Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка = Theoretical grammar of modern English. Учебно-методическое пособие

ББК 81.432.1я73 Г70

Рецензенты:

кандидат филологических наук, доцент В. Н. Андреев (Тульский государственный педагогический университет им. Л. Н. Толстого);

кандидат филологических наук, доцент А. Ю. Исаева (Тульский государственный университет)

Горохова, Ю. В.

Г70 Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка = Theoretical grammar of modern English: Учеб.-метод. пособие / Ю. В. Го-

рохова. – Тула: Тул. гос. пед. ун-т им. Л. Н. Толстого, 2021. – 75 с. ISBN 978-5-6045159-2-1

Данное учебно-методическое пособие направлено на рассмотрение теоретических аспектов грамматики английского языка с целью углубленного изучения ее системы. Одной из основных задач является описание и анализ грамматического строя языка с учетом различных теорий, концепций, позиций.

Методическая система пособия формирует грамматическую компетенцию, которая является составной частью лингвистической (языковой) компетенции. Данная компетенция связана с грамматическими средствами и умением их адекватно использовать в речи.

Предлагаемое пособие предназначено как студентам языковых вузов, так и студентам неязыковых специальностей вузов, изучающих английский язык. Пособие содержит теоретический материал, каждый раздел которого сопровождается практическими заданиями; дополнительные вопросы для фундаментального исследования противоречивых и дискуссионных аспектов грамматики английского языка, тесты.

ББК 81.432.1я73

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ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Теоретическая грамматика является одним из наиболее сложных и комплексных обобщающих курсов в цикле теоретических дисциплин изучаемого языка. Данный курс представляет собой системное описание строя современного английского языка во всем многообразии и сложности взаимоотношений составляющих его элементов. Рассматриваются различные аспекты, направления и тенденции в исследованиях грамматических явлений как в морфологии, так и в синтаксисе.

Особенность теоретической грамматики состоит в анализе, в изложении фактов в отличие от практической грамматики, где предпринимается попытка описать определенные правила употребления.

Методическая система пособия формирует грамматическую компетенцию, которая является составной частью лингвистической (языковой) компетенции. Данная компетенция связана с грамматическими средствами и умением их адекватно использовать в речи.

Основная цель методического пособия заключается в создании у студентов научного представления о структуре, значениях и функционировании средств, образующих грамматическую систему современного английского языка, а также в мотивации студентов к самостоятельному осмыслению противоречивых и сложных грамматических феноменов в разнообразных условиях функционирования языка. Важной задачей пособия является формирование умения работать с научной литературой, аналитически размышлять и излагать свою точку зрения и обобщать теоретические положения.

В настоящем пособии дан обзор основных проблем научной грамматики современного английского языка. Это краткое изложение содержания лекций по изучаемой дисциплине. Такая форма позволяет студентам сфокусироваться на основных понятиях и терминах, принятых в этой области лингвистики, освоить их самостоятельно. Каждый подраздел представляет собой конспективное описание соответствующей проблемы.

Полученные студентами знания и навыки реализуются при написании курсовых и квалификационных работ по темам, предполагающим расширение и углубление исследований грамматических явлений, представленных в учебном курсе теоретической грамматики английского языка.

В результате освоения данной теоретической дисциплины у студентов сформирован навык анализа и систематизации научной литературы, развито умение вычленения релевантной информации в области теоретической грамматики, что позволяет репрезентировать полученные знания в научном дискурсе.

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Unit 1

FUNDAMENTALS OF THEORETICAL GRAMMAR

Part 1

Difference between theoretical grammar and practical grammar

Before starting to speak about main aspects of theoretical grammar it’s better to single out the key words (the most important conceptions of the science). It goes without saying that such term as grammar is a starting point of studying.

According to Cambridge dictionary the term “grammar” means the study or use of the rules about how words change their form and combine with other words to make sentences[15]. In other words, grammar is a set of rules that describes and explains how lingual units are organized to build a coherent and cohesive unity. Therefore, there are two main types of grammar: practical and theoretical.

Practical grammar deals with the description of grammar rules that are necessary to understand and formulate sentences. Theoretical grammar copes with description of the grammatical system, it scientifically analyses and defines the grammatical categories, the ways the words are combined. So the difference between these two types lies in its aims. The aim of practical grammar is to describe rules to comprehend sentences whereas the aim of theoretical grammar is to explain rules.

The character of grammar is more understandable by its division into two plans of language. Namely, the plan of content and the plan of expression. Theoretical grammar deals with some facts, its analysis from different angles, and its explanation. So it applies many theories, many approaches to one and the same phenomenon.

There are two plans of language:

a)context (includes semantic elements);

b)expression (covers material, formed units).

With regard to the plans of language it’s essential to take into consideration the main categories of theoretical grammar: grammatical category, grammatical meaning.

Grammatical meaning is an abstract meaning of large meanings of words expressed by the formal grammatical market.

Grammatical category is a common feature of a linguistic phenomenon of a certain class, having their grammatical form and grammatical meaning, a complicated unity of grammatical form and grammatical content (the category of aspect, article determination, etc.).

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Grammatical category is a system of expressing a generalized meaning by means of paradigmatic correlation of grammatical forms (marked/ unmarked). Every grammatical category is characterized by the opposition, the categorial meaning and the function. For instance, the category of voice: passive voice/ active voice – is broken/ broke. This opposition shows that its strong member is marked while the weak member is unmarked.

