Examination questions

1. The noun. The Category of Case.

The definition of the category. Different views on the number of cases (the theory of positional cases, the theory of prepositional cases, the theory of limited number of cases, the theory of no cases). The -'S sign. Meanings conveyed by it. Subjective possessive, objective possessive, absolute possessive, group possessive, etc.

2. The Verb. The Category of Aspect.

The definition of the category. Different approaches to the number and kinds of aspects. Aspect and the manner of action. (Aktionsart). The problem of differentiating between grammatical and semantic categories. Aspect and the aspective character of the verb. The problem of differentiating between grammatical and lexico-grammatical categories. The essence of the category of aspect. The number of aspects in English. The problem of the perfect forms in English (different approaches).

3. The Verb. The Category of Voice.

The definition of the category. The correlation between the units of the syntactic and semantic levels of language. Transitivity/intransitivity of verbs and voice. Meanings rendered by the passive form in English. The active and passive forms compared. The compound nominal predicate and the passive voice. Actualizers of the passive meaning. Non-grammatical means of expressing the passive meaning in English. The functional-semantic field of passivity.

4. The Sentence. Types of Simple Tenses.

The simple sentence as a monopredicative syntactic structure. The notion of the predicative line. The communicative types of the sentence. The structural types (one-member and two-member, extended and unextended, elliptical, one-axis and two-axis sentences). Paradigmatics of the simple sentence: the kernel (elementary) sentence and transforms.

5. The Complex Sentence. Types of subordination.

The definition of the complex sentence. The notion of a polypredicative subordination. The principal and subordinate clauses (slot sentences and insert-sentences).Formative words used to connect the principal and subordinate clauses. Merger principal clauses and non-merger principal clauses. The principles of classification of subordinate clauses: Functional types of subordinate clauses; Categorial types of subordinate clauses.

6. The Notion of Semi-composite sentences. Semi-Complex and Semi-Compound Sentences.

The semi-composite sentence as a polypredicative construction of non unfolded composition of sentences. The fusion of predicative lines in a semi composite sentence. The principal and the complicating part (semi-predicative expansion). The semi-composite sentence from the viewpoint of the "surface" and "deep" structures. The semi-compound sentence. The definition. Two-base and multy-base semi-compound sentences. Semi-compound sentences of polypredicative type. The semi-compound sentences with several subjects by one predicate. The syndetic formation of semi-compound sentences. Types of connections of events. The semi-complex sentence. The definition. Types of semi-complex sentences: a) subject-sharing sentences, b) object-sharing sentences, c) sentences with attributive complication, d) sentences with adverbial complication, e) sentences of nominal phrase complication.

7. Etymological Characteristics of the English Vocabulary.

Words of native origin. The main characteristics of native words. Groups of words of native origin. Borrowings. Causes and ways of borrowings. Latin, Scandinavian and French borrowings. Assimilation of borrowings. Types of assimilation.

8. English word structure.

Morphemes and their definition. Classification of morphemes (semantic and structural). Free and bound morphemes. Types of words: simple, derived, compound and compound-derived.

9. Synonymy and antonymy in modern English.

Synonymy. The problem of its definition. Criteria of synonyms. Ideographic, stylistic, absolute synonyms. Polysemy and synonymy. Antonymy. Types of antonyms.

10. English phraseology.

Free word-groups and set phrases. Criteria of stability and idiomaticity of phraseological units. The definition of a phraseological unit. Classification of phraseological units suggested by V.V. Vinogradov, A.I. Smirnitsky, N.N. Amosova, A.V. Kunin. Sources of phraseology.

11. American-English.

The history of English in America. A language, a dialect, a variant. The lexical (words having equivalents and no equivalents in British English), phonetic (differences in the articulation of vowels and consonants, separate words, stress differences) and grammatical peculiarities of English in the USA.

12. Image. The structure of the image.

• The concept of image: reflection of life in accordance with the author’s vision.

• The hierarchy of images: the macro-image – the micro-image.

• The structure of the image: 1) the tenor; 2) the vehicle; 3) the ground for comparison; 4) the relationship between the tenor and the vehicle; 5) the technique of comparison as a type of trope; 6) grammatical and lexical peculiarities of comparison.

• The functions of the image: cognitive, communicative, aesthetic, educational.