Classification of phrases according to different criteria.

Linguists discuss different classifications of phrases, all of them having their own advantages.

The traditional classification of phrases is based on the part of speech status of the phrase constituents, therefore nounal, verbal, adjectival, adverbial, etc. phrases are singled out.

Phrases can also be classified according to the nominative value of their constituents. According to Prof. Blokh, syntagmatic groupings of notional words alone, syntagmatic groupings of notional words with functional words, and syntagmatic groupings of functional words alone should be differentiated, therefore three major types are identified: notional, formative and functional.

According to the theory worked out by the American linguist L. Bloomfield, phrases can be classified into two groups: endocentric and exocentric. The former include phrases one or any constituent part of which can function in a broader structure as the whole group.

Eg. Red flower - He gave me a red flower. He gave me a flower.

Flowers and chocolate. - He gave me flowers. He gave me chocolate.

As for exocentric structures, according to Bloomfield, none

of their constituent parts can replace the whole group in a broader structure.

Eg. He gave, to the girl.

Endocentric structures are further divided into subordinate (red flower) and coordinate (flowers and chocolate). Exocentric structures are divided into predicative (He gave) and prepositional (to the girl). Bloomfield’s classification was further developed by his followers. It was made more detailed. Some new types of phrases were singled out. A significant drawback of this scheme is that it is not based on a single principle applied at every stage of the classification to all discriminated types of structures.

According to the classification based on the internal structure of phrases, two groups can be singled out: kernel phrases and kernel-free phrases.

Kernel phrases are grammatically organized structures in which one element dominates the others. This element is not subordinated to any other element within the group, therefore it is the leading element, that is, the kernel of the given phrase (for example, a nice place, well-known artists, absolutely positive, to run fast, to see a movie, to taste good).

According to the direction of dependencies, that is, the position of the dominating and subordinated elements relative of each other, all kernel phrases are divided into regressive and progressive (with the left and right position of dependent elements respectively).

Further types of regressive and progressive kernel phrases can be singled out according to what part of speech the head word belongs. The following types are differentiated:

Regressive: substantive (a good girl), adjectival (absolutely clear), verbal (to fully understand), adverbial (very quickly). verbal (to read a book), prepositional (on the wall).

Progressive: - substantive (a feeling of comfort), - adjectival (independent of your decision