6. Phrase classification

Phrases fall into two groups: headed, non-headed. In the headed phrases the head may be:

1. in the postposition (regressive phrases):

• so carefully (the head is the adverb);

• quite difficult (the head is the adjective);

• a white dress (the head is the noun).

2. in the preposition (progressive phrases):

• a friend of mine (the head is the noun);

• something eatable (the head is the pronoun);

• four of us (the head is the numeral);

• took a book (the head is the verb);

• well enough (the head is the adverb).

Non-headed phrases are:

• phrases with syndetic coordination: Pete and Lena;

• phrases with asyndetic coordination: Pete, Lena;

• phrases with primary predication: The car stopped;

• phrases with secondary predication: (made) them leave, their leaving, etc.

• phrases with accumulative connection: three yellow (pencils)..

Question for control

1. What types of syntactic connection are revealed in English phrase?

2. What types of semantico-syntactic relations (combination relations) are revealed in English phrases?

3. What is a headed phrase?

4. What is a non-headed phrase?

5. What is a headed progressive phrase?

6. What is a headed regressive phrase?

The sentence

Lecture plan

1. The Definition.

2. The Structural Aspect of the Sentence:

2.a. The Constructive Analysis;

2.b. The Main Syntactic processes;

2.c. The Constituent Analysis;

2.d. The Structural classification of sentences.

3. The Semantic Aspect of the Sentence.

3.a. Predication 1;

3.b. Predication 2.

List of Recommended Literature

1. Иванова И.П., Бурлакова B.B., Почепцов Г.Г. Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка. - Москва: Высшая школа, 1981. – С. 164-260.

2. Blokh M.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar. – Москва: Высшая школа, 1983. – С. 236-361.

3. Ilyish В. The Structure of Modern English. – Ленинград: Просвещение, 1971. – С. 231 -335.

4. Khaimovich B.S., Rogovskaya B.I. A Course in English Grammar. Москва: Высшая школа, 1987. – С. 220-296.

1. The Definition.

The sentence possesses so many specific features that it is difficult to define it in detail. There are more than 300 definitions of the sentence. G.G. Pocheptsov defines it like this: a sentence is the minimum syntactic construction, which:

a/ realizes a certain structural scheme;

b/ is characterized by predication;

с/ is used in speech.

This definition touches upon the characteristic features of the sentence, which concern its three aspects:

a/ structural,

b/ semantic,

c/ pragmatic.

2. The Structural Aspect of the Sentence

2.a. The Constructive Analysis.

The sentence is such a combination of words and phrases, which makes up a structure and is characterized by a closed set /замкнутістю/ оf syntactic connections. It means that any unit of the sentence can't be either the main or secondary element beyond the sentence:

Car – ? but: The car is fast, /the subject/; It is a car. /the predicative/

I see a car./the object/

Each sentence corresponds to a certain structural scheme. The number of such schemes is specific and limited for each language. The number of sentences made according to these schemes is unlimited.

The Structural scheme of a sentence is the sentence-structure, which is the minimum one as for the number of its constituents and the simplest one as for its grammar construction and meaning. The sentence, in which the elements are limited by a certain structural scheme is called elementary. G.G. Pocheptsov finds six structural schemes in English.

Structural schemes	Elementary sentences
Subject + Predicate /the Active Voice/. Subject + Predicate /the Act.Voice/ + Object /direct/ Subject + Predicate /the Active Voice/+ Object /addressee/ + Object /direct/ Subject + predicate /the Act.Voice/ of space direction + Adverbial modifier of place; Subject + Predicate /the Act.Voice/ of time direction + Adverbial modifier of time; Subject + Predicate /the Passive Voice/.	The car stopped. I enjoyed the film. I bought him a book. He is in the room. That was long ago. The book was read.

G.G. Pocheptsov says that an elementary sentence is non-extended /непоширене/. The sentence, in which the constituents are not limited by the structural schemes is extended. Extension results from the following syntactic processes:

2.b. The Main Syntactic Processes

1. EXPANSION /розширення/ is adding to some syntactic units the other units of the same syntactic rank:

a/ He spoke. – He spoke and spoke./the repetition of the same element/;

b/ I have a pen. – I have a pen and a pencil./the other word of the same syntactic function is added/.

2. EXPANSION is often accompanied by COMPRESSION /компресія/, which occurs if a syntactic element /part of a sentence/ is an analytical form /e.g.: will go/ or is compound by its structure /e.g.: He had to buy it – the compound verbal modal predicate/. One part of such structures becomes common for the elements of expansion: I will go to Kyiv and buy this book.

He had to buy this book and write a report.

3. SPECIFICATION. One syntactic element specifies /makes more definite the other one/: We are meeting tomorrow at 5 o'clock.

4. COMPLICATION. The simple structure of a syntactic element is changed into complex:

The simple structure: I read English, /the simple verbal predicate/

The complex structures:

A/He may read English. / the compound verbal modal predicate/;

B/ He started to read English /the compound verbal phrasal predicate/.

5. CONTAMINATION results in the formation of the compound nominal double predicate: He came. – He came happy.

6. DEVELOPMENT is the process of modification, which is based on the subordination of one element to the other: N —AN: a rose – a red rose;

V — VD: read – read well, A — DA: big – very big, etc.

2.c. The Constituent Analysis

A sentence consists of words, which acquire their functional /syntactic/ meanings. Being parts/members of the sentence, words perform some functions.

The constituent analysis points to the members of a sentence. Traditionally members/parts of the sentence are classified into:

1/ primary/principal/: the subject and the predicate;

2/ secondary: the attribute, the object, the adverbial modifier.