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function in the sentence. The prevailing role of syntax over morphology is also revealed in the fact that words,
phrases and clauses may be used in the same functions.
The order of elements in the English sentence is fixed to a greater degree than in inflected languages (as the
Russian language). The order subject - predicate - object is most characteristic of statements, and any modi-
fication of it is always justified by either stylistic or communicative considerations. Attributes may precede or
follow head-word, the first pattern being more usual. The most mobile element in the sentence is the adverbial,
but that can be explained by its reference to different parts of the sentence.
A most peculiar feature of English is a special set of words employed as structural substitutes for a certain
part of speech: noun substitutes (one, that), the verb substitute (do), the adverbs and adjective substitute (so).
MORPHOLOGY
PARTS OF SPEECH
§ 1. All the words of the English language are grouped into different types of classes. This classification is
based on three main principles:
1) their grammatical meaning;
2) their form and
3) their syntactical characteristics.
By the first we understand the meaning common to all the words of the class, such as thingness for the noun
or either process or state for the verb.
By the second we mean the morphological characteristics of the class meant, such as the number of the noun
or the voice of the verb.
By the third - the combinability and the syntactical functions of a type of word.
We distinguish between notional and functional parts of speech: the former denoting extralinguistic
phenomena such as things, actions, qualities, emotions and the latter - relations and connections between
notional words or sentences. Thus there are 9 notional parts of speech and 3 functional ones.
The notional parts
of speech are:
The functional parts
of speech are:
the noun
the adjective
the stative
the pronoun
the numeral
the verb
the adverb
the modal words
the interjection
the preposition
the conjunction
the particle
THE VERB
§ 2. Most verbs denote action or state. However, there are some verbs which have other meanings. They are
modal verbs, causative verbs, some impersonal verbs, relational and link-verbs. They present a system of
finite and non-finite forms, except for modal verbs, which have no non-finite forms.
The verb in its finite forms possesses the morphological categories of person, number, tense, aspect, perfect,
voice and mood. Its syntactical function is that of the predicate.
The non-finite forms (or verbals) are four in number, they are: the infinitive, the gerund, participle I and
participle II.
Non-finite verb forms possess the verbal categories of perfect, voice and to a certain extent aspect. Owing to
the richness of its morphological categories, the flexibility of its syntactical functioning and wide
combinability, the verb is of the greatest importance in the structure of the sentence.