The Conjunctions. Semantics of Conjunctions

Conjunctions have a very general meaning. They indicate the existence of connection between elements within an utterance or utterances within a text.

In accordance with their meaning, they are generally subdivided into two main groups: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions are further classified into copulative (and, as well as, nor, neither... nor...), disjunctive (or, either... or...), adversative (but), causative-consecutive (so, for).

Subordinate conjunctions: that, if, as, though, as if, as though, while, when, where, after.

Morphological characteristics

Each conjunction has but one unchangeable form, so they have no morphological grammatical categories. In accordance with their inner structure, conjunctions may be subdivided into simple (consisting of one stem) and compound (consisting of more than one stem),

E.g. simple - and, but, or, when, where, etc.

compound - however, as well as, in case, etc.

Some conjunctions are used as a part of a correlated pair, the elements of which are set at a distance from each other,

E.g. both... and, neither... nor

Conjunctions are never used alone in the sentence, nor do they have an independent function there. They are always used as mere connectives between different parts within a simple sentence, or clause, or clauses within a compound or complex sentences.

The conjunctions, in definition of Bloch, express connections of phenomena.

Numerals

Numerals are words which denote the number (they are called cardinal) or the place of the object in the numerical order (ordinal).

E.g. He had two cups of coffee.

The second cup tasted bitter (ordinal).

Morphological characteristics

All numerals have one unchangeable form. They have no morphological grammatical categories. Ordinal numerals are formed from the corresponding cardinal numerals by adding the suffix -th to the stem of the cardinal numeral. The exceptions will be the numerals: one, two, three.

There are so-called fractional numbers where the numerator is a cardinal numeral and the denominator is an ordinal numeral with the ending -s (two-sixths).

Syntactic characteristics. Combinability

Numerals are used as a part of a noun phrase,

E.g. He had two cups of coffee.

Sometimes numerals can be used absolutely when the object is clear from the context,

E.g. I didn't have two cups of coffee, I had one.

Functions

Numerals are generally used as attributes to nouns. When used absolutely they may fulfill every other function with the exception of that of a simple verbal predicate,

E.g. I want one cup of coffee, two (a second) would be too much (a subject).

I had only one cup of coffee, but he had two (a second) (an object).

His turn was second. She is twenty (a predicate).

He came at two (an adverbial modifier).

According to Bloch, the features of the numeral are as follows:

1) The categorial meaning of number (cardinal and ordinal);

2) The narrow set of simple numerals, the specific forms of composition for compound numerals, the specific suffixal forms for ordinal numerals;

3) The functions of numerical attribute and numerical substantive.

23.05.13