Lecture 12: THE WORD-GROUP THEORY
(СРС, СРСП)
1. Definition and general characteristics of the word-group.
There are a lot of definitions concerning the word-group. The most
adequate one seems to be the following: the word-group is a combination of at least two notional words which do not constitute the sentence but are syntactically connected. According to some other scholars (the majority of Western scholars and professors B.Ilyish and V.Burlakova – in Russia), a combination of a notional word with a function word (on the table) may be treated as a word-group as well. The problem is disputable as the role of function words is to show some abstract relations and they are devoid of nominative power. On the other hand, such combinations are syntactically bound and they should belong somewhere.
General characteristics of the word-group are:
1) As a naming unit it differs from a compound word because the number of constituents in a word-group corresponds to the number of different denotates: a black bird – чорний птах (2), a blackbird – дрізд (1);
a loud speaker (2), a loudspeaker (1).
2) Each component of the word-group can undergo grammatical changes without destroying the identity of the whole unit: to see a house - to see houses.
3) A word-group is a dependent syntactic unit, it is not a communicative unit and has no intonation of its own.
2. Classification of word-groups.
Word-groups can be classified on the basis of several principles:
a) According to the type of syntagmatic relations: coordinate (you and me), subordinate (to see a house, a nice dress), predicative (him coming, for him to come),
b) According to the structure: simple (all elements are obligatory), expanded (to read and translate the text – expanded elements are equal in rank), extended (a word takes a dependent element and this dependent element becomes the head for another word: a beautiful flower – a very beautiful flower).
3. Subordinate word-groups.
Subordinate word-groups are based on the relations of dependence between the constituents. This presupposes the existence of a governing
Element which is called the head and the dependent element which is called the adjunct (in noun-phrases) or the complement (in verb-phrases).
According to the nature of their heads, subordinate word-groups fall into noun-phrases (NP) – a cup of tea, verb-phrases (VP) – to run fast, to see a house, adjective phrases (AP) – good for you, adverbial phrases (DP) – so quickly, pronoun phrases (IP) – something strange, nothing to do.
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The formation of the subordinate word-group depends on the valency of its constituents. Valency is a potential ability of words to combine. Actual realization of valency in speech is called combinability.
4. The noun-phrase (NP).
Noun word-groups are widely spread in English. This may be explained
by a potential ability of the noun to go into combinations with practically all parts of speech. The NP consists of a noun-head and an adjunct or adjuncts with relations of modification between them. Three types of modification are distinguished here:
a) Premodification that comprises all the units placed before the head: two smart hard-working students. Adjuncts used in pre-head position are called pre-posed adjuncts.
b) Postmodification that comprises all the units all the units placed after the head: students from Boston. Adjuncts used in post-head position are called post-posed adjuncts.
c) Mixed modification that comprises all the units in both pre-head and post-head position: two smart hard-working students from Boston.
Pre-posed adjuncts Post-posed adjuncts
Pronoun Adj.
Adj. Ven
N2 Ving
N’s prep.N2
Ven prepVing
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Ving D
Num Num
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