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16. The category of aspect (the subcategory of “development”)

The general meaning of the category of aspect is the inner mode of realization of the process. Aspect is closely connected with time semantics showing the “temporal structure” of the action. That is why in practical grammar they are treated not as separate tense and aspect forms, but as specific tense-aspect forms.

There are 4 correlated forms of aspect in English: indefinite (simple), continuous (progressive), perfect, perfect continuous.

The category of aspect, just like the category of tense, is a system of 2 subcategories:

1) the 1^st subcategory is realized through the opposition of the continuous forms and the indefinite forms. This subcategory can be treated as the subcategory of development. The majority of linguists support the point of view that the meaning of the continuous is purely aspective - “action in progress” or “developing action”. (ex. When I came home she was reading a book. – At 5 o’clock yesterday she was reading a book.) The unmarked member of the opposition, the indefinite, stresses the mere fact of performance of the action.

As with any other category, the subcategory of development can be reduced and in most cases this neutralization takes place with statal verbs: to be, to have, to love etc.. Their indefinite forms are used instead of continuous for semantic reasons: statal verbs denote developing process by their own meaning.

Since such cases are systematically fixed in English grammar, the use of the statal verbs in the continuous can be treated as “deneutralisation” of the opposition: their meaning is transformed and most of such cases are stylistically colored (ex. You are being naughty. I am loving it.))

The classic example of stylistically colored transposition within the subcategory of development is the use of the continuous instead of the indefinite to denote habitual repeated actions in emphatic speech with negative connotation.(ex. You are constantly grumbling.)

33. Complex sentence.

The complex sentence is a poly-predicative construction, built on the principle of subordination. 2 or more base-sentences are clauselized and joined into one construction. One of them performs the role of a matrix in relation to the others, the insert sentences.

The matrix base-sentences becomes the principle clause and the insert sentences become its subordinate clauses, f.e The team arrived. It caused a sensation. – When the team arrived it caused a sensation.

The minimal complex sentences includes 2 clauses: the principle one and the subordinate one. This is the main type of complex sentences. First in terms of frequency and second in terms of its states, because a complex sentence of any volume can be analyzed into a combination of 2-clause complex sentence units.

The dominant positional states of the principle clause doesn’t mean that it expresses the central informative part of the communication: any clause of a complex sentence can render its rheme or its theme as in a preceding part renders the starting point of communication – the theme. And the following part placed near the end of the sentences renders the most important information – the rheme, f.e What he likes most about her is her smile. Her smile is what he likes most about her.

In the first sentences the principle part is rhematic and in the second sentence this function performs the subordinate clause.

Besides, the clause order there are other means of expressing the informative value of clauses in complex sentences. Such as intonation special constructions, emphatic particles and others.

Different types of complex sentences are distinguished. First of all on the bases of their subordinate clause types. Subordinate clauses are classified on 2 muturally complementary bases: on the functional and on the categorial principles.

According to the functional principle subordinate clauses are divided on the analogy (not identity) of the positional parts of the simple sentence that underlines the structure of the complex sentences, f.e What you see (the subject, subordinate clause) is what you get (the object, subordinate clause).

According to the categorical principle subordinate clauses are divided by their nominative properties. There is certain similarity (not identity) with the part-of-speech classification of words.

Subordinate clauses can be divided into 3 semantic groups:

1. Substantive-nominal – clauses name a certain event as a certain fact, f.e What you do is very important.

2. Qualification-nominal - clauses name a certain event as a characteristic to some substance, f.e –Where is the letter that came today? –What letter? – the question.

3. Adverbial - clauses name a certain event as a characteristic to another event, to a process or a quality, f.e I won’t leave until you come.

The 2 principles of the subordinate clause classification are mutually complementary. Thus, subordinate clauses are classified into 3 groups:

1. Clauses of primary nominal positions including subject, predicative and the object clauses;

2. Clauses of secondary nominal positions including various attributive clauses;

3. Clauses of adverbial positions.