36. The utterance. Informative structure of the utterance.The theme and the rheme.

Utterance is a sequence of words within a single person’s turn at talk that falls under a single intonation contour. The utterance as opposed to the sentence is the unit of speech.

The main categories of the utterance from the point of view of its informative structure are the theme and the rheme.

The theme and the rheme are the main components of the Functional Sentence Perspective (FSP) – actual division of the sentence (utterance)

The theme given information( information has already been introduced before or it is assumed to be known to the reader or listener)

The rhemeis a new information (information which is introduced for the first time in the utterance)

37. The utterance. Communicative and pragmatic types of utterances.

38. The composite sentence and the problem of coordination and subordination.

Unlike a simple sentence that consists of a single independent clause with no dependent clauses, a composite sentence is built up by two or more predicative lines. It can be defined as a structural and semantic unity of two or moresyntactic constructions each having a predicative center of its own, built onthe basis of a syntactic connection and used in speech communication as a unitof the same rank as the simple sentence.

The following characteristics should be kept in mind when discussing composite sentences:

- the type of syntactic connection (coordination or subordination);

- the rank of predicative constructions, that is, the place occupied by the predicative construction in the hierarchy of clauses;

- presence or absence of connectors and their character.

Compound sentences are structures of coordination with two or more

immediate constituents which are syntactically equivalent, i. e. none of them is

below the other in rank.

The process of coordination involves the linking of structures of equal

grammatical rank — single words and phrases in elementary compound groups or

independent clauses in compound sentences. The coordinative conjunctions and

the correlatives serve to produce coordination by joining the grammatically

equivalent elements. Two or more clauses equal in rank can together be given the

status of a single sentence. Such co-ordinated units make up a compound sentence.

The formative words linking the parts of a compound sentence fall into the

following types: 1) coordinative conjunctions, 2) conjunctive adverbs, 3) fixed

prepositional phrases.

Coordinative conjunctions are rather few in number: and, but, or, yet, for.

Sentence-linking words, called conjunctive advebs are: consequently, furthermore, hence, however, moreover, nevertheless, therefore.

Some typical fixed prepositional phrases functioning as sentence linkers are: at least, as a result, after a while, in addition, in contrast, in the next place, on the other hand, for example, for instance.

Complex sentences are structures of subordination with two or more

immediate constituents which are not syntactically equivalent. In the simplest case,

that of binary structure, one of them is the principal clause to which the other is

joined as a subordinate. The latter stands in the relation of adjunct to the principal

clause and is beneath the principal clause in rank.

The semantic relations that can be expressed by subordination are much

more numerous and more varied than with co-ordination: all such relations as time,

place, concession, purpose, etc. are expressly stated in complex sentences only.

To express subordination of one syntactic unit to another in a complex

sentence English uses the following means: conjunctions: when, after, before,

while, till, until, though, although, that, as, because; a number of fixed phrases

performing the same function: as soon as, as long as, so long as, notwithstanding

that, in order that, according as, etc.; conjunctive words: the relative pronouns

who, which, that, whoever, whatever, whichever, and the relative adverbs where,

how, whenever, wherever, however, why, etc.