Group 2. Peculiar linkage

Devices belonging to this group are: asyndeton, polysyndeton, and the gap-sentence link.

Asyndeton (бессоюзие)

– deliberate omission of conjunctions, cutting off connecting words

– helps to create the effect of terse, energetic, active prose. (V.A.K.)

With these hurried words Mr. Bob Sawyer pushed the postboy on one side, jerked his friend into the vehicle, slammed the door, put up the steps, wafered the bill on the street-door, locked it, put the key into his pocket, jumped into the dickey, gave the word for starting. (Ch.Dickens)

It [a provincial city] is full of dirty blank spaces, high black walls, a gas holder, a tall chimney, a main road that shakes with dust and lorries. (J.Osborne - Entertainer)

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connection between parts of a sentence or between sentences without any formal sign, becomes a SD , if there is deliberate omission of the connective where it is generally expected to be according to the norms of the literary language (I.R.G.)

Soames turned away; he had an utter disinclination for talk, like one standing before an open grave, watching a coffin slowly lowered. (J.Galsworthy)

It is a deliberate avoidance of conjunctions in the constructions in which they would normally be used. (e.g. There was no rest for her (the ship) and no rest for us. She tossed, pitched, stood on her head, sat on her tail, rolled, groaned.) As is seen from the example, the absence of the conjunction and indicates tense, energetic activities. The omission of conjunctions therefore, because, between the clauses as in the utterance: You are my wife; you are dearer to me than anyone in the world.

Polysyndeton (многосоюзие, полисиндетон)

— repeated use of conjunctions

— is to strengthen the idea of equal logical/emotive importance of connected sentences

By the time he had got all the bottles and dishes and knives and forks and glasses and plates and spoons and things piled up on big trays, he was getting very hot, and red in the face, and annoyed. (A.Tolkien)

Bella soaped his face and rubbed his face, and soaped his hands and rubbed his hands, and splashed him, and rinsed him, and towelled him, until he was as red as beetroot. (Ch.Dickens)

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the SD of connecting sentences, or phrases, or syntagms, or words by using connectives (mostly conjunctions and prepositions) before each component part

- makes an utterance more rhythmical; so much so that prose may even seem like verse

- has a disintegrating function (generally combines homogeneous elements of thought into one whole resembling enumeration);

- causes each member of a string of facts to stand out conspicuously unlike enumeration , which integrates both homogeneous and heterogeneous elements into one whole

The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. (Ch.Dickens)

It is an intentional repetition of conjunctions, connectives or prepositions in close succession for various stylistic purposes: to emphasise simultaneousness of actions described, to disclose the author's subjective attitude towards the characters and events, to create rhythmical effect as in the following examples. All the inhabitants of Hampton and Thoulsey, dress themselves up in boating costumes, and come and march round the lock with their dogs, and flirt, and smoke, and watch the boats, tie loved to play, with people, with words, with paints, with ideas, with anything he could get his mind or hands on.

The Gap-Sentence Link

– a way of connecting two sentences seemingly unconnected and leaving it to the reader's perspicacity to grasp the idea implied, but not worded

She and that fellow ought to be the sufferers, and they were in Italy. (J.Galsworthy) (the second part, which is hooked on to the first by the conjunction and, seems to be unmotivated or, in other words, the whole sentence seems to be logically incoherent. But this is only the first impression. After a more careful supralinear semantic analysis it becomes clear that the exact logical variant of the utterance would be: 'Those who ought to suffer were enjoining themselves in Italy')

- is generally indicated by and or but

- the omissions are justified because the situation easily prompts what has not been said

- is based on the peculiarities of the spoken language and is therefore most frequently used in represented speech

- has various functions: it may serve to signal the introduction of inner represented speech, it may be used to indicate a subjective evaluation of the facts; it may introduce an effect resulting from a cause which has already had verbal expression;

- displays an unexpected coupling of ideas;

- aims at stirring up in the reader's mind the suppositions, associations and conditions under which the sentence uttered can really exist

It was an afternoon to dream. And she took out Jon's letters. (J.Galsworthy)

It is a peculiar way of connection which is mainly found in dialogues and represented speech. Its essence lies in the formal separation of the two parts of the utterance by a full stop. Thus the second seemingly independent part is brought into focus of the reader's attention, (e.g. I think if we wanted to do an adoption, this is an ideal opportunity, but nothing says we have to do it now. Or later.) Unlike logical segmentation of an utterance the gap-sentence-link represents the author's subjective interpretation of the links between parts of an utterance thus endowing it with additional connotations and associations.

GROUP 3. PECULIAR USE OF COLLOQUIAL CONSTRUCTIONS

Among the devices based on certain principles of colloquial speech production are the following: ellipsis, aposiopesis, question-in-the-narrative, and represented speech.

Ellipsis (эллипсис)

– a deliberate omission of at least one member of the sentence

What! all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop? (W.Shakespeare)

His forehead was narrow, his face wide, his head large, and his nose all one side. (Ch.Dickens)

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omission of certain members of the sentence

- is typical phenomenon in conversation

- always imitates the common features of colloquial language

So Justice Oberwaltzer - solemnly and didactically from his high seat to the jury. (Dreiser)

is the omission of a word or words necessary for the complete syntactical construction of a sentence, but not necessary for understanding it. In colloquial speech such constructions are frequent and arise from speed of delivery and economy of effort. The omitted element can usually be recovered by considering the context of what has been said.

e.g. You feel ail right? Anything wrong, or what?

Being a typical colloquial speech phenomenon ellipsis is also used in author's narration where it bears definite stylistic functions.

e.g. And there was a sparkle of yellow jasmine by the door; the closed door. But no sound; no smoke from the chimney; no dog barking.