- •Table of contents
- •Introduction
- •1.1. Complex sentence as a polypredicative grammatical construction
- •1.1.1. The main sentence types in English.
- •1. Sentence structure
- •2. The existence of all parts of the sentence
- •3. Communicative aim of the speaker
- •4. The character of grammatical (syntactical) presentation
- •5. Expressiveness
- •1.1.2. The syntactic status of principal and subordinate clauses as the predicative units of complex sentence
- •1.1.3. Syndetic and asyndetic means of combining clauses
- •I. Pure conjunctions
- •II. Conjunctive substitutes
- •1.2. Classification of complex sentences according to the type of subordinate clauses
- •1.2.1. Clauses of primary nominal position
- •1.2.2. Clauses of secondary nominal position.
- •1.2.3. Clauses of adverbial position
- •2.1. Stylistic features of o. Henry's short stories
- •2.1.1. General review of the writer's artistic legacy
- •2.1.2. The main characteristics of o. Henry's writing style
- •2.1.3. Sentence structure peculiarities typical of o'Henry's short stories
- •2.2. The syntactic analysis of complex sentences in the short story "The Gift of the Magi" by o. Henry
- •2.2.1. The use of different sentence types in the story
- •2. Clauses of secondary nominal position
- •3) Clauses of adverbial position
- •2.2.3. The use of literary devices employed in the story in regard to the structure of complex sentences
2. The existence of all parts of the sentence
On the basis of their representation in the outer structure of the sentence, sentences are subdivided into:
1) Complete sentences, in which both the subject group and the predicate group are present; they are also called “two-member sentences”;
2) Incomplete sentences, in which only one axis is expressed in the outer structure of the sentence; they are also called “one-member sentence”, “one-axis sentence”, or “elliptical sentence”. One-member sentences fall into two types: a) nominal; b) verbal (Infinitival or Participial).
3. Communicative aim of the speaker
From a communicative point of view, a sentence can express a statement, question, exclamation, request, command or suggestion. On this basis sentences are divided into the following types:
1) Declarative sentences make statements or assertions, that may be positive (affirmative) or negative. Grammatically, they are characterized by the subject-predicate structure with the direct order of words; mostly two-member sentences. Statements usually have a falling tone are marked by a full stop in writing. Declarative sentences are communicatively polyfunctional.
2) Imperative sentences give orders, make requests and usually have no overt subject. They may also express prohibition, invitation, warning or persuasion. This sentence type is marked by the predicate verb in the imperative mood, the reference to the second person and lack of subject. Usually has the falling tone.
3) Interrogative sentences' communicative function consists in asking for information. They are graphically identified by a question mark. There are distinguished the following types of questions: general, pronominal, tag-questions, alternative, rhetorical, suggestive (declarative), confirmative and echo-questions.
4) Exclamatory Sentences are used to express surprise, alarm, indignation or a strong opinion. Most commonly, an exclamatory sentence opens with pronominal words what or how. It can also follow the pattern of other sentence types.
In a complex sentence the communicative type depends upon that of the main clause. In a compound sentence, coordinate clauses may belong to different types.
There also exists pragmatic classification, which is based on the communicative intentional content. According to it, there are constative, performative, and directive sentences, as well as questions, promises and menaces.
4. The character of grammatical (syntactical) presentation
Within this classification there are distinguished statements and questions.
5. Expressiveness
According to the category of expressiveness, the sentences fall into two main groups: emphatic and non-emphatic. 'Non-emphatic' expressiveness has a zero form, whereas 'emphasis' is expressed by a strong accent on a word-morpheme.
There exist some other classifications. For example, according to the category of information, the sentences are divided into affirmations and negations.
Ch. Fries gives an original classification sentence types. All the sentences are divided by him into communicative and non-communicative[29].
Some scientists distinguish quasi-sentences, that fall into three types: vocative, interjectional, and meta-communicative [4].
Different perspectives on sentence classification were developed by the following linguists: B.A.Illish, B.S. Khaimovich, B.I.Rogovskaya, M.Y. Bloch, Ch.Fries and others.