Structural classification of sentences

Syntax

INTRODUCTION

The English language consists of three constituent parts: the phonological system, the lexical system, the grammatical system.

Phonetics is a science which studies the phonic system of the language (sounds, intonation, etc.)

Lexicology is a science which studies the word-stock of the language, -its building material (words, phrases, etc.)

Grammar is a science which studies the structure of the language. The two parts of English Grammar are: Morphology and Syntax. Morphology deals with parts of speech. Syntax studies the sentence, different types of sentences and their meanings.

Syntax is the part of grammar which deals with sentences and combinability of words. The core of syntax is the study of the sentence. Syntax embraces on the one hand the structure of the sentence, that is, its components, their structure and the relations between these components, and on the other hand structural and communicative types of sentences.

THE SENTENCE

§ 1. Anything that is said in the act of communication is called an utterance. Most utterances are sentences, although there are some which are not sentences and are called non-sentence utterances. Thus utterances fall into two groups: sentences and non-sentence utterances.

The sentence is a unit of speech which expresses a complete thought, and has a correct grammatical form and intonation. Every sentence has modality, which shows the speaker's attitude towards reality.

Sentences may be regarded from the point of view of their structure and their communicative value.

Structural classification of sentences

§ 2. From the point of view of their structure, sentences can be:

1.Simple orcomposite (compound and complex).

2.Complete orincomplete (elliptical).

3.Two-member (double-nucleus) orone-member (single-nucleus).

These three classifications are based on different approaches to the structural organisation of sentences and reflect its different aspects.

The difference between the simple sentence and the composite sentence lies in the fact that the former contains only one subject-predicate unit and the latter more than one. Subject-predicate units that form composite sentences are called clauses.

Honesty is the best policy. (one subject-predicate unit)

Still waters run deep. (one subject-predicate unit)

You can take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink, (two subject-predicate units, or two clauses)

You never know what you can do till you try. (three subject-predicate units, or three clauses)

The difference between the compound and complex sentence lies in the relations between the clauses that constitute them (see § 137, 138, 144).

Complete and incomplete (or elliptical) sentences are distinguished by the presence or absence of word-forms in the principal positions of two-member sentences.

In a complete sentence both the principal positions are filled with word-forms.

When did you arrive?

I came straight here.

In an incomplete (elliptical) sentence one or both of the main positions are not filled, but can be easily supplied as it is clear from the context what is missing.

Cheerful, aren’t you?

Ready?

Could’ve been professional.

Wrong again.

Elliptical sentences are typical of conversational English. One-member and two-member sentences are distinguished by the number of principal parts (positions) they contain: two-member sentences have two main parts - the subject and the predicate, while one-member sentences have only one principal part, which is neither the subject nor the predicate.

Two-member sentences:

The magpie flew off.

We are going to my house now.

One-member sentences:

An old park.

Mid-summer.

Low tide, dusty water.

To live alone in this abandoned house!

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