Theme # 6: “Classification of vocabulary according to meaning: Synonyms” (2 hours)

Subtheme # 1: “Sources of synonyms”

Case study tasks:

1. Match the synonyms in column A with words in column B and explain their meanings.

A B

Unlikely belief

Dissimilar angle

Corner improbable

Capacity ability

Couple pair

Trust awkward

Clumsy unlike

Problematic tasks:

1. Explain the dialect, stylistic, collocational, emotional differences in which one of the lexemes can appear but the others cannot.

2. Give the difference of synonyms with antonyms.

3. Explain the structural and semantic peculiarities of synonyms.

Subtheme # 2: “Classification of synonyms”

Case study tasks:

1. Give possible definition and functions of the synonym. Match the lexemes with the differences.

1) a dialect difference

2) a stylistic difference

3) a collocational difference

4) a difference of emotional feeling or connotation

a) insane and loony, salt and sodium chloride

b) autumn and fall, sandwich and butty

c) rancid and rotten, butter and bacon, kingly and royal

d) youth and youngster, enough and sufficient

Problematic tasks:

1. Define the sources of synonyms and their classification from the connotational point of view.

2. Give the general classification form of synonyms.

3. Compare the problems of synonyms with other languages.

Subtheme # 3: “The dominant synonym”

Case study tasks:

1. Speak on the classification of vocabulary according to meaning of synonyms and antonyms. Find out the dominant synonym from the given list and explain its characteristic features and answer if the dominant synonym be substituted for certain other members of a group of synonyms.

1. scent, perfume, aroma, smell, odour

2. to astonish, to surprise, to amaze, to puzzle

3. to brood, to reflect, to meditate, to think

d) to shine, to flash, to blaze, to gleam, to sparkle

Problematic tasks:

1. Write about the dominant synonym and give examples.

2. Give the special criteria for distinguishing the dominant synonyms from others.

Theme # 7: “Word combinations and phraseological units” (2 hours)

Subtheme # 1: “Aims and principles of phraseological units”

Case study tasks:

1. Give the meaning of the following phraseological units and give equivalents in your mother tongue.

Kick the bucket, red tape, play cats and mouse, to wash one’s dirty linen in public, to show one’s teeth

2. Make a research work on the usage of phraseological units in speech of foreigners. In your research include the following things:

- usage frequency

- users background

- what phraseological units

- if they are the same in your mother tongue

- if they are effective to use

- if they are productive

Problematic tasks:

1. Speak on the basic task of phraseological units in comparison with other languages.

2. Prove if phraseology and idiom is the same or different.

3. Analyze each principles of phraseological units.

Subtheme # 2: “Differentiating features of phraseological units from free word-groups”

Case study tasks:

1. Speak on the major criteria for distinguishing between phraseological units and free word groups and proverbs.Consider the following examples and analyze if they are phraseological units or proverbs.

1. We never know the value of the water till the well is dry.

2. I’m told they are inviting more American professors to this university. Isn’t it rather carrying coals to Newcastle?

3. You can take the horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink.

4. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

5. Oh, said Arthur, someone might have bought the things cheap at an auction and put them by for a rainy day.

2. Explain the meaning of the following phraseological units and say if the equivalents the same or different in your mother tongue.

Play cats and dogs, to lose one’s heart, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, to skate on thin ice, to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Problematic tasks:

1. Give structural and semantic difference between phraseological units and free word combinations.

2. Give the peculiarities of free word combinations and phraseological units, illustrate with examples.

Subtheme # 3: “Primary and secondary ways of formation of phraseological units”

Case study tasks:

1. Explain the meaning of the following phraseological units and make up a sentence or situation to show that you understand the meaning of them.

A bull in a china shop, to take the bull by the horns, the last straw breaks the camel’s back, as old as the hills, to have butterflies in the stomach

2. There are given one of the ways of forming phraseological units. What way it is and explain or prove your version.

Sad sack, culture-vulture, fudge and nudge, walkie-talkie.

Problematic tasks:

1. Explain the difference between primary and secondary ways of word-formation of phaseological units.

2. Say which way is the most topical and productive.

Subtheme # 4: “Different classification types of phraseological units”

Case study tasks:

1. Speak on the ways of formation and principles of classification of phraseological units in comparison with other languages.

Match the classification types of the phraseological units according to the semantic, structural and thematic principles. There are some variants which are extra.

