Functions of word order in English and types of inversion.

Words in an English sentence are arranged in a certain order, which is fixed for every type of the sentence, and is therefore meaningful. Modern English is characterized by a rigid word-order in accordance with which the subject of declarative sentences, as a rule, precedes the predicate. This is the so-called direct order of words.

The most common pattern for the arrangement of the main parts in a declarative sentence is Subject - Predicate - (Object), which is called direct word order.

An unusual position of any part of the sentence may be treated as inversion in the broad sense of the word. There is 2 structural types of inversion: full (predicate + subject) and partial (auxiliary verb (operator) + subject + notional part).

The main functions of word order.

1. Grammatical function expresses grammatical relations. PetersawJohn.

Cases of inversion:

Full inversionmarks the second part of a sentence of proportional agreement (not obligatory) The more he thought of it, the less clear was the matter.

Partial inversion is used

- to distinguish types of sentences: questions, exclamations or imperative sentences having the form of a negative question. Is it really true? Don't you do it!

- to indicate subordination in conditional and concessive clauses introduced asyndetically. Were she asked, she would say.

2. Communicative function indicates information focus (end-focus)

Cases of inversion:

Full inversion is used

- after introductory there. There was a girt whom he loved, there goes our bus.

- after fronted adverbial expressions of place (direction). Here comes Edward.

Partial inversion is used

- after so , neither, nor in a “second clause”, or “short response”. He's hungry. - So am I.

- after as, than, so. She was well-read as were most of her friends.

3. Emphatic function makes part of the sentence prominent by placing the rheme before the theme.

Cases of inversion:

Full inversion is used

- after fronted postpositions (adverbs or prepositions). I stopped the car and up walked a policeman.

- after fronted predicatives. Tall and graceful was Ann.

Partial inversion is used

- after fronted negative and/or restrictive adverbs or expressions: hardly, seldom, rarefy, little, never, expression with only. Only after we met her, did we realize how clever she was.

- after adverbs, adverbial phrases or clauses (often of manner). Well do I remember the day.

- after as, than, so: So shocked was he that he hardly said a word.

- after fronted objects, especially Not /No + Object. Not a single word did she say.

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<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Communicative structure of the sentence.	\|	Principles of classification of simple sentences.

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