Point out the head and the modifier in each of the following phrases; pick out the reversible ones.

SEMINAR 1

The Phrase. Noun phrases.

Theoretical Comment.

1. The phrase as a polynominative lingual unit; its distinctive features. The correlation of the phrase and the word, of the phrase and the sentence. Syntax of the phrase as “minor syntax” in relation to syntax of the sentence as “major syntax”.

2. Controversies concerning the phrase (terminology, definition).

3. Classifications of phrases: endocentric/exocentric; subordinate/coordinate/predicative.

4. Grammatical organization of a coordinate phrase; types of coordinate phrases; 3 groups of coordinators.

5. Grammatical organization of a subordinate phrase; classifications of subordinate phrases.

6. Grammatical organization of a predicative phrase; classifications of predicative phrases.

7. Noun-phrases with pre-posed and post-posed modifiers. The variety of semantic relations in noun-adjunct groups.

Practice.

1. Find equivalents of these terms:

minor syntax	the head (centre, nucleus, kernel)
major syntax	the modifier (adjunct)
phrase, word-combination	syndetic (asyndetic) connection
polynominative lingual unit	nexus groups
coordinate (subordinate, predicative) syntactic relations	noun adjunct groups

2. Identify the types of phrases with regard to their grammatical organization:

to fully understand; is seriously ill; for us to expect; claimed the land; young, nonchalant, charming; a cat licking milk; the “I’m sorry” response; rather doubtful; think of an idea; happy but not quite; the train moved; cakes and ale; a man, having no scruples; pleased, or almost so; enthusiastic but not cultured; the world beyond; really amazing; laughed a little; familiar noise; to feel foolish; almost insignificant; delivered for a friend; had definitely been; a summer wedding; came in to ask; rather die than submit; you honest.

3. Make a list of the noun-phrases used in the following passage and describe their structure:

After taking her elderly cousin across, Fleur did not land at once, but pulled in among the reeds, into the sunshine. The peaceful beauty of the afternoon seduced for a little one not much given to the vague and poetic. In the field beyond the bank where her skiff lay up, a machine drawn up by a grey horse was turning an early field of hay. She watched the grass cascading over and behind the light wheels with fascination – it looked so cool and fresh. The click and swish blended with the rustle of the willows and the poplars, and the cooing of a wood-pigeon, in a true river song. Alongside, in the deep green water, weeds, like yellow snakes, were writhing and nosing with the current; pied cattle in the farther side stood in the shade lazily swishing their tails. It was an afternoon to dream. An she took out Jon’s letters – not flowery effusions, but haunted in the recital of things seen and done by a longing very agreeable to her and all ending “Your devoted J” (J. Galsworthy).

4. Point out the phrases of “a jewel of a wife” type. How does the meaning of the components contribute to the overall semantics? Suggest ways of translation.

1. It opened to let a weed of a fellow (K. Mansfield). 2. He saw a scrag of a woman in a black shawl (K. Mansfield). 3. His most tender emotions… lay exposed to that greedy little nose, which wasn’t even a proper nose, but only a pug of a nose, a tiny perforated organ (P. Suskind). 4. Imagine being here day in, day out, with that rat of a child (K. Mansfield). 5. His lean triangle of a head is down (K. Mansfield). 6. She was a tiny wishbone of a child (K. Mansfield). 7. They would not keep shut. They were fools of doors (K. Mansfield). 8. Director Inoue Sato was a fearsome specimen—a bristly tempest of a woman... (D. Brown. 9. He was a quick little whippet of a man (A. Cronin). 10. That perhaps the new apprentice, that awkward gnome, this cipher of a man might be implicated in the fabulous blossoming of their business, Chenier would not have believed (P. Suskind).

5. Give the noun phrases related through nominalising transformation to the following sentences ( NP₁ is like NP₂ – NP₂ of NP₁ ). Describe the operations applied in this transformation.

1. The boy is (like) a Spartan. 2. The boy is (like) a duck. 3. Her smile is (like) a ghost. 4. His nose is (like that of) a pug.

6. Comment on the use of “sort (kind) of Adj (V)” in the following:

1. I sort of sorry for him in a way (D. Salinger). 2. I sort of knocked on it anyway… (D. Salinger). 3 I sort of felt like it (D. Salinger).

Point out the head and the modifier in each of the following phrases; pick out the reversible ones.

Note: There are certain N₁ prep N₂ (to be called reversible) which also occur in reverse order N₂ prep N₁ in the same sentence environments. The N₁ here is usually one of a roughly stateable subclass including set, type, group, class: This type of bacteria grows readily; Bacteria of the type grow readily. (it is not claimed that the meaning is identical). A clump of villagers was milling about; Some villagers in a clump were milling about.

a mountain of food, the great majority of letters, a great number of boys, a considerable quantity of water, this sort of thing, books of that kind, a thing of this sort, these kinds of books, a sort of genius, the system of this sort, some sort of man, a kind of golden moss.

8. Give noun-phrases related through nominalizing transformation to the following sentences:

Model: The man has a dark face. – The man with a dark face. – The man dark in (of) face.

1. The boy had a kind heart. 2. The girl had blue eyes. 3. The man had strong muscles. 4. Winifred had strong cheekbones.

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