Revision lecture 1

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ANALYTICAL FORMATIONS IN ENGLISH

The Mod. E language is characterized as an analytical not syntactical language. It means the language has a lot of analytical forms. Analytical forms are specific formations comparing to the other language structures such as for e.g. non-analytical verbal forms, (словосочетания) word collocation, phrasal verb – based expressions (фразеологические обороты) and so on.

The specifications of the analyt. forms are as follows.

Any anal. form consists of more than one separate language unit.

● have come, was taken, is speaking, will be doing, was being carried…

There is no any syntactical relation between the parts of the analyt. form.

The auxiliary verb has the maximum agreement with almost every class member.

● was taken (irreg.), was decided (regular)

The auxiliary verb doesn’t have any lexical meaning. It only shows a gram. meaning of person and number.

The second part of any anal. form (participle or infinitif) bears the lexical meaning.

Both parts of an anal. form express the gram. meaning of the tense and voice.

Analytical formations in the English language

1. Future tense analytical formations

OE: sceal + infin. wille + infin.

The verbs “sceal”, “wille” (LOE) had (originally the modal meaning (EOE) sculon, willan) which later underwent weakening and there appeared a new means of expressing the future.

In EOE the future was expressed by the present forms plus contextual descriptions.

M.E. In OE the construction having any modal verb + infin. (cunnan – “can”, duran – “dare”, motan – “must”, maƺan – “may”) could express the future. In M.E. only the modal verbs (shall, will) began to loose their lexical (modal) meaning. The relation between the members of these structures dissappeared and they were used to indicate the future.

● 1) shall + infin. 2) worthen + infin.

will

M.E.:

The verb “shall” was used to express the future in all persons in M.E. The verb “will” was used to express the future but also had a modal meaning “wish”.

The verb worther (EME) ⇨ wurthen (LME) < weorðan (OE) (to become) was also used to indicate the future but later dissappeared.

E N. E

The verb “will” completely lost its lexical meaning and became an auxiliary verb.

To the end of the 17^th century instead of two verbs (will, shall) (1^st, sg., pl.) there appeared (a contracted form ‘ll under the influence of the speech.

2. relative future analytical formations (Future – in – the – Past).

O.E.: There existed two ways:

a) with the help of forms in the Past tense, Subjunctive Mood.

● “ … and sædon ђæt his sunu wære ƺesundful” and (they) said his son would be full of power”.

b) with the helps of the modal verbs “scullan”, “willan” in the past.

E Md. L Md E

sceolde + infin. sholde + infin.

wolde wolde

The relative future actions expressed by these two verbs had the meaning “will”, “oblige”.

c) The E Md. is characterized by the appearance of the Future – in – the – Past Indefinite Passive

● would be gone

and Future – in – the – Past Perfect

● would have saved

In the 18^th century (N Md. E) there appeared Future – in – the - Past Continuous.

● would be standing