The phrase: syntactic relations and connections

Word combination– is a nominative unit of language, while sentence – is a communicative unit. The components of a word combination can undergo grammatical changes according to the grammatical categories represented in it without the destroying the identity of the word combination. e.g. in the w.c. “write letters” the 1st component can change according to the verbal category of tense and mood, and the 2nd according to the category of number. Thus writes a letter, has written a letter.

A sentence – is a unit with every word having its definite form. The elements of sentence cannot undergo grammatical changes otherwise it would be a new sentence.

The problem of the word-combination

In American linguistics the term “phrase” is used. In English linguistics the term “word group” or “word clusters” is used. There exist many definitions of word combination:

- The traditional view is that w.c. – is a combination of 2 or more notional words.

- Professor Ilish defines phrase as every combination of 2 or more words, which is a grammatical unit but is not an analytical form of some word. (Analytical form – any word that has an auxiliary word “have done”).Even preposition + noun, or conjunction + noun are considered to be a phrase.

- According to the view, introduced in Russian linguistics by Vinogradow w.c. – are only subordinate structures characterized by a single complex nominative meaning.

The American linguist Leo Bloomfield treats w.c. widely as any syntactically organized group. He divides w.c. into 2 groups:

1. endocentric

2. exocentric

Endocentric (headed) means inside. Endocentric structures are such in which one of the constituencies can function in the same way as the whole structure.

e.g. poor John – is endocentric, because John can substitute the whole w.c. in the sentence.

Exocentric (non-headed) means outside. In the exocentric structures neither of the constituencies can substitute the whole w.c. on the sentence level. E.g. John ran.

Word combination as a nominative unit.

W.c. – is nominative means of the language and together with words denoting objects, persons, actions, processes, events, qualities and relations, it forms the system of nominative means of the language.

The adherents of the theory of the nominative character of the w.c. (Щерба, Виноградов) consider that the w.c. expresses a single complex notion, but the nominative function of the w.c. lays in the fact that it limits the notion. The main member of the w.c. is head expresses the generic notion and the dependant expresses the specific difference. If the word stresses only one feature of the object w.c. gives the opportunity to reveal other features with the help of adjunct (залежне). So w.c. render more expressive notion.

Some linguists consider w.c. to be deprived of the nominative function. That can be singled out only in the sentence and can’t be regarded separately in language.

Classifications of the word-combinations.

Can be classified upon different criteria:

1. According to their syntactic structure:

• Simple, consists of 2 words

• Complex, consist of 3 or more words.

Complex 3 componential can be of 3 types:

1. simple w.c. + adjunct (youth festival, Paris)

2. the head + 2dependent single w.c. (passenger transport drivers)

3. the head + 2 dependant words which are not connected between themselves ( to put the book, to put into the bag)

2. According to the part of speech of the headword:

• Substantival (noun – the head) (rules of grammar)

• Adjectival (full of interest, good at math)

• Adverbial(very friendly, very soon)

• Verbal (to run quickly, to read the newspaper)

• Pronominal(something new, something else)

• W.c. with numerals as the head (nearly five)

3. By the grammatical and semantic properties w.c. are divided into 2 types:

Subordinate – are formed by words which are syntactical, unequal in the sense that in the 2 w.c. one word plays the role of a modifier of the other word. Subordinate relations are realized by means of agreement, government and enjoyment.

Agreement – is the method of expressing a syntactical relationship, which consist in making the subordinate word. They can be found between demonstrative pronouns, these agree with a headword only in number and between verb predicate and subject. (This man – these men).

Government – is the method of expressing of syntactical relationship which consists in making the subordinate word takes a separate form required by the head word but not coinciding with it. They are found between verb and object (see him).

Ajoinment – is the ajoining position of 2 words joint by the common grammatical function of meaning. It can be found between:

• adverbs and verbs(write quickly)

• attributes and head nouns ( good stuff)

• article and nouns ( a boy)

A special kind of syntactical relation is called enclosure. Its type of relationship between words which consists with enclosing of a word between 2 elements of a person. (Putting of the word between an article and the noun to which the article belongs. (The matter of fact decision)

• Coordinate phrases are such phrases the constituencies of which are on equal rank so that in a two word combination neither of them serves as a modifier of other.