1) Classification of A.V.Koonin

2) Classification of V.V.Vinogradov

3) Classification of A.I. Smirnitsky

4) Classification of L.P.Smith

5) Classification of I.V.Arnold

1. one-top and two-top phraseological units

2. thematic or etymological

3. synonymic and antonymic

4. fusions, collocations, unities

5. verbal, adverbial, noun, adjectival

6. meaningful, borrowed, dialectal

7. nominative, communicative, nominative- communicative, interjectional

8. evaluative, emotional, stylistic

Problematic tasks:

1. Give the specific features and classification types of phraseological units according to the structure.

2. Give the specific features and classification types of phraseological units according to the semantics.

3. Give the specific features and classification types of phraseological units according to the functions.

4. Give the specific features and classification types of phraseological units according to the syntactics.

5. Compare and contrast each type of classification suggested by different scholars and say if it is the same or different in other languages.

Subtheme # 5: “The main functions of phraseological units in comparison with proverbs”

Case study tasks:

1. Choose the best suitable functions of phraseological units from the following list and explain your choice.

- tints and colours of the vocabulary

- the most colourful; units

- the most democratic area of vocabulary

- more emotional

- ready-made

- degree of semantic change may vary in it

- is used in transferred meaning

2. Choose the best suitable idiom from the variants:

1. I am going to go to night school to (review) my English.

a) bank on

b) brush up on

c) better off

d) bring to mind

2. I wish he would say exactly what he means rather than (talking and not getting to the point).

a) biting of more than one can chew

b) breaking the news

c) bringing the house down

d) beating around the bush

3. He was (all ready) to leave the house when his friend came over.

a) as a rule

b) about

c) at heart

d) absent-minded

4. He always (makes a great effort) to do a good job.

a) brings up the rear

b) barks up the wrong tree

c) burns his bridges behind him

d) bends over backwards

5. He refused my proposal so I will have to (start from the beginning).

a) go back to the drawing board

b) beat around the bush

c) broke down

d) by the skin of my teeth

6. (Without warning) it began to rain.

a) at his beck and call

b) all of a sudden

c) at heart

d) at fault

7. That car must cost him (an incredibly large amount of money).

a) at home

b) at odds

c) the apple of his eye

d) an arm and a leg

8. He is always spending his money drinking so he is always (without money).

a) back out

b) banked on

c) broke

d) behind the times

9. Okay I’m (listening). Please continue with your story.

a) all ears

b) all thumbs

c) as a rule

d) at heart

10. She is in a better position since she sold her car.

a) blown over

b) beating around the bush

c) backing out

d) better off

11. It is time to (tell) her about the company’s plan to move.

a) burn the candle at both ends

b) break the new to

c) bend over backwards

d) burn the midnight oil

12. You can always (depend on) him to lend you the money.

a) blow over

b) back out

c) bank on

d) bring to mind

13. I don’t think that he is (to blame) for breaking the computer.

a) at last

b) at fault

c) all thumbs

d) absent-minded

14. He is (very forgetful) and is always losing his glasses.

a) absent-minded

b) all thumbs

c) all ears

d) as a rule

15. the handbag that she lost was (totally) new.

a) back to the drawing board

b) beside herself

c) better off

d) brand new

16. Usually, I get up and go jogging before breakfast every Sunday.

a) at heart

b) all in all

c) all a sudden

d) as a rule

Problematic tasks:

1. Compare the functions of phraseological units and proverbs in speech.

2. Express your attitude on the literary meaning of phaseological units.

3. Prove proverbs and idioms the same or different notions.

Ablai khan University of International Relations and World Languages

Romano-Germanic Philology Department

Chair of English Philology

Tutorials on the course of English Lexicology

2010-2011 a.y.

Module # 1

Tutorial # 1. Theme: “Paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations ” (2 hours)

Subtheme # 1: “Paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations”

Thesis:

Word-meaning can be perceived through intralinguistic relations that exist between words. Intralinguistic relations of words are basically of two main types: Paradigmatic and syntagmatic.

Paradigmatic (or selectional, associative or non-simultaneous) relations define the word-meaning through its interrelation with other members within one of the subgroups of vocabulary units. It is an approach to language when elements of its system are regarded as associated units joined by oppositional relationship. Opposition is a difference between two or more homogenous units which is capable of fulfilling a semasiological function, i.e. a semasiologically relevant difference. Paradigmatic relations are those that exist between individual lexical items which make up one of the subgroups of vocabulary items, e/g. set of synonyms, lexico-semantic groups.

