Topics for Discussion
1. Verbocentric conception of the sentence.
2. Semantic interpretation of the sentence. The case grammar.
3. The simple sentence structure analysis in the light of the prototypical principle of category structure (P.Hopper and S. Thompson).
Topics for Reports
1. Transformational grammar (from N. Chomsky “Studies on Semantics in Generative
Grammar” in the book by Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V.
Theoretical English Grammar. Seminars. Moscow, 2007, Pp. 343-348; from J. Lyons
“Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics” in the book by Blokh M.Y., Semionova
T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English Grammar. Seminars. Moscow, 2007, Pp.
353-357).
2. Prototypical interpretation of parts of sentence (see: Кобрина Н.А., Болдырев Н.Н.,
Худяков А.А. Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка.
Москва, 2007, С. 219-306)
Literature
1. Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English Grammar.
Seminars. Moscow, 2007.
2. Кобрина Н.А., Болдырев Н.Н., Худяков А.А. Теоретическая грамматика
современного английского языка. Москва, 2007.
3. Lectures on syntax (this book).
4. Croft W. Syntactic categories and grammatical relations. The cognitive
organization of information. Chicago, 1991.
5. Croft W. and Cruse D.Alan. Cognitive linguistics. – Manchester: University of
Manchester, 2003.
6. Dowty D. “The garden swams with bees and the fallacy of “argument
alteration”. In Ravin Y. and Leacock C (eds). Polysemy: Theoretical and Computational Approaches. Oxford: University Press, 2000, pp.111-128.
7. Hopper P.J., Thompson S.A. Transitivity in Grammar and Discourse//Language.
– 1980. – Vol.56. – P.251-299.
8. Болдырев Н.Н. Категория сказуемого с прототипической точки зрения //
На стыке парадигм лингвистического знания в начале XXI века:
грамматика, семантика, словообразование. Мат. межд. конф. Калининград.-
КГУ, 2003.
Practical tasks
I. Analyse the structure of the following sentences in terms of the case grammar by
Fillmore.
1. Her brown hand waved us a jaunty salute.
2. A child of five was handing out the flowers.
3. The boy fisted the rice into his mouth.
II. The subject-verb-complement clause patterns express different event types,
such as action chains, mental interactions or container structures. State the
event type in the following examples:
1. Dad opened the box with a knife.
2. Little Sue wants a mountain bike.
3. Jack brings along the most recent CDs.
4. The bus holds 40 people.
5. She was dreaming of her Italian boyfriend.
6. The village consists of a church and three cottages.
7. Sorry, I have forgotten your name.
8. The area abounds with pubs.
9. This anthology assembles a lot of unknown poems.
10. Diana was sipping her long drink.
III. One can claim that all action chains consist of at least three elements (agent,
instrument, patient). Examine the following two-element structures and try to
find the instrumental that might be added:
1. Susan is picking strawberries.
2. Susan is reading a book.
3. Susan turns the key.
4. Susan kicks the ball.
Explain why the instrument is not expressed in these sentences.
SEMINAR 5
ACTUAL DIVISION OF THE SENTENCE.
COMMUNICATIVE TYPES OF SENTENCES
Topics for Discussion
1. The notions of theme and rheme. The correlation of syntactical division and actual
division of the sentence.
2. Language means of expressing the theme and rheme.
3. The problem of classification of sentences according to the purpose of
communication.
4. Cardinal communicative types and mixed communicative types.
Topics for reports
1. The notions of topic, comment and focus in discourse (from T.A. van Dijk “Text and
context. Explorations in the semantics and pragmatics of discourse” in the book by
Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English Grammar.
Seminars. Moscow, 2007, Pp. 274-293).
2. Non-sentence utterances (see: Кобрина Н.А., Корнеева Е.А., Оссовская М.И.,
Гузеева К.А. Грамматика английского языка. Морфология. Синтаксис. – СПб.,
1999. С. 300-313).
Literature
1. Blokh M.Y. A Course in Theoretical English Grammar. Moscow, 2006.
2. Blokh M.Y., Semionova T.N., Timofeyeva S.V. Theoretical English Grammar.
Seminars. Moscow, 2007.
3. Кобрина Н.А., Болдырев Н.Н., Худяков А.А. Теоретическая грамматика
современного английского языка. Москва, 2007.
4. Кобрина Н.А., Корнеева Е.А., Оссовская М.И., Гузеева К.А. Грамматика
английского языка. Морфология. Синтаксис. – СПб., 1999.
5. Illyish B.A. The structure of Modern English. – M.-L., 1965.
6. Leech Y., Svartvik G. A Communicative Grammar of English. Moscow, 1986.
7.Бархударов Л.С. Структура простого предложения современного
английского языка. М., 1966.
8. Беседина Н.А. Системные и коммуникативные характеристики
восклицательных номинативных предложений в английском языке//
Исследования по синтаксису и стилистике романо-германских языков:
Выпуск 3. – СПб., 1996.9
9. Богданов В.В. Семантико-синтаксическая организация предложения. Л.,
1977.
10. Бодягина О.Л. Полифакторный подход к выбору актанта на роль
подлежащего. Автореф. дисс. на соискание уч. степени канд. филол. наук. Барнаул, 2003.
11. ТФГ–Теория функциональной грамматики. Субъектность.
Объектность.Коммуникативная перспектива высказывания.
Определенность\ неопределенность. – СПб.: Наука, 1992.
12. Худяков А.А. Семиозис простого предложения. Автореф. дисс. на
соискание уч. степени. докт. филол. наук. СПб, 2001.
Practical tasks
I. State the formal means of indicating the theme and the rheme in the given
sentences:
1. Fred stood on the platform. - On the platform stood Fred.
2. There came a loud sound.
3. It was Mary who noticed his absence.
4. The man came up to me.
5. A man came up to me.
6. Even Fred has come.
7. She was so furious.
8. Only then did she realize the situation.
9. The costume is meant not for you, but for your cousin.
10. Where did you say he came from? – France.
11.Did they receive him? – Yes. Coldly.
II. State the communicative types of the following sentences:
1. He didn’t know him pretty well.
2. Let’s go for a walk.
3. I wonder when they are going to come.
4. Can a leopard change his spots?
5. You must think about your future.
6. And if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time we were going home.
7. You ought to get rid of him.
8. You will then allow me to say what I have to say on my part.
9. You can’t come in.
10. Live and learn.
11. Why don’t you get her to the hall?
12. Please tell me what I can do for you.
SEMINAR 6