Phrase. General characterisrics. Types of phrases.
- The phrase is the syntactic unit used as a notional part of a sentence. As a level-forming unit, it is characterized by some common and some differential features with the unit of the lower level, the word, and the unit of the upper level, the sentence. Like the word, the phrase is a nominative unit, but it provides a complex nomination of the referent, a polynomination consisting of several (at least two) nominative components, presenting the referent as a complicated phenomenon: a girl – a beautiful girl; a decision – his unexpected decision. Moreover, the regular free phrase does not enter speech as a ready-made unit like the word; it is freely formed in speech, like the sentence according to a certain grammatical pattern. The basic difference between the phrase and the sentence is as follows: the phrase cannot express full predication, even if it denotes a situation. The phrase enters speech only as a constituent of a sentence, as “a denoteme”, to be more exact, as “a polydenoteme” as contrasted with the word, which enters a sentence as “a monodenoteme”. The definition of the phrase is rather a controversial issue. In Russian linguistics, the narrow approach, which was put forward by V. V. Vinogradov, traditionally prevails: only a combination of two notional words, one of which dominates the other, is considered to be a word-combination. A much broader approach was proposed by L.Bloomfield and it is shared by many modern linguists. One of the leading specialists in this field, V. V. Burlakova, defines a word-combination as any syntactically organized group of syntagmatically connected words.
- Notional phrases are semantically independent combinations of notional words, as the basic type of phrases. Besides notional phrases (phrases proper), two other structural types: formative and functional phrases. The formative phrase is a combination of a notional word with a functional word in a moment, without doubt. Functional phrases are combinations of functional words similar to regular functional words, e.g.: apart from, as soon as, must be able, etc.
Notional phrases are subdivided into different types, which reveal various grammatical and semantic properties of the phrase in general.
On the basis of constituent rank, notional phrases are subdivided into equ`ipotent (paratactic) and dominational (hypotactic).
The constituents of equipotent phrases are of equal syntactic rank; none of them modifies another: poor but honest;his, not Mary’s. As these examples show, the syntactic connections in equipotent phrases can be realized with the help of a coordinative conjunction or without any connecting element. In the above examples, the phrase constituents form logically consecutive connections, which are defined as “coordinative”. Besides coordinative phrases, there are phrases in which the sequential element, although connected by a coordinative conjunction, is unequal to it in the character of nomination, e.g.: came, but late; agreed, or nearly so. Such formally equipotent phrases of a non-consecutive type are defined as “cumulative”. Cumulative connection in writing is usually signaled by some punctuation mark (comma/hyphen).
|
|
|
In dominational phrases, one word modifies another. The principal constituent, which dominates the other constituent syntactically, is called the kernel, the key-word, or the head word. The subordinate (dominated) constituent, which modifies the kernel, is called the adjunct. Dominational connection, like equipotent connection, can be both consecutive and cumulative: definitely off the point (consecutive domination) – off the point, definitely (cumulative domination). Logically consecutive dominational connections are defined as “subordinative”. Dominational connection is achieved by - different forms of the word (categorial agreement, government), - connective words (prepositions, i.e. prepositional government), or - word order (adjoining, enclosure). Agreement takes place when the subordinate word assumes a form similar to the form of the kernel: these boys; the child plays. Government takes place when a certain form of adjunct is required by its head-word, but it does not coincide with the form of the head word: to see him. Adjoining involves no special formal mark of dependence between constituents; words are combined by contact: to go home. Enclosure takes place in phrases in which the subordinate word is placed between two parts of an analytical head-word form: to thoroughly think over, the then governmen,.
Дата добавления: 2019-02-13; просмотров: 666; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!