Syntagmatic (or combinatory, linear or simultaneous) relations define the word-meaning in the flow of speech in various contexts. On the syntagmatic relations the word meaning is dependent on different types of contexts.

Literature:

1. G.B. Antrushina “English Lexicology”, “Vyssaja skola”, M.1999

2. I.V. Arnold “The English Word”, “Vyssaja skola”, M. 1973, 1989

3. S.I. Ginsburg “A Course in Modern English Lexicology”, “Vyssaja skola”, M. 1979

4. Electronic book of the university:

Электронный учебник по лексикологии английского языка.

Составители: Сыздыкова Г.Н., Булатова С.М. Алматы, 2001

5. Multimedia lectures and seminars compiled by the instructor of English lexicology: senior teacher Asanova G.S

Problematic questions:

-Why should new meanings appear at all?

- What circumstances cause and stimulate the development of new meanings, how often it happens?

- What are the basic difference between paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations?

- What is the key for designating the meanings according to the paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations?

Subtheme # 2: “Context and its types”

Thesis:

Context is the minimal stretch of speech necessary to determine individual meanings of the word. A full understanding of the semantic structure of any lexical item can be gained only from the study of a variety of contexts in which the word is used, i.e. from the study of the intralinguistic relations of words in the flow of speech. That is why the main types of linguistic contexts which serve to determine individual meanings of words are lexical, grammatical, the extra-linguistic or context of situation, common contextual associations or thematic groups.

In lexical contexts the main importance are the groups of lexical items combined with the polysemantic word under consideration. F: the verb to take in isolation has primarily the meaning “lay hold of with the hands, grasp, seize” when combined with the lexical group of words denoting some means of transportation (e.g. to take the tram, the bus, train) it acquires the meaning synonymous with the meaning of the verb go. This can be also proved that when we want to describe the individual meaning of a polysemantic word, we find it sufficient to use this word in combination with some members of a certain lexical group. F: handsome + man, person; size, reward, sum. The meaning “good looking” and “considerable, ample” are illustrated by the contexts. The meanings determined by lexical contexts are sometimes referred to as lexically (or phraseologically) bound meanings which implies that such meanings are to be found only in certain lexical contexts.

In grammatical contexts the grammatical structure serves to determine various individual meanings of a polysemantic word. F: one of the meanings of the verb make is “to force, to induce” is found only in the grammatical context possessing the structure to make smb do smth or in other terms this word’s meaning is “to become”. “to turn out to be” is observed in the contexts of a different structure. i.e. make followed by an adjective and a noun (to make a good wife, a good teacher). A different syntactic function of the verb, e.g. that of the predicate (to make machines, tables) excludes the possibility of the meaning “to become, turn out to be”. The lexical and grammatical contexts are also called linguistic or verbal contexts.

In extra-linguistic contexts (context of situation) the meaning of the word is determined not by the linguistic factors but by the actual speech situation in which this word is used.

In common contextual associations (the thematic groups) the meaning is based on the coocurrence of words in certain repeatedly used contexts. Words in thematic groups are joined together by common contextual associations within the framework of the sentence and reflect the interlinking of things or events. Words making up a thematic group belong to different parts of speech and do not possess any common denominator of meaning. Contextual associations formed by the speaker of a language are usually conditioned by the context of situation which necessitates the use of certain words. F: journey-train-taxi-bags-ticket; shopping – it is usual to speak of the prices, of the goods we buy, sell.

Extra-linguistic and common contextual associations are also called extra-linguistic or non-verbal contexts.

Literature:

1. G.B. Antrushina “English Lexicology”, “Vyssaja skola”, M.1999

2. I.V. Arnold “The English Word”, “Vyssaja skola”, M. 1973, 1989

3. S.I. Ginsburg “A Course in Modern English Lexicology”, “Vyssaja skola”, M. 1979

4. Electronic book of the university:

Электронный учебник по лексикологии английского языка.

Составители: Сыздыкова Г.Н., Булатова С.М. Алматы, 2001

5. Multimedia lectures and seminars compiled by the instructor of English lexicology: senior teacher Asanova G.S

Problematic questions:

- Why is the context the key for polysemantic words?

- What are the distinctive features of classification of context?

- Why is it important to study intralinguistic relations of words in the flow of speech?