Lecture 10. Word Groups

The word group has been one of the most important subjects for consideration and discussion for a very long time, since the time of prenormative and normative groomers. In old grammars they paid much more attention to word groups than to sentences. Still later the term " phrase" was introduced for the word group. Some linguists (H. Sweet) claim that this term is very wide (" phrase") — it may be even a sentence, but nevertheless the term is still used.

The structure and meaning.
1) The structure is shown be a syntactic formula. It shows the structure of word-groups by the order of the arrangement of their components indicating them as parts of speech (V+N = to release a prisoner, to run a factory).
2) By using syntactic patterns they describe the word groups in relation to the head word (to release, to run).
The word group is an intermediate unit between a word and a sentence. On the one hand a word group is closer to a word in meaning, thus a word group is an extended word, but on the other hand, from the structural point of view a word 'group is closer to a sentence, because like a sentence a word group has a certain syntactic structure, word order and certain means of connection.

There are two basic approaches to the structure of the word group:

1) a word group is any combination of words;

2) a word group presupposes the presence of notional words.

The word-groups have lexical and structural meaning.
Lexical meaning is defined as the combined lexical meaning of the component words. Idiomatic meaning — the total change of the initial combined meaning (to catch smb red-handed)
Structural meaning is conveyed by the pattern of arrangement of its constituents (school grammar - grammar school).

One of the greatest differences between a word group and a sentence is that a classical word group is a non-predicative unit, because a word group doesn't carry predication (only sentences can carry it). A word group is a static explanation; a sentence carries some dynamic force. Thus a word group has no intonation of its own.

Structural classification:
- Predicative — have syntactic structure similar to that of a sentence (the horse has run away)
- Non-predicative: subordinate and coordinate.
Subordinate word-groups — consist of a head-word and words subordinate to it (to release a prisoner). In coordinate word-groups — all elements are equal (brother and sister).
If the word-group is used in the same function as one of its members — endocentric. Exocentric — are those that are used differently from either of its members.

Classifications of word groups:

1) full word groups: Phraseological units (set phrases, bound word groups)

2) the second classification is based on the way the headword is expressed. If we consider the relationship between the parts of a word group we'll find that there may be at least 3 groups of relations:

- coordinate relations coordinate word groups (groups of words, which have the same function (you and me), they are joined together either asyndetically or syndetically);

- subordinate relations subordinate word groups (there is always the head and an adjunct),

- predicative relations predicative word groups (word groups the parts of which are joined by predicative relations (syntactical complexes)).

The subordinate word groups are further classified from the point of view of how their headword is expressed:

- noun word groups

- adjectival word groups

- adverbial word groups

- verbal word groups

The problem here is the word order (the arrangement of elements): if we consider the substantive word groups in Russian the usual extension goes to the right (the right hand distribution) in English — very often to the left (the left hand distribution): Get your eyes tested appeal to motorists.

A predicative word group (= complexes which are not to be found in Russian) is a special kind of word group with predicative relations between the nominal and the verbal parts (not the general predication of the sentence, not the primary predication, but the relations between the doer and the action).

The syntactical complex is a construction which is not to be found in slavonic languages and many others while in the English language it is used highly extensively. There are 5 main types of complexes:

1) the Complex Object;.

2) the Complex Subject (is mostly used in newspaper style and business);

3) the For-phrase (the For-Complex, the Prepositional Complex) (not only the preposition " for" but also " to" and " on" can occur in this construction);

4) the Gerundial Complex;

5) the Absolute Nominative Participial Construction (is used in fiction and in technical description).

The complexes are further subdivided into bound (1, 2, 3, 4): they always function as an ingredient part of the sentence; and full (5): it is absolute, is not the I.C. of the sentence and is always an adverbial.

Since we consider only free word groups we should expect that since a free word group is considered full, it has no phraseological meaning, we may understand that the general meaning of the whole group is a sum of the parts which constitute it, but sometimes we can't say so: very often the meaning of the whole phrase depends on the position of the elements in relation to each other: a house dog — a dog house.

Notional phrases are grammatical unities made by a combination of two or more notional words. Notional phrase is the main unit of syntax (as well as the sentence). Words in an utterance form various syntagmatic connections with one another. Different combinations of nominal phrases denote complex phenomena and their properties and their interconnections.

Groupings of notional words fall into two opposite types:

1) Equipollent groupings, constituted by words related to one another on an equal rank Connection in such groupings is realized either with the help of conjunctions (syndetically) or without them (asyndetically). The constituents of these combinations form logically consecutive connections that are classed as coordinative. Alongside these exist equipollent connections of a non-consecutive type when the elements are unequal as to the type of nomination. This type is classed as cumulative.

2) The dominational connection, where one of the constituents is principle and the other is subordinate. The principle element is called kernel or head word and the subordinate is the adjunct, expansion. Dominational connections can be consecutive like equipollent. The predicative connection of words builds up the basic of the sentence. The completive way of connection of words is considered as subordinative on the ground that the outer syntactic status of the whole combination is determined by the kernel element " That woman was astonishingly beautiful." All the completive connections are subdivided into objective and qualifying connections. The former reflect the relation of the object to the process and are characterized as very close: " He remembered the man". The later connections are divided into attributive and adverbial: a boy of good character: to speak in a low voice.