Seminar 3 The Noun Topics for discussion:

1. The category of number. Count, uncount nouns.

Discreteness / non-discreteness as the general meaning of the category.

(Blokh 55-60, Ilyish, 39 – 44)

2. The category of case. Case in nouns and pronouns. Тhe grounds for uniting these systems of cases.

(Ilyish 44-50, 72-74, Бархударов 84-92, Blokh 61-72, Iofik 60-62 )

3. Peculiarities of the ‘s-inflection. The theory denying the existence of the category of case in English.

(Ilyish 49-50, Бархударов 93-96, Blokh )

4. The system of semantic cases of nouns by Ch Fillmore

(Iofik 63-66, Kobryna –semantic roles of the subject)

5. The category of article determination.

(Blokh 72-82, Ilyish 49-57)

Literature:

1.Blokh R.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar. –

M., 2000. - Pp. 55-83

2.Ilyish B.Y. Structure of Modern English. – L., 1974. -

Pp. 36-48, 49-57

3.Arnold I.V. The English Word. – M., 1986. - Pp.118-120, 161-162

4. Iofik L.L. Readings in the history of English.: – L., 1981. – p. 57-66

5. Бархударов Очерки по морфологии английского языка. –

М., 1975.- С.84-96

Practical assignments:

1. State the subclasses of the following nouns, comment on the meaning of number:

a table, a man, sugar, music, a family, spectacles, police, wines.

2. Define the relations expressed by nouns in the Genitive case and the type of the Genitive case used.

• Mrs. Forester was a very nice woman. Her voice was a woman’s

voice. The letter dropped from Mr. Johnson’s hand. It was a two-hour’s trip. W. Shakespeare’s sonnets are masterpieces of poetry. The butcher’s was next. Judy’s smile wasn’t inviting.

Is it your farm? – No, my aunt and my uncle’s.

3. Examplify the would – be analytical cases.

Fancy the joy of the child getting a toy like this. Much water has

flown under the bridge. The cottage was separated from the road by a lawn. This is an exception to the rule. The chief left a message for you. He came out into the street.

4. State types of arguments in the following sentences:

John stopped the car at once. The car broke down. Mary wrote a novel. This knife won’t cut. The storm has ruined many houses.

5. State what properties of the nouns the underlined words possess.

• They thought us to distinguish between the false and the true.

• Often she tormented herself on the rights and wrongs of that impulsive action.

• We will nurse your sick and feed your hungry.

• The wiser go their way with a decent grace.

• The rich will help only the humble poor.

6. Analyze the semantic relations within the structure. Translate them into Russian:

The slum area clearance project; oil production cоsts, phrase structure, subject – verb restrictions, the 16^th century English, the wage-freeze bill

Seminar 4

The Verb. Grammatical categories denoting

time and character of action.

Topics for discussion:

1. Time and the category of tense. Different systems of tenses

(H. Sweet). The problem of the future tense.

1. р.132-150, 2. р. 86-89 4. p. 68-74

1. The category of aspect. The system of aspects by G. Curm. Aspect and lexical meaning of the verb.

1. р. 150-160, 2. р.76-85 4. p. 7 -7

2. The category of order (correlation, retrospect, taxis).

1. р.160-170, 2. р. 90-98

3. Interrelation of the categories of tense, aspect and order.

1. р. 250-152, 160-162, 2. р. 81-83, 95-96

+ use practical grammar textbooks to get ready with each question

Literature:

1. Blokh R.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar . –

M., 2000.- pp. 132-170,

2. Ilyish B.Y. Structure of Modern English. – L., 1974.-

pp. 76-98,

3.Прокопчук Г.С. Курс лекций по теоретической грамматике

английского языка.- Мн., 1997. -

4. Iofik L.L., etc. Readings in the history of English.: – L., 1981. – p.66-76

5. I.P. Krylova, E.M. Gordon A Grammar of Present-day English.- M.,1999

6. Н.А. Кобрина, др. Грамматика английского языка. Морфология. Синтаксис. – СПб., 2001.