Part 2

Units of language and its levels

Units of language are divided into segmental and suprasegmental. Segmental units comprise phonemes, syllables, morphemes, words, etc. Suprasegmental units can’t exist without segmental units, because they are actualized together and express functional meanings which are perceived together with segmental units. Suprasegmental units include intonation, accent, pause, pattern of word-order. Segmental units are located in the language according to a hierarchy of levels.

The first level is the lowest one and it’s phonemic. This level is formed by phonemes which have no meaning, its function is only differential: it differentiates morphemes and words. Phonemes are combined into syllables. The syllable, a rhythmic segmental group of phonemes.

The next level is morphemic. The morpheme is the elementary meaningful part of the word that is consisted of phonemes.

The level above the morphemic one is the level of words or lexemic. The word is a naming (nominative) unit of language. It names things and their relations.

The phrasemic level is the next one. On this level words are combined together in order to build a phrase, a combination of two or more notional words. The phrase possesses a nominative function. If to speak about notional phrases, they can be stable and free. The stable phrases (phraseological units) make up the phraseological part of the lexicon, and are studied by the phraseological division of lexicology. Free phrases are made up in the process of speech on the existing productive models.

The level of sentence or proposemic level is the next one. The sentence as a signemic unit of language consists of naming a certain situation, or situational event. It expresses predication, i.e. it shows whether this event is real or unreal, desirable or obligatory etc.

The highest level is the level of sentence-groups, supra-sentential constructions. “The supra-sentential construction” is a combination of separate

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sentences forming a textual unity. Such combinations lead to syntactic elements. The syntactic process helps sentences to connect into textual unities that analyzed under the heading of cumulation. Cumulation can be both syndetic and asyndetic.

Examples

He woke up, went to the bathroom, took a shower…. (asyndetic).

Part 3

Grammatical forms

Grammatical form is also one of the most important categories in theoretical grammar. It shows how language can be formed, the way some components are organized and functioned in a language. Grammatical forms may be synthetical and analytical. Synthetical type of language can be achieved by inflection and suppletivity. Speaking about inflection it’s for example morphemic changes without changing their lexical meaning: sentence, sentences, sentenced. In general, inflections in English comprises the genitive 's; the plural -s; the third-person singular -s; the past tense -d, -ed, or -t; the negative particle 'nt; -ing forms of verbs; the comparative -er; and the superlative -est. They are used to express different grammatical categories. Inflections can also be used to indicate a word's part of speech. The suffix -er transforms the verb teach into the noun teacher [16]. Later English inflection was simplified and developed analytical tendencies. In morphology, suppletion is the use of two or more phonetically distinct roots for different forms of the same word, such as the adjective bad and its suppletive comparative form worse. Suppletion is considered to exist when the syntax requires a form of a lexeme that is not morphologically predictable. In English, the paradigm for the verb be is characterized by suppletion. Am, are, is, was, were, and be have completely different phonological shapes, and they are not predictable on the basis of the paradigms of other English verbs. We also find suppletion with pronouns: I, me, or she, her [8]. Analytical form of language usually contains two or more words that are realized in one sense unit where one element has lexical meaning, the other – grammatical meaning.

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Part 4

Paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations in language

As a rule, language is studied according to two aspects: the system of signs that is language; the use of signs that is speech. The sign as a meaningful unit in a language possesses a potential meaning whereas in speech this potential meaning is realized. Lingual units can be of two types of relations. The first one is syntagmatic and the second one is paradigmatic.

Syntagmatic relations concern positioning as a linear one that occur in sequential combinations and these combinations of two or more words are named syntagma [10]. Syntagmas can be predicative (the combination of a subject and a predicate), objective (a verb and its object), attributive (a noun and its attribute), adverbial (a verb, adjective, or adverb and its adverbial modifier).

Paradigmatic relations are contrasted to syntagmatic relations. Such type of relation concerns substitution and at the same time paradigmatic relations can’t exist without syntagmatic ones. In other words, paradigmatic relations depend on syntagmatic ones because syntagmatic connection is essential for actualization of paradigmatic relations where one element is common and another one is specific. For instance, the category of number of the noun (man-men), the category of tense of the verb.

Questions for reflection

1.What kind of connection can you find between theoretical and practical grammar?

2.What lingual units do you know in language?

3.What are the most important grammatical categories in grammar?

4.What role does the grammatical form play in grammar?

5.Do you agree that English grammar is constantly developing? Or disagree? Comment on this issue.

6.What is the difference between syntagmatic and paradigmatic rela-

tions?

7.What scientific fields do you think connected with the discipline “Theoretical Grammar”?

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Practical assignments

Read definitions of language cited below. Think over the principles they are based upon:

a) Language is the expression of thought by means of words, that is, by means of signs of a particular sort made with the vocal organs. (James B. Greenbough);

b)Language is not an assemblage of unconnected patterns but a system which is integrated in a high degree. (H. Leason);

c)Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of voluntary produced symbols. (E. Sapir);

d)Language is first and foremost a means of transmitting information, and its study is a branch of the study of the signs and objects that they sym-

bolize. /.../ Language is also a form of social behaviour. (J. Whatmough).

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