Get ready to answer the questions below.

1. What is language? What is the distinction between language and speech?

2. What kind of relations do the elements of the language system exist in?

3. What is a lingual sign? What are the form, meaning and referent of a sign?

4. What is the difference between segmental and supra-segmental lingual units?

5. What language levels are identified in the language system?

6. What is the difference between paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations between lingual units?

7. What is the difference between lexical and grammatical meaning of the word?

8. What means are used to build synthetic / analytical grammatical forms?

9. What differentiates analytical grammatical forms from free word-combinations?

SELF-STUDY

10. What is a "grammatical category"? How is it connected with the notion of "opposition"? What are the differential features of privative, gradual, and equipollent oppositions?

11. What is oppositional reduction? What is the difference between neutralization and transposition?

12. Explain the differences of the following types of categories: immanent (including transgressive and closed), reflective, variable and constant feature categories.

Find Russian equivalents for the following terms; give definitions.

Language, speech, synchronic relations, diachronic relations, segmental lingual units, supra-segmental lingual unit, hierarchy, paradigmatic relations, syntagmatic relations

grammatical category, outer inflection, inner inflection, suppletivity, opposition, binary and supra-binary oppositions, privative opposition, equipollent opposition, gradual opposition, oppositional reduction, neutralization, transposition, immanent category, transgressive category, closed category, reflective category, constant feature category, variable feature category

Give your own examples to illustrate various syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations between phonological, lexical and grammatical lingual units.

4. Say which of the strings are synchronic and which are diachronic:

1) gospel, you, your, has;

2) gospel, godspel, you, thee;

3) your, thy, has, hath;

4) thy, thee, godspel, hath.

5. Describe paradigm realisation of the grammatical categories below using the model:

MODEL: the category of number of English noun is realised in binary privative opposition of plural and singular (non-plural) forms. Plural form is a strong (marked, positive) member of the opposition, it is marked with specific synthetical forms, i.e. outer inflexion, suppletivity: girl - girls, tooth - teeth. Singular form is a weak (unmarked, negative) member of the opposition.

a) the category of case of English noun;

b) the category of person and number of English verb;

c) the category of mood of English verb.

6. Analyse the following oppositions; name the categories realized in each pair and their markers:

girl – girl’s, look – is looking, cat – cats, speak – will speak, small – smaller, to build – to be built, go – went – gone, interesting – more interesting – the most interesting.

7. a) Split into groups 1) synthetical forms, 2) analytical forms and 3) free word-combinations. Add a few examples of your own to each group:

works, to play, staying, is staying, is weak, more important, the job, have done, have (one’s hair) done, have been doing, smaller, less dangerous, men, a piece of advice, (she) cried and cried

b) Give your own examples:

1) outer inflexions – go - goes, ...

2) inner-inflexions – goose - geese, ...

3) suppletivity – go - went, ...

8. Read the sentences below. Find the cases of oppositional reduction of category of tense:

1) “I’m going with you”, she said. “Nonsense, my dear; I go straight into the City” (Galsworthy).

2) “An Englishman has some sense about working ... but an Irishman will work as if he’d die the moment he stopped” (Shaw).

3) “Frinstance last week we went into Rennes to do some shopping. A couple of French boys picked us up ... They were all right. So they chat us up. Di says we’re staying on our vacancies with a friend of her family’s.” She grimaced. “Then they want to drive out one day and see us...” (Fowles).

9. Comment on the categories below: decide whether they are a) immanent or reflective, b) transgressive or closed (if (a) is immanent), c) variable feature or constant feature categories:

1) the category of gender of English noun;

2) the category of gender of Russian adjective;

3) the category of degree of comparison of English adjective;

4) the category of person and number of English verb;

5) the category of transitivity of English verb.

Seminar 2

MORPHEMES AND WORDS

Sources:

1. Блох, М.Я. Теоретическая грамматика английского языка. Любое издание.

2. Блох, М.Я. Практикум по теоретической грамматике английского языка / М.Я. Блох, Т.Н. Семенова, С.В. Тимофеева. – М.: Высшая школа, 2004.

Additional:

3. Хлебникова, И.Б. Основы английской морфологии: учебное пособие / И.Б. Хлебникова. – 3-е изд., испр. - М.: Высшая школа, 2004.