The Dualistic Nature of Language Units

Grammar as a constituent part of linguistics consists of 2 main parts: morphology and syntax. Morphology is the part of grammar which studies word-forms and their categories while syntax deals with phrases, sentences and operating them in the process of speech-making. The nature of grammar is better understood if we distinguish between 2 main planes of meaningful language units: the plane of expression and the plane of content.

The plane of content comprises (includes) semantic elements of the language while the plane of expression is restricted (ограничен) to the material, formal elements of the language. These two planes are closely connected and when joined make it possible to actualize the process of communication.

In English in most cases we can observe the absence of one-to-one correspondence between the 2 planes. This phenomenon explains the cases of polysemy, homonymy and synonymy.

In cases of polysemy and homonymy 2 or more units of the plane of content correspond to 1 unit of the plane of expression.

e.g. the unit –ed (one unit of the plane of expression) can render the meanings of the past tense and Participle II (two units of the plane of content):

He worked there (past tense)

He has worked there for 10 years (Participle II)

Should can be used as an auxiliary verb to form Future-in-the-past, the Suppositional mood, or as a modal verb in one of its meanings.

e.g. the word customs is таможня or ряд обычаев.

In cases of synonymy 2 or more units of the plane of expression correspond to 1 basic unit of the plane of content.

e.g. the forms of the traditional Future Indefinite, Future Continuous, Present Indefinite, Present Continuous can synonymically render the meaning of a future action:

He will come on Sunday.

He is coming on Sunday.

I shall call you if he comes on Sunday.

The subject matter of the science of Grammar is to reveal and formulate the regularities of correspondence between the plane of content and the plane of expression of language units in the process of speech-making.

The Notion of Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic Relations

Language can be treated as a system of signs meaningful of which have one or more potential meanings. These meanings are actualized in speech. The actualization of language signs meanings presupposes taking into consideration their two main planes and their syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations.

Syntagmatic relations are immediate linear relations between language units in a segmental sequence. Syntagmatically are connected morphemes within words or words within phrases or sentences. A combination of 2 or more words, one of which dominates the other or others, is called a syntactic syntagma. Thus we can speak of predicative syntagmas (subject + predicate), objective syntagmas (predicate + object; verb + object), attributive syntagmas (noun + attribute), adverbial syntagmas (adjective + adverb; adverb + adverb; verb + adverb).

Paradigmatic relations are intrasystemic relations. It means they are relations between the forms of the same word. Preceding functional or formal properties or categorial meanings, wordforms make up sets which are called paradigms. Paradigms express one categorial meaning: tense, aspect, number, etc. Members of a paradigm never co-occur in one phrase or sentence. In cases of homogeneousness they may be employed together however. But in such cases we deal with semicomposite sentences (полусложные).

e.g. He smoked, smokes and will smoke.

Sentences can also make up paradigms when their word order patterns and communicative functions are taken into consideration. Such paradigms are known in grammar as synparadigns. A minimal paradigm consists of two forms or constituents.

e.g. the paradigm of the category of number is boy-boys.

In a sentence each positional component is used in two types of relations: syntagmatic and paradigmatic. It is always at the point of crossing of these two types of relations where syntagmatic relations can be treated as horizontal while paradigmatic relations can be treated as vertical.

Table 1

Paradigmatic relations	S yntagmatic relations	him	will give	I	books
		He	gave	me	a book.
		He	gives	me	a book.