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formation. As for the simple sentence, however intricate and expanded its structure might be, it is formed, of
necessity, upon a single elementary sentence-base exposing its structural key-model. E.g.:
Tne tall trees by the island shore were shaking violently in the gusty wind.
This is an expanded simple sentence including a number of optional parts, and its complete analysis in terms
of a syntagmatic parsing is rather intricate. On the other hand, applying the idea of {be elementary sentence, we
immediately reveal that the sentence is built upon the key-string "The trees were shaking", i.e. on the syn-
|agmatic pattern of an intransitive verb.
As we see, the notions "elementary sentence" and "sentence model" do not exclude each other, but, on the
contrary, supplement each other: a model is always an abstraction, whereas an elementary sentence can and
should be taken both as an abstract category (in the capacity of the "model of an elementary sentence") and as
an actual utterance of real speech.
§ 4. The subject-group and the predicate-group of the sentence are its two constitutive "members", or, to
choose a somewhat more specific term, its "axes" (in the Russian grammatical tradition - «составы
предложения»). According as both members are present in the composition of the sentence or only one of
them, sentences are classed into "two-member" and "one-member" ones.
Scholars point out that "genuine" one-member sentences are characterized not only as expressing one
member in their outer structure; in addition» as an essential feature, they do not imply the other member on the
contextual lines. In other words, in accord with this view, elliptical sentences in which the subject or the predi-
cate is contextually omitted, are analysed as "two-member" sentences [Hyish, 190, 252].
We cannot accept the cited approach because, in our opinion, it is based on an inadequate presupposition
that in the system of language there is a strictly defined, "absolute" demarcation line between the two types of
constructions. In reality, though, each one-member sentence» however pure it might appear from the point of
view of non-association with an ellipsis, still, on closer observation, does expose traits of this association.
For instance, the sentence "Come on!" exemplifying one of the classical one-member sentence varieties,
implies a situational person (persons) stimulated to perform an action, i.e. the subject of the event. Similarly,
the construction "All right!" rendering agreement on the part of the speaker, is a representative unit standing for
a normal two-member utterance in its contextual-bound implication plane, otherwise it would be senseless.
Bearing in mind the advanced objection, our approach to the syntactic category of axis part of the sentence
is as follows.
All simple sentences of English should be divided into two-axis constructions and one-axis constructions.
In a two-axis sentence, the subject axis and the predicate axis are directly and explicitly expressed in the
outer structure. This concerns all the .three cardinal communicative types of sentences. E.g.:
The books come out of the experiences. What has been happening here? You better go back to bed.
In a one-axis sentence only one axis or its part is explicitly expressed, the other one being non-presented in
the outer structure of the sentence. Cf.:
"Who will meet us at the airport?" - "Mary."
The response utterance is a one-axis sentence with the subject-axis expressed and the predicate-axis
implied: > 'Mary will meet us at the airport. Both the non-expression of the predicate and its actual implication
in the sub-text are obligatory, since the complete two-axis construction renders its own connotations.
"And what is your opinion of me?" - "Hard as nails, absolutely ruthless, a bom intriguer, and as self-centred
as they make 'cm."
The response utterance is a one-axis sentence with the predicate-axis expressed ( predicative unit) and the
subject-axis (together with the link-verb of the predicate) implied: >You are hard as nails, etc.
"I thought he might have said something to you about it." - "Not a word."
The response utterance is a one-axis sentence with the predicate-axis partially expressed (by the object) and
the subject-axis together with the verbal part of the predicate-axis implied: > He said not a word to me.
"Glad to see you after all these years!"
The sentence is a one-axis unit with the predicate-axis expressed and the subject-axis implied as a form of
familiarity: > I am glad to see you ...