Lecture 1.

Theme. The scope of theoretical grammar. Basic linguistic notions.

1. Language and speech.

2. The theoretical grammar. Its subject and object.

2. General principles of grammatical analysis.

3. Notions of ‘system’ and ‘structure’. General characteristics of linguistic units.

4. Main branches of grammar.

1. Language and speech.

Modern linguistics lays a special stress on the systematic character of language and all its constituent parts. It accentuates the idea that language is a system of signs which are closely interconnected and interdependent. Each system (classes and subclasses of words, various subtypes of syntactic constructions, etc.) is a structured set of elements related to one another by a common function. The common function of all the lingual signs is to give expression to human thoughts.

The systemic nature of grammar is probably more evident than that of any other sphere of language, since grammar is responsible for the very organization of the informative content of utterances. The scientifically sustained and consistent principles of systemic approach to language and its grammar were essentially developed in the linguistics of the twentieth century, namely, after the publication of the works by the Russian scholar Beaudoin de Cokertenay and the Swiss acholar Ferdinand de Saussure. Ferdinand de Saussure in his book on general linguistics introduced the distinction between language and speech. It has since become one of the cornerstones of modern linguistics. Though differences of opinion still persist in the exact delineation of the boundaries between the two spheres, its general idea has been accepted by most scholars.

Language in the narrow sense of the word is a system of means of expression, while speech in the same narrow sense should be understood as the manifestation of the system of language in the process if intercourse.

The system of language includes, on the one hand, the body of material units – sounds, morphemes, words, word groups; on the other hand, the regularities or “rules” of the use of these units. Speech comprises both the fact of producing utterances, and the utterances themselves, i.e. the text. Language and speech are inseparable, they form together an organic unity. Grammar (the grammatical system) connects language with speech.

2. The theoretical grammar. Its subject and object.

Language came in to be as a means of communication among the members of a

community joined together introducing their means of substance. Language is a social phenomena and is closely connected with the history of people speaking it. The science investigating the nature of the language, the inner law of its development, its functioning in human society is called linguistics.

Linguistics consists of different linguistic sciences such as: phonetics and phonology, stylistics, lexicology, grammar and the theory of translation. The subject matter of all these linguistic sciences is the natural language of human beings. But each science investigates language from different points of view.

Phonetics studies the ways of forming the speech sounds and their acoustics property.

Phonology is a section of phonetics in which the social functions of speech sounds are discussed.

Stylistics is a science of linguistics dealing with different styles of linguistics units.

Lexicology studies the words store of language.

The theory of translation deals with linguistic problems of translating from one language into another.

Grammar is a branch of linguistics which studies the forms of the word changes, word combinations and the types of sentences, the prime unit of the language. Grammar is classified as normative or practical and theoretical or scientific.

Grammar - (Greek- grammatike – grammar learning) that part of the study of language which deals with the forms and structure of words (morphology), with their customary arrangement in phrases and sentences (syntax).

Theoretical grammar is a branch of grammar consisting in knowledge of principles and methods rather than in its practice.

Normative grammar sets up the normal correct forms of words, the ways of combining the words into syntactical structure used in the process of communication of a given language.

The theoretical grammar gives an analysis of word forms and the syntactical structures of a language in the light of general principles of linguistics, i.e. it establishes the system of a given language, and its manifestation in speech. For example, in stating that English nouns we have a distinction of two numbers – singular and plural we state the facts of the language. That is elements of that system on which the speaker or a writer of English has to draw (e.g. table-tables [z], box-boxes [iz], child-children, cat-cats [s], foot-feet). So the material taken up for investigation is always a fact of speech.

Thus, the chief object of the course is: 1) to introduce those principles which require evaluating in the light of modern science; 2) to cultivate the ability for independent creative activities of synthesizing language material from a firm scientific standpoint and also deeper understanding of its social value.

The aim of theoretical grammar of a language is to present a theoretical description of its grammatical system, i.e. to scientifically analyze and define its grammatical categories and study the mechanisms of grammatical formation of utterances out of words in the process of speech making.

The task of theoretical grammar is to give an analysis of English grammatical structure in the light of general principles of linguistics.