Word-groups. Syntactic bonds between words

A sentence is built up of words and word-groups. A word-group is a unit formed by a combination of two or more notional words, which does not constitute a sentence. A word- group differs from a sentence in as much as it does not perform a communication. A word- group as such has no intonation, intonation being one of the most important properties of a sentence. In the sentence - A week of heavy reading had passed since that evening. - There are the following word-groups:

1. A week of heavy reading = a noun group;

2. had passed since that evening = a verb group.

Grammar is concerned with free syntactical word-groups formed each time a new, and is not concerned with phraseological phrases belonging to the vocabulary of a language. Compare: an interesting book; to run quickly (free word-groups) first aid; to take the floor (set phrases)

There are three main types of syntactic connections (i.e. bonds) between words: subordination, coordination and predication. Accordingly, word-groups in modern English are classified into the following types: subordinate, coordinate and predicative word-groups.

1. Subordinate word-groups consist of words which are syntactically unequal as one of the constituent elements, called the «head», is modified by a dependent element, called an «adjunct». Due to this feature, subordinate word-groups can be called «dominational.»

Subordinate connection is achieved by different classes of words, prepositions (i.e. prepositional government) and word-order.

E.g.: a pretty girl (girl = a head-word, pretty = an adjunct, i.e. modifier); a book of stories (book = a head-word, of stories = prepositional adjunct);

The head and the adjunct of a subordinate word-group are its immediate constituents. The head is that part of a subordinate word-group which can replace the whole word-group in a sentence. The adjunct is the part of a subordinate word- group which cannot be substituted for the head.

According to the head, subordinate word-groups can be classified into:

· noun-groups: a sleepless night;

· verb-groups: to work hard;

· adjective-groups: extremely clever;

· adverb-groups: quite near, very quickly;

· pronoun-groups: some of the students.

Noun-groups and verb-groups are the most wide-spread types of word-groups in modern English. According to the structure, subordinate word-groups are classified into:

· simple (unextended) word-groups, consisting of two notional words: an interesting book, very tired, etc.

· complex (extended) word-groups, comprising more than two notional words: a very interesting book; to work pretty hard, etc.

2. Coordinate word-groups comprise elements which have the same syntactic function, being related to one another on an equal rank. Depending on this feature, this kind of word-groups can be called «equipotent.» For instance: Nick and John; day and night; came and went; tired but happy, etc.

3. Predicative word-groups are formed by a combination of a noun phrase or a pronoun in the objective case and a non-finite verbal form, reflecting the relationship between the logical subject and the predicate. Such are infinitival, gerundial or participial constructions. For instance:

I saw him crossing the street. (him crossing the street = predicative word-group in the function of complex object); They got into the car and drove away, the dog running after them barking. (the dog running after them barking = predicative word-group, so called Nominative Absolute Participial Construction in the function of adverbial modifier of attending circumstances).