Determine the predicative load of the sentences.

SEMINAR 7

SENTENCE: STRUCTURAL AND PARADIGMATIC ASPECTS

1. The main structural types of the simple sentence in English.

2. The traditional scheme of sentence parsing and the IC-model.

3. Paradigmatic syntax and syntactic derivation (syntagmatic vs. paradigmatic syntax; base sentences – transformations; syntactic derivation as integral part of the derivational system of language; kernel sentence vs. elementary sentence).

4. Transformational procedures (deletion, rearrangement, addition, substitution, morphological arrangement, nominalisation, clausalisation).

5. The predicative load of the sentence (paradigm of predicative functions of the sentence; light and heavy predicative load of the sentence).

PROBLEMS

1. State the structural type of the sentences (according to the traditional classification and Prof. Barkhudarov’s / Prof. Blokh’s classifications where possible):

1. Ben closed his eyes to think clearly for a moment. 2. “Two cups of coffee, please…” 3. “Why did you leave the baby in that mill?” – “Out of the rain.” – “In her pram?” – “Naturally. She was asleep.” 4. … The mystery was awful and complete. Abandoned perambulator. Total disappearance of a baby. Rapine. Brigandage. Horror. Death… 5. Scene One. A room in Harley Street furnished as the Superintendent’s office in a Nursing Home. 6. Have some bread and butter. 7. I meant to find her some day. – But you never did.

2. Build up the IC-model of the sentences (use both the IC-diagram and IC-derivation tree):

1. The trembling Kitty took the crumpled telegram.

2. An extremely thin boy tentatively stepped onto the stage.

3. Build constructional paradigms based on two primary sentences:

1. I saw him. I turned round the corner. 2. He recognised us. He stopped.

4. Fill in the table, stating the type of transformational procedures applied to the kernel sentences in the production of the following transformations:

	kernel sentence	transformation	procedure(s) applied	type: single-based/double-based
1.	The tourist looked at the customs officer.	The tourists looked at him.	?	?
2.	I gave John a book. My sister gave him a CD.	I gave John a book and my sister – a CD.	?	?
3.	Emma and John know your brother.	Do they know him?	?	?
4.	The birds flew away.	Away flew the birds.	?	?
5.	There was an old house. I noticed it.	I noticed an old house.	?	?
6.	The sky was cloudy.	Was the sky cloudy?	?	?
7.	The magazine was new. I picked it up.	Why did you pick up the new magazine?	?	?
8.	We returned home. We had tea.	After we returned home, we had tea.	?	?
9.	Joe emailed Mary.	Will Joe email her?	?	?
10.	Some kids sat on the sofa. The rest of the children sat right on the floor.	Some kids sat on the sofa, whereas the rest of them – right on the floor.	?	?

Determine the predicative load of the sentences.

Model: It’s not so. – The predicative load of this sentence is 1 as it expresses 1 strong predicative meaning, viz. negation. / The predicative load of this sentence is 1 as it is marked in 1 predicative opposition – ‘affirmation – negation’.

1. Don’t be absurd. 2. Is that all? 3. If I were you, I would agree. 4. Maybe you’re right. 5. They began to dance. 6. The book was written by Peter Ackroyd. 7. She failed to find it out. 8. I do know this. 9. David seemed to have guessed the answer. 10. He must comply. 11. He shouldn’t have done that! 12. The issue might be considered next week. 13. Don’t be late. 14. Wasn’t it beginning to rain? 15. Today is Monday. 16. The letter can’t have been sent to the wrong address!

6. Form sentences with a greater predicative load using the kernel sentence given below:

Model: He was upset. à 1) Was he upset? (1) 2) wasn’t he upset? (2) 3) Can he be upset? (2) 4) He can’t have been upset. (3) etc.

Jim emailed you.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14