Simple sentence as a monopredicative structure.

The definitions of the sentence

The sent. can be studied from different points of view and more than 200 definitions of sent. are known. This fact proves that sent. is a many-fold phenomenon. All definitions mostly fall into 2 types: logical and structural.

Most definitions in text-books are logica l. They are most ancient, they appeared in Classical Grammar. The definition belongs to Aristotel: sent. – is a group of words linked together and expressing a complete thought. The weak point-it does not distinguish the sent. from judgment. Any judgment is always binary in structure (theme-rheme) even in 1-member sent., but the sent. is not always binary. At the same time sent. can contain several themes and rhemes if it is composite, but in any judgment there is only 1 theme and 1 rheme.

All structural definitions try to be more objective and that’s why stress the existence of the so-called subject-predicate structure: sent. is a language unit, possessing subject-predicate structure that makes it possible to use this unit as a minimal utterance.

Nowadays the phonetic side is also taken into consideration. In fact expressing some utterance, the sent. should be phonetically arranged. Francis introduced the notion “the sent. intonation final contour”. The definition is not perfect: 1)it’s applied only to oral sent.; 2)in a composite sent. there are several final contours.

The status of the sentence

The sent. is considered to be the central unit of syntax, because it includes word-groups in its structure and by itself the sentence is a constituent of a text structure. Though sent., word-group and text belong to syntax (same sphere), there are essential differences between them. Word group is a nominative unit (names smth). Sent. in addition to this function acquires a communicative function. Nominative-is not its primary function. Text fulfills communicative function, but structurally it’s more complicated and the expression of predicativity is different. The quantitative criterion also differs the 3 units, but it’s not absolute. Some sent. can be shorter than word groups.

Classification of sentences

I. Structural approach. Sent. are subdivided into:

- simple →one-member: nominal (Fire!) and verbal (Do it!)

→two-member: complete (When are you going?) and incomplete or elliptical (To the cinema.)

- composite → compound and complex;

II. Acc. to the purpose of utterance;

- declarative→ negative and affirmative (their purpose is that they express a statement giving information);

- interrogative (their purpose is to obtain information, to ask for information)

- imperative (their purpose is to make an addressee perform a certain action = inducement).

- exclamatory (their purpose is to express the speaker’s emotional state).

III. Informative structure of the sent. Every sent. is subjected to a binary division into the Theme and the Rheme, in Eng. – the Topic & the Comment. The topic is the part of the sent. which contains the information already known to the speakers. The Rheme (the comment) is the second part of the sent. which contains a new piece of information.

Types of simple sentences

2-member sent.:

1) Verbal (predicate is a verb)

a) without agreement

-------with preposition of the attribute

In R.- attributes which are Adj., Numerals, Pronouns, Participle I:

Раннее утро, последний звонок, наш лидер, эта программа, летящий самолет

In E.-The young painters worked….

-------with postposition of the attribute

In R. –attributes which are Nouns in indirect cases: дом колхозника, письмо матери.

In E.-The nerves of the stranger….

b ) with agreement

In R. agreement in person is clearly observed. In E. we find just several cases of agreement.

R.- person (я работаю -ты работаешь….)

gender in Past tense (Вася работал -Маша работала)

E.-3d person Sg Present Indefinite (he works)

3d person Sg Present Continuous (I am playing – he is playing)

3d person Sg Present Perfect (he has come)

number Past Continuous (I, he was working-they, we were working)

2) Nominal (linking verb + predicative)

a)Agreement in both components of the predicate.

1) Predicative- Noun

R. - Л. был певец. (gender, number).

E.- L. was a singer. (number)

2) Adjective

R.-Погода была хорошая.

3) Noun in instrumental (case)

R.- …был рабочим.

4) Adjective in instrumental (case)

R.-…был хороший.

b)Agreement in 1 component of the predicate.

1) Adjective

E.- …is naughty.

2) Possessive Prn.

E.-…is mine.

3) Adjective (+it)

E.- It is cold.

4) Card. Num

E.-I am 23.)

5) Adv.

E.- The moon is out.

Another classification of 2-member sent.:

1. Personal:

I saw him yesterday –definite personal

They say…-indefinite personal

We/you/one….-generalized personal

2. Impersonal - it’s getting dark /темнеет.

1-member sent:

There is discrepancy between E. and R. 1-member sentences. (2-member sentences are more isomorphic). In R. there are a lot of types, while in E. they are used not so often and the variety of patterns is not so great. This fact is explained by the analytical structure of E. and the fixed word order. The fixed word order demands that all sent. parts should take some fixed position and the position of the subject can’t be empty, that’s why formal or grammatical subjects are used in E..

1)To this type we should refer it- subject: it’s getting dark. In R. the subject is empty-Темнеет.

2)Another type with a grammatical subject: there is, there are. Some say there is no subject here, some think that “there is” = “it is”.

3)In R. there are sent. with an impersonal subject that is expressed by some indirect case (косв.падеж). Его звали…Ему прислали …Such sent. correspond to 2-member sent. in E, in which passive is used: He was sent…

1-member sent..

1) Nominal -Spring. Fine!

Verbal -Светает.

2) Imperative - do it!

3) Infinitive -why not go there? to think of it! /подумать только!

4) Gerundial sent. –no talking.

5) Words-sentences - oh! Alas! Yes. No. Of course.