Topics for Discussion
1. The definition of the semi-composite sentence.
2. The structure and types of semi-complex sentences.
3. The structure and types of semi-compound sentences.
Topics for Reports
1. Predicative complexes (see: Кобрина Н.А., Корнеева Е.А., Оссовская М.И.,
Гузеева К.А. Грамматика английского языка. Морфология. Синтаксис. – СПб.,
1999 (401-419).
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. Iofic L.L., Chakhoyan L.P., Pospelova A.G. Readings in the theory of English
Grammar. – Leningrad, 1972.
7. Universals of Human Language: Syntax, Stratford, Calif., 1978, v. 4.
8. Иофик Л.Л. Сложное предложение в новоанглийском языке. – Л., 1968.
9. Литвин Ф.А. О степенях предикативности// Филологические Науки, 1984,
№ 4.
10. Плоткин В.Я. Строй английского языка. – М., 1989.
11. Серкина О.В. Функционально-семантический аспект рассмотрения
абсолютной конструкции в современном англ. языке. Автореф. дисс. на
соискание уч. степени канд. филол. наук.
12. Снитко Т.Н. Критерии предикативности для типологии языков//
Предикативность и полипредикативность. – Челябинск, 1987. – С.41-58.
13. Структура и семантика простого, сложного и осложненного предложения:
Межвузовский сборник научных трудов. – Ленинград, 1988.
Practical tasks
I. State the type of the semi-composite sentences:
1. She grabbed hold of my arm and changed direction back towards Cosmo,
only to be confronted by Mark and Rebecca.
2. “Mark”, said Constance sulkily, looking from side to side as if planning to
bolt.
3. The three of them made their good-byes, Mark and Elaine easing the admiral
out of the door.
4. Sharon and I have just got back to our hut to find our padlock open.
5. We all looked at each other, stunned at this strange act of the heavens.
6. Across the garden was Jude, radiant in turquoise, chatting to Magda.
7. Then I turned to see Mark Darcy walking away.
8. Giles went on and on about sending me a copy of Feel the Fear and Do It
Anyway.
9. Mark was at the head of the table, sitting between Rebecca and Louise
Barton-Foster and deep in conversation.
10. She still wanted me and Shaz to be bridesmaids.
II. State the type of the semi-complex sentences:
1. That ritual over, he was flown to Tbilisi for the second stage of
inauguration.
2. The other option is taking the metro to the station A.
3. The food is served in ceramic dishes manufactured at the local factory.
4. Being a pedestrian in Moscow is a dangerous thing now.
5. It is not uncommon to see them racing down sidewalks.
6. We wouldn’t dream of driving with a mobile in one hand and a Big Mac in
the other.
7. We could stop carving up the wildlife in the futile effort to accommodate
the endless traffic jams.
8. There would be the question of where to park all those horses in the center
of Moscow.
9. Disillusioned with the celebrity world, Rosy escapes to run a refugee camp
in the African desert.
10. She found many things strange here.
III. Analyze the structure of the sentences given below. Indicate the semi-
composite sentences and their type:
1. Ben found himself in a small fire-lighted room.
2. There was enough money to pay the bill.
3. Handling a horse-drawn plough is difficult.
4. Since 1973 pupils in Irish schools have not needed to pass Irish.
5. She entered the hall an unhappy woman.
6. I found him completely confused about it.
7. His father had him go in for medicine.
8. He stood bending over the carriage.
9. She cried the napkin to a pulp.
10. I whistled my way out of the restaurant.
SEMINAR 9
COGNITIVE APPROACH IN SYNTAX
Topics for Discussion
1. Cognitive understanding of syntax.
2. The basic principles and arguments of cognitive linguistics: how they work in
syntax.
3. Cognitive aspects of the phrase. Types of syntagmatic relations (see: Further
readings on English syntax in this book. Onsyntagmatic relations from: J.R. Taylor “Cognitive Grammar)
4. Principles of figure-ground segregation and “windowing of attention” on the level of
the simple sentence (R. Langacker).
Topics for Reports
1. The notion of clause in syntax. Clause structure and clause classification in
Cognitive Grammar (see: Further readings on English syntax in this book. On
sentence typology: clause types and clause structure from J.R. Taylor “Cognitive
Grammar”).
2. Когнитивные основы синтаксической репрезентации (Фурс Л.А. Когнитивные
аспекты синтаксиса английского простого предложения. – Тамбов, 2005, С. 57-
73).
Literature
1. Lectures on syntax (this book).
2. Langacker R.W. Foundations of Cognitive Grammar. – Vol.1.Theoretical
Prerequisites. - Stanford, 1987. - X.
3. Langacker R.W. Concept, Image, and Symbol: The Cognitive Basis of
Grammar. - Berlin, 1991. - 394 p.
4. Langacker R.W. Grammar and Conceptualization. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter,
2000.
