Parts of speech

Words are grouped into classes called parts of speech.

The problem of parts of speech is one of the most difficult and disputable problems of theoretical grammar.

The traditional classification is based upon the three principles suggested by acad. Shcherba: the semantic one (meaning), the morphological one (form) and the syntactic one (function).

By meaning here we mean the meaning common to all words of the given class. For example, the meaning of all nouns is thingness, the meaning of all adjectives is property, the meaning of all verbs is process.

By form we mean the morphological characteristics of words of the given class. For example, nouns are characterized by the categories of tense, aspect, mood, etc..

By function we mean syntactic properties of words of the given class. These are divided into combinability and syntactic functions in a sentence. For example, nouns can combine with adjectives and verbs and usually fulfill the functions of a subject or an object; verbs can combine with nouns and adverbs and usually are predicates.

There are several non-traditional classifications. We will regard three of them.

The English linguist Henry sweet distinguished declinable words and indeclinable words. According to this classification declinable words are submitted into : 1) noun words (nouns, noun-pronouns, noun-numerals, infinitive, gerund); 2) adjective words ( adjective, adjective-pronouns, adjective-numerals, participle); 3) verbs. Indeclinable words comprise adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections.

The Danish grammarian Otto Jespersen divided words into ranks according to their mutual relations as defined or defining. In such a phrase as “ very old coat” the word “coat” would be classified as the primary or principal. “Old”, because it defines “coat”, is a tertiary word.

The American scholar Charles Fries suggested on entirely approach to the problem. In his opinion, the so-called parts of speech should be distinguished as functionary units. All the words that can occupy the same set of positions in the patterns of English free utterances belong to the same class.

№ 4

The noun. Category of number

Taking into account the 3 principles of classifications of parts of speech suggested by accad. Shcherba, we may define the noun as a part of speech characterized by the following features:

1. Meaning: thingness (or substance).

2. Form: it has the categories of number and case.

3. Function: a) combining with certain kinds of words: structural ones – articles and prepositions; notional ones – adjectives, other nouns, possessive and some other pronouns, numerals, verbs; b) function in the sentence: subject, object, predicative, attribute, adverbial modifier.

The category of number is the system of oppositions showing whether the noun stands for one object or more than one. The category of number reflects the objectively existing singularity and plurality of objects of the material world. So, the essential meaning of the number opposition is “one – more then one”. E.g.: cat//cats. “Cats” is the marked number of the opposition and “cat” is the unmarked one. The unmarked number of the opposition can sometimes convey the meaning of the marked one. E.g. The cat is a domestic animal. Here the singular form convey the meaning of generalized plurality.

There are nouns, which have only one number form – either singular or plural. They are called singular tantum and pluralia tantum. Examples of singularia tantum: news, advice, information. Examples of pluralia tantum: scissors, trousers, spectacles.