The functions of the definite article

The definite article expresses the definiteness of the object named or the familiarity with the object named & has one principle function,

1) the limiting function. The definite article singles the object named out of a class of similar objects. The noun with the definite article st&s for an object, person or thing known from the circumstances, the situation, the context. e.g. come to the blackboard. In its limiting function the definite article is often used with nouns modified by limiting attributes E.g. This is the house that Jack built. She was the smartest girl in the room. The definite article is also used with the names of unique things (the sun, the moon, the earth, the air, the world, the cosmos, etc). In this case the limiting function of the definite article is based on the exclusiveness of the object named.

2) the generic function. Sometimes the definite article is used with a noun which st&s for the whole of a class of similar objects. E.g. The telephone (as a means of communication) was invented by Bell in the 19th century.

3) the communicating function The definite article is usually used with a noun which expresses “the known” in a communication. E.g. The door opened & a man entered the room. Instead of the definite article in E. the possessive pronoun is sometimes used. The possessive pronouns are usually used with nouns naming parts of body, articles of clothing, etc. E.g. He laid his h& on his sword. Such possessive pronouns are not rendered into Rus. & are not meant to express “possession”. This substitution of the article by possessive pronouns is only possible, however, when the objects expressed by the nouns with possessive pronouns belong to the subject of the sentence, otherwise we must use the definite article. cf.He took the matter into his hands. He took the child by the hand.

The absence of the article before a material or abstract noun has a nominating function. E.g. Life goes on.

In Modern E. the article may be omitted for stylistic reasons or for the sake of brevity. e.g. parcel received letter following (telegram)

11.The theory of phrase

Syntax- is a part of Grammar, which treats of phrases & sentences. We say “phrase” about every combination of 2 or more words, which is a gram. unit, but it is not an analytical form of some word, e.g. the Perfect forms of verbs. The elements of a phrase may belong to any part of speech, some scholars insist that a phrase must contain at least 2 notional words, which do not form a sentence. Western scholars consider that every combination of 2 or more words makes a phrase. So they don’t see great difference between the groups “wise men” & “to the lighthouse”

Another problem concerns the question whether a predicative combination of words(subject-predicate relationship) forms a phrase, but predication refers more to a sentence, than to a phrase, as its purpose is communication. Phrases have no such aim, because they are used only to name things, actions, qualities & so on. Unlike the sentence, phrases have no intonation. Western scholars make no difference between subject-predicate combinations of words & other phrases. There’s no traditional terminology to name phrases. Different terms are used to express the same idea (phrase, combination of words, cluster of words, word group).

E. phrases are classed as follows: subordinate word-groups (fine weather, to write a letter, fond of reading); co-ordinate word-groups (brother & sister, neither here nor there, King Lear); predicative word-groups (weather permitting, for u to go)