SEMINAR 12. PART I. THE SIMPLE SENTENCE: The Traditional Grammar about

The Structural Classification of a Simple Sentence

Plan

1. The notion of the sentence. The sentence as a linguistic unit. The two aspects of the sentence. Predication and modality.

2. Structural classification of simple sentences:

a) one-member and two-member sentences; different approaches to one-member sentences; the notion of a predicative line.

b) complete and elliptical sentences; representation and substitution; the problem of differentiation of one-member and elliptical sentences.

c) an elementary sentence and an extended sentence.

3. The traditional scheme of sentence parsing: the main and secondary parts of the sentence.

Questions and Tasks:

1. What do the structural classifications of simple sentences reveal?
2. What is the difference between the one-member and two-member sentences?
3. What makes the basis for identifying the elliptical sentences?
4. What sentence parts are identified?
5. Speak about the drawbacks of the traditional parsing.
6. What criteria is the description of sentence parts based on?

SEMINAR 12. PART II. THE SIMPLE SENTENCE: CONSTITUENT STRUCTURE. Revision of the Existing Grammars

Plan

1. IC model of the sentence.
2. The analytical model and the derivation tree.
3. The strong and weak points of the IC model of the sentence.
4. The rewriting rules.
5. The Case Grammar. The main notions.
6. The functional classification of sentence parts. The so-called “case grammar” and its main notions: Agent, Nominative, Experiencer, Natural Force, Patient, Beneficiary, Object, Dative, Factitive, Cause, Participant, Instrument, Means, Place, Time.

Questions and Tasks:

1. How did traditional grammar study the sentence?
2. What do modern linguists believe the system of any language to contain?
3. What is a kernel sentence?
4. What kind of sentences belongs to the kernel sentences or basic sentence patterns?
5. What is a transform?
6. What is the main assumption of the Transformational theory?
7. What non-transformational theories do you know?
8. Is the IC model supposed to be stronger that the linear model? What is its strong point?
9. What are the rewriting rules?
10. Why do we say that the derivation tree yields less information about the sentence formation that the rewriting rules?
11. Why do we say that the IC model is more powerful than the linear model?
12. What are the advantages of the IC models?
13. Speak about the cases when the IC models cannot show that the relations between the elements of the two sentences are different.

References:

1. Бархударов Л. С. Структура простого предложения современного английского языка. / Л. С. Бархударов. – М.: Высш. шк., 1966. – 200 с.

2. Блох М. Я. Теоретическая грамматика английского языка: Учеб. – 4-е изд., испр. / М. Я. Блох. – М.: Высш. шк., 2003. – С. 292-313.

3. Блох М. Я. Практикум по теоретической грамматике английского языка: Учеб. пособие / М. Я. Блох, Т. Н. Семенова, С. В. Тимофеева. – М.: Высш. шк., 2004. – С. 308-336.

4. Долинина И. Б. Системный анализ предложения (на материале английского языка): Учеб. пособие / И. Б. Долинина. – М.: Высш. шк. – 1977. – С. 63-78.

5. Иванова И. П., Бурлакова В. В., Почепцов Г. Г. Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка: Учебник. / И. П. Иванова, В. В. Бурлакова, Г. Г. Почепцов. – М.: Высш. шк., 1981. – С. 183-230; 238-250.

6. Пальмер Ф. Р. Семантика (очерк) = Palmer F. R. Semantics. A new outline / Предисл. и коммент. М. В. Никитина. – М.: Высш. шк., 1982. – 111 с.

7. Филмор Ч. Дело о падеже // Новое в зарубежной лингвистике. – Вып. 10. – М.: «Прогресс», 1981. – С. 369-495.

8. Филмор Ч. Дело о падеже открывается вновь // Новое в зарубежной лингвистике. – Вып. 10. – М.: Прогресс, 1981. – С. 495-530.

Seminar 12. PART iii. THE Simple Sentence: Paradigmatic Structure

Plan

1. Syntagmatics and paradigmatics of the sentence. Paradigmatic syntax.

2. Syntactic derivation. Derivation as a process of elementary transformational procedures. Six major ways of transformational procedures:

a) morphological arrangement

b) functional expansion

c) substitution

d) deletion

e) positional arrangement (permutation)

f) intonational arrangement (applying various functional tones and accents)

3. Constructional Derivation. Clausalization and phrasalization. Nominalization.

4. The predicative relations of the kernel sentence. Lower and higher predicative functions of the sentence.

Questions and Tasks:

1. What non-transformational theories do you know?

2. What does syntactic derivation imply?

3. What is considered to be the basic element of syntactic derivation?

4. Comment on the constructional relations of the kernel sentences.

5. What syntactic units are formal as the result of clausalization, phrasalization and nominalization?

6. Comment on the predicative relations of the kernel sentences.

7. What is the difference between lower and higher predicative functions of the kernel sentence?

8. Name the oppositions used to describe the predicative semantics of the sentence.

9. Disclose the meaning of the notion ‘the predicative load”.

10. Speak on the correlation between the two notions: “the loaded sentence” and “the predicative meaning”?

11. What should be done to transform an unloaded sentence into a loaded one? Give an example of a transformation in question.

References:

1. Блох, М.Я. Практикум по теоретической грамматике английского языка : учебное пособие / М.Я Блох, Т.Н. Семенова, С.В. Тимофеева. – М.: Высшая школа, 2004. – С. 337-358.

2. Блох, М.Я. Теоретическая грамматика английского языка : учеб. / М.Я. Блох. 4-е изд., испр. – M.: Высш. шк., 2003. – С. 303-313.

3. Блох, М.Я. Теоретические основы грамматики : учеб. / М.Я. Блох. – 3-е изд., испр. – М.: Высш. шк., 2002. – С. 97-142.

4. Иртеньева, Н.Ф., Барсова, О.М., Блох, М.Я., Шапкин, А.П. Теоретическая грамматика английского языка / Н.Ф. Иртеньева, О.М. Барсова, М.Я. Блох, А.П. Шапкин. – М.: Высш. шк., 1969. – С.66-143.

5. Лайонз, Дж. Введение в теоретическую лингвистику / Дж. Лайонз. – М. : Прогресс, 1978. – С. 262-285.