<<
>>

§ 7. Syntactic Structure (Formula) and Pattern of Word-Groups

In connection with the problem under discussion the term syntactic (or syntagmatic) structure requires some clarification. We know that word-groups may be generally described through the pattern of arrangement of the constituent members.

The term syntactic structure (formula) properly speaking implies the description of the order and arrangement of member-words as parts of speech. We may, for instance, describe the word-group as made up of an Adjective and a Noun (clever man, red flower, etc.), a Verb — a Noun (take books, build houses, etc.), or a Noun, a Preposition and a Noun (a touch of colour, a matter of importance, etc.). The syntactic structure (formula) of the nominal groups clever man and red flower may be represented as A + N, that of the verbal groups take books and build houses as V + N, and so on.

These formulas can be used to describe all the possible structures of English word-groups. We can say, e.g., that the verbal groups comprise the following structural formulas: V+N (to build houses), V+prp+N (to rely on somebody), V+N+prp+N (to hold something against somebody), V+N+V(inf.) (to make somebody work), V+ V(inf.) (to get to know), and so on.

The structure of word-groups may be also described in relation to the head-word, e.g. the structure of the same verbal groups (to build houses, to rely on somebody) is represented as to build + N, to rely + on + N. In this case it is usual to speak of the patterns of word-groups but not of formulas. The term pattern implies that we are speaking of the structure of the word-group in which a given word is used as its head.

The interdependence of the pattern and meaning of head-words can be easily perceived by comparing word-groups of different patterns in which the same head-word is used. For example, in verbal groups the head-

70

word mean is semantically different in the patterns mean+iV (mean something) and mean + V(inf.) (mean to do something). Three patterns with the verb get as the head-word represent three different meanings of this verb, e.g. get+N (get a letter, information, money, etc.), get+ +to +N (get to Moscow, to the Institute, etc.), get+N+V(inf.) (get somebody to come, to do the work, etc.). This is also true of adjectival word-groups, e.g. clever+N (clever man) and clever+at+N (clever at arithmetic), keen+N (keen sight, hearing), keen+on+N (keen on sports, tennis). Notional member-words in such patterns are habitually represented in conventional symbols whereas prepositions and other form-words are given in their usual graphic form. This is accounted for by the fact that individual form-words may modify or change the meaning of the word with which it is combined, as in, e.g., anxious+for+ N (anxious for news), anxious+about+N (anxious about his health). Broadly speaking we may conclude that as a rule the difference in the meaning of the head-word is conditioned by a difference in the pattern of the word-group in which this word is used.

<< | >>
Èñòî÷íèê: R. S. Ginzburg S. S. Khidekel, G. Y. Knyazeva, A. A. Sankin. A COURSE IN MODERN ENGLISH LEXICOLOGY. 1979

Åùå ïî òåìå § 7. Syntactic Structure (Formula) and Pattern of Word-Groups:

  1. Ñèòóàöèÿ äåéñòâèÿ è «Pattern Variables» («òèïîâûå ïåðåìåííûå»)
  2. ÌÒÁ
  3. Êóäèíîâ Þ. È., Ïàùåíêî Ô. Ô., Êåëèíà À. Þ.. Ïðàêòèêóì ïî îñíîâàì ñîâðåìåííîé èíôîðìàòèêè: Ó÷åáíîå ïîñîáèå., 2011
  4. Þ. È. ÊÓÄÈÍÎÂ, Ô.Ô. ÏÀÙÅÍÊÎ, À. Þ. ÊÅËÈÍÀ. ÏÐÀÊÒÈÊÓÌ ÏÎ ÎÑÍÎÂÀÌ ÑÎÂÐÅÌÅÍÍÎÉ ÈÍÔÎÐÌÀÒÈÊÈ, 2011
  5. Ïðèìå÷àíèÿ
  6. Èëëþñòðàöèè ê ñêàçàííîìó
  7. Ëàðèñà Àëåêñàíäðîâíà Ìàëèíèíà Âàäèì Âàñèëüåâè÷ Ëûñåíêî Ìàêñèì Àíàòîëüåâè÷ Áåëÿåâ. Îñíîâû èíôîðìàòèêè: Ó÷åáíèê äëÿ âóçîâ, 2006
  8. Ëèòåðàòóðà
  9. Ïðèìå÷àíèÿ
  10. Ïðî ñëîâà-óðîäû
  11. Òèïû ñîöèàëüíûõ ñòðóêòóð
  12. Ëèòåðàòóðà
  13. Ïðåäèñëîâèå