Debated Problems within The Verbals

1. The existing terms Present Participle and Past Participle are not satisfactory as the finites do not denote time absolutely. On the analogy with the German Partizip I and Partizip II the terms Participle I and Participle II were proposed. The term “half-gerund” is unscientific (I insist upon John doing it in time. I insist upon them doing it in time).

2. Sometimes a gerund and a participle I are hard to distinguish {(I saw mother reading a book(a participle). I remember mother reading a book (a gerund)}. It is reasonable to consider them as an ing-form, the difference between the gerund and the participle being neutralized. The difference between a gerund and a verbal noun can also be neutralized (People told me about your smoking).

The Functions of Non-Finites

The finites perform the function of a simple verbal predicate. The non-finites can perform different functions in the sentence (predicative, subject, object, attribute, adverbial modifier). They can occur isolatedly, in phrases {There are things to marvel at (an infinitive phrase functions as an attribute), in predicative constructions which function as complex subjects, predicatives, objects, attributes, adverbial modifiers ( I made him do it. He was seen to be crossing the street.). Some functions of non-finites can be syncretical and ambiguous {I got places to go and things to do (an attribute and an adverbial modifier of purpose).

So, all the forms of the verb are divided oppositionally into Finites and Non-finites, which differ structurally, semantically and functionally.

Materials for Lecture 4

SYNTAX

The domain of morphology is the paradigmatics of words; the domain of syntax is the syntagmatics of words, phrases and sentences, their arrangement, combinability and functioning.

Syntax studies how words are combined into phrases and simple sentences, how simple sentences are combined into compound and complex sentences and how supraphrasal units and texts are organized and generated.

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Points of Differences with the Finites	\|	Types of Syntax

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