The traditional scheme of sentence parsing

The study of the constituent structure of the sentence presupposes analysis

of its parts. The established classification of sentence parts reflects their important

property – whether or not they are involved in forming the predicative center of the

sentence. Traditionally the main and the secondary parts have been singled out.

Besides these two types there is one more — elements which are said to stand

outside the sentence structure. The two generally recognized main parts are the

subject and the predicate. The secondary parts include the object, the adverbial

modifier, and the attribute. Other secondary parts are also sometimes mentioned —

the apposition (its relation to the attribute is variously interpreted), the objective

predicative, and occasionally some other parts, too. However, everything is

relative, thus if we approach the problem of sentence parts from the point of view

of the structural-semantic minimum of the sentence, then many objects and some

adverbial modifiers will turn out to be as important and needed as the subject and

the predicate.

e.g. She opened the door. The book is on the table.

2. The main sentence parts: the subject and the predicate, their types

The subject and the predicate have a unique standing in the system of

sentence parts. They form the backbone of the sentence. They are interdependent

and independent of any other sentence member while all other members can be

dependent either on the subject or on the predicate. The subject and the predicate

can form a sentence on their own.

e.g. She smiles. He is running.

The Subject

The subject is one of the two main parts of the sentence. It denotes the thing

whose action or characteristic is expressed by the predicate. It may be expressed by

different parts of speech, the most frequent ones being: a noun in the common

case, a personal pronoun in the nominative case, a demonstrative pronoun, a

substantivised adjective, a numeral, an infinitive, and a gerund. It may also be

expressed by a phrase.

The subject performs two main functions: categorial and relative. The

categorial functionof the subject consists in naming the possessor of the

predicative feature expressed by the predicate. The relative functionof the subject

consists in its being the original element in the syntagmatic development of the

sentence, thus constituting the predicate’s left environment as opposed to its right

environment.

As it has already been mentioned, the subject always goes with the

predicate, therefore, one-member nominal sentences do not have a subject.

The Predicate

The predicate denotes the action or property of the thing expressed by the

subject. It can be expressed by numerous ways. The predicate expresses the

predicative feature which characterized the object expressed by the subject, thus it

realizes the categorial function. Being a link between the subject and the right

environment of the verb, it performs the relative function.

According to morphological characteristics, four types of predicates can be

singled out:

- verbal;

- nominal;

- phraseological;

- contaminated.

The predicate can be subject to the syntactic process of complication, thus,

according to their structural characteristics, predicates can be simple and

complicated. Therefore, eight types of predicates can be identified.

Simple verbal I took an apple.

Simple nominal The coincidence was extraordinary.

Simple phraseological He gave me a smile.

Simple contaminated He sat motionless.

Complicated verbal The girl began to cry.

Complicated nominal He turned out to be a thief.

Complicated phraseological You should have taken a look at the map.

Complicated contaminated He seemed to be lying asleep.

(Mind that Prof. Ilyish’s idea of simple and compound nominal predicate is

different from the traditional view. NB what he calls double predicate - Catherine's

blood ran cold with the horrid suggestions which naturally sprang from these

words. (J. AUSTEN))

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 3765