorial meaning of process, presented dynamically, i.e. developing in time. This grammatical meaning is viewed broadly enough to include states, forms of existence, evaluations, attitudes, etc. As the general categorical meaning of the verb is the process that is represented dynamically, that is developing in time, this processual meaning is considered present in the semantics of verbs belonging to different subclasses.

The processual categorial meaning of the verb predetermines its combinability in the sentence with the nouns, used in the subject and object positions, as well as with the adverbial modifiers of actions. The verb performs the predicative function in the sentence.

In the sentence the finite verbs perform the function of the verb-predicate, expressing the processual categorical features of predication, that is the combination of such characteristics as time, aspect, voice and mood.

Predication characterizes the connections between the situation /event/ (= situational event) named in the sentence /or utterance and the reality objective or/ imagined. Due to this very fact in the sentence/utterance the finite verb expresses the categorial features of predication, namely:

time, aspect, voice, mood

The system of the English verb includes different analytical and synthetic forms. As for the derivational system of the English verb it's rather poor – in fact there are only a few productive affixes used to form new verbs -en, -fy, -ize:

wide - to widen

magnet - to magnify

mobile - to mobilize.

The most productive ways of verb formation are conversion and back formation /stress shift included/

e.g. work - to work, report - to report;

export - to export; enthusiasm - to enthuse