5. Talmy L. The windowing of Attention in Language // Grammatical
Constructions: Their Form and Meaning. – Oxford, 1996. – P. 235-287.
6. Taylor J.R. Cognitive Grammar.- Oxford: University press, 2002.
7. Ungerer F., Schmid H.-J. An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics. – L., N.Y.,
1996.
8. Wierzbicka A. The semantics of Grammar.- Amsterdam: John Benjamins,
1988.
9. Вежбицкая А. Семантика грамматики //Реферат. – М., 1992.- 32 c.
10. Демьянков В.З. Когнитивизм, когниция, язык и лингвистическая теория
//Язык и структуры представления знаний. - М:Наука, 1992.
11. Кубрякова Е.С. Язык и знание. – М.: Языки славянской культуры,
2004.
12. Фурс Л.А. Когнитивные аспекты синтаксиса английского простого
предложения. – Тамбов, 2005.
Practical tasks
I. Comment on the following sentences as illustrative examples of how
the main principles and arguments of cognitive linguistics work in syntax:
1. He sneezed the napkin off the table.
2. She emerged into a square blazing with lights, with cars hooting their way through thick crowds of wandering sightseers.
3. The tent sleeps six.
4. The room seats fifty.
5. The book sold a million copies.
6. Susan resembles my sister. – My sister resembles Susan.
7. John offered Mary a rose.
8. John offered a rose to Mary.
9. He carpeted the room.
II. Study the following sentences and say which of them are semantically accurate
(consider the basic arguments of cognitive approach in syntax):
1. Joe resembles his grandfather Daniel.
2. Daniel resembles his grandson Joe.
3. I sent a walrus to Antarctica.
4. I sent the zoo a walrus.
5. I sent Antarctica a walrus.
6. Give me a flower.
7. Kill me a spider.
8. He swam the Channel.
9. He swam across the Channel.
III. In cognitive linguistics the semantic diversity of the syntactic patterns (the
subject-verb-complement pattern, in particular) is viewed as a reflection of the
cognitive principle of Figure/Ground Segregation. State the syntactic figure and
syntactic ground in the following sentences and identify the semantic roles they
represent:
1. Susan is peeling the banana.
2. Susan loves bananas.
3. The hammer breaks the glass.
4. Susan has a large library.
5. Susan received a present.
6. The garden is swarming with bees.
IV. Cognitive principles of Figure/Ground Segregation and “Windowing” of
Attention govern the process of putting a particular semantic role in the subject
or complement (object or adverbial) position and thus create an event
perspective. Analyze the given examples (1, 2, 3-element constructions which
describe one and the same event) to state the event perspectives they represent.
Identify the hierarchy of semantic roles which govern the choice of subject in
1, 2, 3-element constructions (the hierarchy repeats the event as an action chain
in our mind):
3-element construction: Floyd broke the glass with the hammer.
2-element construction: The hammer broke the glass.
1-element construction: The glass easily broke.
V. Due to the cognitive principle of “Windowing” of Attention the setting
(“time” and “space”) can be given different degree of prominence and
raised to the status of object or subject. Analyze the degree of
prominence given to the setting in the following sentences. What
linguistic means actualize the prominence of the setting?
1. Susan swam in the Channel.
2. Susan swam across the Channel.
3. Susan swam the Channel.
4. The fifth day saw our departure.
VI. The expressions given bellow are the examples of middle constructions (one-
participant clauses where the subject designates a Patient-like entity). On the
basis of these examples, list the syntactic and semantic properties of middle
constructions:
1. The book sold well.
2. The car drives smoothly.
3. The ice-cream scoops out easily.
4. The poem doesn’t translate.
5. The food won’t keep.
6. The dirt brushes off easily.
7. I don’t photograph very well (=I am not very photogenic)
Not all verbs are equally likely to occur in the construction. The following
are scarcely possible. Try to state why:
8. *The book buys well.
9. *This food doesn’t eat. (=This food is inedible)
10. *His name doesn’t remember easily. (=It is difficult to remember his name)
11. *The small print doesn’t see very well.
12. *Your essay doesn’t understand at all.
13. *The bowls put easily into the cupboard.
VII. It is well known that not all transitive constructions have passive equivalents.
The following clauses have passive equivalents:
(i) The farmer shot the rabbit. – The rabbit was shot by the farmer.
Everyone admires you. – You are admired by everyone.
Everyone likes him. – He is liked by everyone.
The following do not have a passive counterpart:
(ii) The book costs 50 pounds.
The accountant lived a happy life.
Joe resembles his grandfather.
The tent sleeps six people.
Identify the properties of the active clauses which render the situations
compatible with a passive equivalent (consider the clauses which designate
cognitive processes separately from the others). Why are the clauses in (ii) are
incompatible with a passive construction?
SEMINAR 10