Seminar 6

SYNTAX OF THE COMPOSITE SENTENCE: COMPOUND SENTENCE

Topics for Discussion

1. Classification of sentences according to the number of predicative lines: simple,

composite, semi-composite sentence. The notions of parataxis and hypotaxis.

2. Compound sentence. Types of semantic relations between coordinative clauses.

Topics for Reports

1. Structural relations between clauses (from G. Lock “Functional English Grammar” in

the book by Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English

Grammar. Seminars. Moscow, 2007, Pp. 368-375)

2. Logical relations between clauses (from G. Lock “Functional English Grammar” in

the book by Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English

Grammar. Seminars. Moscow, 2007, Pp. 375-382)

Literature

1. Blokh M.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar. Moscow, 2006.

2. Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English Grammar.

Seminars. Moscow, 2007.

3. КобринаН.А.,БолдыревН.Н.,ХудяковА.А.Теоретическаяграмматика

современного английского языка. Москва, 2007.

4. Кобрина Н.А., Корнеева Е.А., Оссовская М.И., Гузеева К.А. Грамматика

английского языка. Морфология. Синтаксис. – СПб., 1999.

5. Illyish B.A. The structure of Modern English. – M.-L., 1965.

6. Iofic L.L., Chakhoyan L.P., Pospelova A.G. Readings in the theory of English

Grammar. – Leningrad, 1972.

7. Universals of Human Language: Syntax, Stratford, Calif., 1978, v. 4.

8. Иофик Л.Л. Сложное предложение в новоанглийском языке. – Л., 1968.

9. Литвин Ф.А. О степенях предикативности// Филологические Науки, 1984,

№ 4.

10. Плоткин В.Я. Строй английского языка. – М., 1989.

11. Серкина О.В. Функционально-семантический аспект рассмотрения

абсолютной конструкции в современном англ. языке. Автореф. дисс. на

соискание уч. степени канд. филол. наук.

12. Снитко Т.Н. Критерии предикативности для типологии языков//

Предикативность и полипредикативность. – Челябинск, 1987. – С.41-58.

13. Структура и семантика простого, сложного и осложненного предложения:

Межвузовский сборник научных трудов. – Ленинград, 1988.

Practical tasks

I. State the type of clause connection and identify the semantic relation between clauses in the following compound sentences:

1. Suddenly the door burst open, and a tall man was standing in a quite baggy

sweater.

2. You see there is nothing seriously wrong, she just gets a bit paranoid

sometimes.

3. I bent down when she got near and she put her arm round my neck and

pressed her little hot face against mine.

4. Jerome’s sensing his poems are ready, so I’m finding him book club venues.

5. Young Ladislaw did not feel like smiling, but she wore rather a pouting

air of discontent.

6. He does not hold a regular job, nor does he take odd jobs.

7. Either she goes or I go.

8. I don’t eat much, yet I am a size 16.

9. Formula One motor car racing is supposed to be dangerous, still “Indycar”

racing is supposed to be more dangerous.

10. She was free for five whole days, and so she would be going to Charles, to

join her family.

11. Martin helped his father dig the water gardens out by hand, thus he

discovered his interest in gardening.

12. The superadded circumstance evolving the genius had not yet come;

the universe had not yet beckoned.

13. Ben did not hear the answer, he felt himself fading again.

14. Mr. Casaubon’s words had not been quite reasonable, yet they had brought a

vague sense of aloofness on his part.

II. Consider the polysemy of “and”- connector in the following sentences. What

types of inter-clause semantic relation does this connector render?

1. She is not my daughter, and I don’t feel called upon to interfere.

2. Christine bit her lip and her worried look increased.

3. It was the pure enjoyment of comicality, and it had no mixture of sneering and self-exaltation.

4. Come one step closer and I’ll shoot you.

5. Believe that, and you’ll believe anything.

6. He was inquisitive and he did not understand and he wanted to know.

7. Featherstone had rarely given him presents of money, and at this moment it seemed almost harder to part with the immediate prospect of bank-notes.

8. Slowly he took out a bunch of keys from the waistcoat-pocket, and slowly he drew forth a tin box which was under the bed-clothes.

9. His health was in a critical condition and the doctor ordered him to rest.

10. Presently, the farm bailiff came up to give his master a report, and Fred, to his unspeakable relief, was dismissed with the injunction to come again soon.