Composite sentences. Its difference from the simple sentence.

From the structural point of view sentences are classified as simple and composite. Composite sentences are divided into compound and complex.Composite Sentence is a Polypredicative construction.

The two main types of the connection of clauses are subordination / coordination. By coordination, clauses are arranged as units of syntactically equal rank. By subordination they are arranged as units of unequal rank, one being categorically dominated by the other.

General characteristics of the composite sentence.

Main features of the sentence:

1) expresses predication => is called a predicative unit. It’s the main characteristic of the sentence. The sentence reflects connection between the denoted situational event & reality shows whether the action is real or unreal, desirable or not + expresses the time of the action.

2) nominates a situation or a situational event => can be called a nominative unit (but it’s not main feature – word’s feature).

3) can be called a communicative unit as it carries this/that communicative intention which determines the communicative type of the sentence.

Traditional grammar defines the S.: it’s a word or a group of words capable of expressing a complete thought.

Modern linguistics (e.g. semantic syntax) defines the S as a linguistic sign that nominates a situational event => a nominative unit. “The S is a word or a group of words that nominate a situational event, express predication, and carry a communicative intention” – most comprehensive, all 3 features are comprised.

The problem of the composite S: how to define it, how to know it from simple sentence.

(1) the simple S is monopredicative, => has only 1 predicative line (center). The predicative line includes the subject + predicate.

(2) the composite S is polypredicative => > than 1 predicative lines or centers, reflects 2 or > situational events, and each predicative center makes up a clause of its own.

Semi-composite S. How to distinguish? “He waved his hand and went away”. – the S nominates 2 situational events but we can’t find 2 predicative centers in it as there is 1 subject & 1 clause => semi-composite (Blokh’s term) are intermediate between simple & composite.

Types of composite sentences: Acc. to the type of connection of clauses we can distinguish betw. complex &compound sentences. In compound sent-s the type of connection of clauses is coordination (i.e. syntactically the clauses are of equal rank). In complex sent-s the type of connection of clauses is subordination & clauses are of unequal rank (principal and subordinate).

The means of combining clauses: syndetic & asyndetic.

Syndetic => conj-s, relative pronouns (who, which), relative adv-s (where, how, when, why), phrases (as long as, in order that).

If asyndetically => there are no connectives betw. the clauses. Some grammarians say, “the zero connector”. Поспелов believes that on a higher level of classif-n all composite sent-s should be divided into syndetic & asyndetic & on the lower level syndetic composite sentences only should be divided into composite & complex.

Asyndetic Compound Sentences:

In a.c.s. coordinators are absent. Two or more clauses can be made into one s. without a coordinator being used. The result is a.c.s. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. In writing, asyndetically joined coordinate clauses are separated by a semicolon (;), colon (:) or a dash (-).

Syndetic compound sentences:

In s.c.c. the type of coordination is expressed explicitly by means of coordinators, coordinating conjunctions and, but, for, so that The lights went out, the curtain went up and the show began. The peculiarity of and and or is that they can link more than two clauses. Coordinators can be divided into one-member, or simple (and, but) and multi-member (either…or).

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 3688