Foreword

The book is designed for the students of the University faculties of foreign languages and Teachers' Training Colleges. The aim of the book is to introduce the students into the problems of grammatical theory of English, new views of language as a system, applying the latest findings in the study of grammatical phenomena by Soviet and foreign scholars in recent times.

The main aim of the manual is to get students interested in the study of the language, to develop their linguistic abilities through independent study of works on grammatical language study, to arouse interest in the problems of grammar.

This manual presents a concise description of the general notions in the theory of grammar, the main theories in the development of its study.

Given material deals with two essential parts of grammar known as morphology and syntax. The light is thrown upon controversial points of such grammar issues as parts of speech, grammatical categories of various parts of speech, their classifications, based on different approaches, basic questions on characteristics and classification of sentences, some information about punctuation rules, etc.

Suggested exercises have been selected with a view to extend the practical knowledge of the language. The offered glossary gives the students the idea of the basic notions of theoretical grammar. The students can independently expand their knowledge by studying the books from Bibliography and trying to answer the exam questions.

Methods of scientific research used in linguistic studies have always been connected with the general trends in the science of language. That is why the book gives a brief survey of linguistic schools in the theory of English grammar so that the students could understand various theoretical approaches to the study of language structure.

Chapter 1. Grammar in the systematic conception of language

Language - is a means of forming and storing ideas as reflections of reality and exchanging them in the process of human intercourse. Language incorporates 3 constituent parts which form a unity.

• Phonological

• Lexical

• Grammatical systems

The grammatical system is studied by Grammar.

It can be regarded from the theoretical or practical point of view. The aim of theoretical grammar is to give theoretical description of the grammatical system of a given language, to define its grammatical categories, to study the mechanisms of formation of utterances out of words. Theoretical grammar also considers various controversial (mute) points.

To start with answering the question what is grammar, we should first of all give a definition of language (L). There are 2 understandings of language - broad and narrow one. Under the term L in general we understand a means of forming and storing ideas as a reflection of reality. The narrow understanding defines L proper as a system of means of expression. In connection with this we also distinguish speech proper, which is a manifestation of the system of L the process of intercourse. And grammar determines the process of linking L proper and speech proper. So we may define it as a set of rules and regulations. Grammar or Grammatical system is one of the constituent parts of L. It consists of the morphology and syntax.

Morphology is a branch of linguistics, which treats with words and their forms.

Syntax is a branch, which treats of the phrases, sentences, and texts.

These branches are closely interconnected. Ex: has been found. Ilyish says that it’s a phrase and consequently falls under syntax, but at the same time it’s form of the word and thus it would seem to fall into morphology.

Ilyish distinguishes paradigmatic morphology (is what we used to call morphology) and syntagmatic morphology (the study of phrases n+n,n+adj).

Paradigmatic syntax is a part of grammatical theory, which deals with such phenomena.

Ex: My friend has come // My friend hasn’t come // Has my friend come?

Syntagmatic syntax is our speech. Grammar is connected with linguistics. Ex: colour-colours. The number of noun is the sphere of grammar, but here we see the process of acquiring a new meaning of word colours (flags and this is in the domain of lexicology).

Grammar is also connected with pragmalinguistics, descriptive linguistics and other branches of linguistics.