14. The sentence: definition and major categories.

In the history of linguistics at least 5 principles of definition of the sentence are possible:

1) logical;

2) phonological;

3) psychological;

4) graphical;

5) structural (grammatical).

None of the around 500 definitions of the sentence are unanimously accepted.

Henry Sweet: sentence is a word or a group of words capable of expressing a complete thought or meaning.

The most important typical features of the sentence are as follows:

1. The sentence is a predicative unit of the language, i.e. not a nominative one, like a phrase r a word. Predicaiton reflects the relation of the situation mentioned to the actual reality.

2. Unlike a phrase, a sentence can consist of one word only.

3. A sentence renders a complete though.

4. A sentence is characterised by the categories of predication, modality and intonation.

5. A sentence may act as an independent piece of communication.

According to the purpose of communication, the following categories of the sentence can be singled out: declarative (affirmative or negative), interrogative, imperative (affirmative or negative). Exclamatory sentences stand outside the classification as depending on intonation only. Thus any sentence can be pronounced as an exclamation.

What make a sentence predicative is the predicative line within its structure. By the predicative line we usually understand the connection between the subject of the sentence and a finite verb. Sentences with one predicative line are monopredicative, or simple; Ss with more predicative lines are called polyredicative. It is debatable whether or not the sentences with more than one predicative lines belonging to one and the same subject are simple. Blokh states that they are not, for the missing subjects are easily retrieved.

1. Simple sentences:

1) two-member sentences:

a) complete;

b) elliptical (to the cinema);

2) one-member sentences:

a) nominal;

b) infinitival;

c) imperative;

2. Composite sentences:

1) the compound sentence is a polypredicative sentence built on the principles of coordination, expressed either syndetically (with the help of a conjunction or a connector) or asyndetically;

2) the complex sentence is a polypredictive sentence with at least two predicative lines connected on the principles of subordinations.

The Principles of Classification of Subordinate Clauses

Two different classifications are usually discussed.

1. The functional classification. According to this principle, subordinate clauses are classified on the similarity of their functions with those of the parts of the sentence:

1) subject clauses (What you say is unimportant);

2) objects clauses (I’d like to know where you are going);

3) predicative (That is why you must hurry);

4) attributive clauses:

a) attributive relative clauses (The girl, who is standing at the window, is my sister);

b) appositive clauses (The idea that I might fail irritated him);

5) adverbial clauses:

a) time;

b) cause;

c) condition;

d) concession, etc. (We shan’t go anywhere if it rains).