35. Phr as a science. Different approaches to the classification of phr units: sematic, functional, contextual.

• Phraseology is a science of linguistics, which deals with figurative word-combinations, used as ready-made units. Object: phraseological units, their nature, the way they function in speech

Approaches to the Study of Phraseological Units:

• Semantic(phraseological units are non-motivated (idiomacity)

phraseological units are opposed to free-word combinations which are completely motivated )

• functional (phraseological units are specific word-groups functioning like word-equivalents

like words they possess structural and semantic inseparability)

• contextual (phraseological units are used in specific contexts – non-variable, or “fixed”

non-variability is a stability of the lexical components within the semantic structure )

36. The semantic principle of classifications of phr units.

According to the classification based on the semantic principle Eng phraseological units fall into the following classes:

1. Fusions – completely non-motivated idiomatic word-groups (once in a blue moon, half seas over, a white elephant, to pull smbs leg, to bell the cat)

2. Half-fusions – stable word-groups in which the leading component is literal, while the rest of the group is idiomatically fused (to rain cats and dogs, to buy sth for a song, to work double tides, to pay through the nose)

3.Unities-metaphorically motivated idioms( a snake in the grass – hidden enemy)

4. Half-unities – binary word-groups in which one of the components is literal, while the other is phraseologically bound (small talk, a tall story, dutch courage, husband’s tea)

5. phr-cal collocations(standardized phrases) – word-groups with the components whose combinative power is strictly limited( to make friends, to break the silence, to make sure, ways and means, now and then)

6. phr expressions- proverbs, sayings and aphoristic familiar quotations(Birds of a feather flock together – рибак рибака.., no pains no gains- без труда нема плода)

37. The structural principle of classifying phraseological units

is based on their ability to perform the same syntactical functions as words. In the traditional structural approach, the following principal groups of phraseological units are distinguishable.

A. Verbal. E. g. to run for one's (dear) life, to get (win) the upper hand, to talk through one's hat, to make a song and dance about something, to sit pretty (Amer. sl.).

B. Substantive. E. g. dog's life, cat-and-dog life, calf love, white lie, tall order, birds of a feather, birds of passage, red tape, brown study.

C. Adjectival. E. g. high and mighty, spick and span, brand new, safe and sound. In this group the so-called comparative word-groups are particularly expressive and sometimes amusing in their unanticipated and capricious associations: (as) cool as a cucumber, (as) nervous as a cat, (as) weak as a kitten, (as) good as gold (usu. spoken about children), (as) pretty as a picture, as large as life, (as) slippery as an eel, (as) thick as thieves, (as) drunk as an owl (sl.), (as) mad as a hatter/a hare in March.

D. Adverbial. E. g. high and low (as in They searched for him high and low), by hook or by crook (as in She decided that, by hook or by crook, she must marry him), for love or money (as in He came to the conclusion that a really good job couldn't be found for love or money/

E. Interjectional. E. g. my God/ by Jove! by George! goodness gracious! good Heavens! sakes alive!