Some rules of the syntagmatic division

When we speak we make pauses necessary for understanding. They divide the speech-flow into syntagms. Syntagmatic division depends on the tempo and style of speech. The slow colloquial style is characterized by a greater number of intonation-groups than the rapid colloquial.

e.g. To_/morrow | we ^|meet at _\eight. (slow coll.) To^|morrow we ^|meet at _\eight. (rapid coll.)

1. The subject group and the predicate group consisting of more than one word form separate syntagms (extended subject group): e.g. ^|John’s _/sister | ^|entered the _\room. But: ^|John’s ^|sister _\entered (one-word predicate);

Note: One-word subject can form a separate syntagm if it is emphasized (one of the complex tones must be used on it): e.g. _\/ Mary | is ^|John’s _\sister

2. Homogeneous members of the sentence:

e.g. ^|John _/came | but ^|didn’t stay _\long (predicates). The ^|teacher ^|spoke of our _/country | and its ^|educational _\ programme (objects).

3. Adverbial and p arenthetical phrases at the beginning of the sentence:

e.g. A ^|few minutes _/later | we ^|hear a ^|ring at the _\door. To ^|tell you the _/truth, | he’s ^|never _\late. But: He’s ^|never _\later, to _|tell you the _|truth.

4. An apposition makes up a separate syntagm:

e.g. _/Kyiv,| the ^|capital of _/Ukraine, | is a ^|very ^|beautiful _\ city. ^|Berry _/Smith, | his ^|wife’s _/niece, | ^|lives with _\ us.

5. Alternative and disjunctive questions:

e.g. ^|Do you ^|live _/here | or ^|out of _\ town? You ^|live _\ here, | _\ don’t you?

6. In slow colloquial speech participial, gerundial, infinitive and prepositional phrases can form syntagms: e.g. She is ^|sitting by the _/window | ^|reading a _\ book. We _\ too have a _|house | in a ^|London _\ suburb.

7. Simple sentences within complex and compound ones make up separate syntagms:

e.g. If you are _/late | ^|ask the per^|mission to ^|come _\ in. He was _/late | and he ^|didn’t ^|come _\ in.

Note: 2-member principal clause and an object clause as a subordinate one are joined into one syntagm; e.g. He ^|says he was _\late.

8. Enumeration: enumerated objects are always stressed, they make up separate syntagms and usually take the rising tone, except for the final word which takes the low falling tone. e.g. We ^|study ^|here _/English, |_/Latin | and Uk_\rainian.

9. Parenthesis: a parenthesis either shows the speaker’s attitude towards the thought expressed in the sentence or connects a given sentence with another one, or summarizes what is said in the sentence. A parenthesis is connected with the rest of the sentence rather semantically than grammatically. No question can be put to it. Very often it is detached from the rest of the sentence and consequently it is often separated from it by commas or dashes. A parenthesis can be expressed by modal words, such as indeed, certainly, assuredly, decidedly, in fact, truly, naturally, surely, actually, possibly, perhaps, evidently, obviously, maybe; adverbs which to a certain extent serve as connectives, such as firstly, secondly, finally, thus, consequently, then, anyway, moreover, besides, still, yet, nevertheless, otherwise, notwithstanding, therefore; prepositional phrases, such as in a word, in truth, in my opinion, in short, by the by, on the one hand, on the contrary, at least, etc.; infinitive and participial phrases, such as to be sure, to tell the truth, to begin with, generally speaking, strictly speaking, etc.

The intonation of parenthesis depends on its position in the sentence.

1. Parenthesis in sentence-initial position are usually stressed. The can form separate syntagms which mostly take the Low Fall or Low Rise, though the Fall-Rise is also possible. e.g. _\ Certainly | he’s a _\ way. How _/ ever | I _\ like it. ||

NOTE. Parenthetical phrases that introduce object clauses, such as ‘I think’, ‘I believe’, ‘I’m afraid’, ‘I supose’, ‘I presume’, … do not form separate syntagms. e.g. I ^| think he is _\ out.|| I be^|lieve he is _\ out.|| I’m a^|fraid he is _\ out. ||

2. Parenthesis in sentence-mid or sentence-final position do not form any separate intonation group. They are pronounced as unstressed or partially stressed tail of the preceding stressed word.

e.g. He is _\out, I’m afraid.|| He is _\out, I’m a_|fraid. ||

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