PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN NUCLEAR STRUCTURES OF MULTIPLE COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES
Рядинская О.П.
Кандидат филологических наук, старший преподаватель, кафедра иностранных языков, Национальный Исследовательский Университет, Белгородский Государственный Университет
ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ЕДИНИЦЫ В ЯДЕРНЫХ СТРУКТУРАХ СЛОЖНОПОДЧИНЕННЫХ ПРЕДЛОЖЕНИЙ
Аннотация
В статье рассматриваются особенности функционирования фразеологических единиц в сложноподчиненных предложениях с паратаксисом и гипотаксисом..Автор описывает условия функционирования фразеологических единиц в сложных предложениях с минимальными паратактическими и гипотактическими комплексами.
Ключевые слова: сложноподчиненное предложение, паратактические и гипотактические конструкции, фразиология.
Ryadinskaya OP
PhD in philology, Senior lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages at National Research University Belgorod State University
PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN NUCLEAR STRUCTURES OF MULTIPLE COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES
Abstract
The article deals with the specifics of the functioning of phraseological units in multiple Compound-Complex Sentences with parataxis and hypotaxis in Modern English. The author describes the conditions for the implementation of phraseological units in multiple Compound-Complex Sentences with a combination of minimal paratactic and minimal hypotactic complexes.
Keywords: multiple compound-complex sentences, paratactic and hypotactic complexes, phraseological units.
Multiple compound-complex sentences with parataxis and hypotaxis create optimum conditions for the use of phraseological units in Modern English (59%). Among them nuclear structures presented by the minimal paratactic complex and the minimal hypotactic complex of closed type offer the most favorable conditions for phraseological units. Such constructions are most frequent in fiction works of British and American writers of XIX – XX centuries. This model of multiple compound-complex centences in which phraseological units function, amounts 38.9% from the entire corpus of examples with a combination of paratactic and hypotactic complexes.
There are two kinds of the structural model of the studied construction: a hypotactic complex towards the paratactic complex in postposition (69.2%) and pre-position (30.8%).
“Your profusion makes me saving; and if you lament over him 
much longer, my heart will be as light as a feather” [1].
This example represents the model of multiple compound-complex sentence uniting minimal paratactic and minimal hypotactic complexes. Phraseological unit as light as a feather takes place in the main part of hypotactic complex.
The fact that the number of sentences with a hypotactic complex in finite position exceeds the number of structures with a hypotactic complex in initial situation twice, testifies that the main function of the hypotactic complex – to develop the rheme line of all sentence. The position of paratactic and hypotactic complexes is determined by the communicative task of the sentence as a component of the text.
The analysis of multiple compound-complex sentences showed that optimum conditions for phraseological units are created by a hypotactic complex in which idioms are realized that makes 61.3% from total of examples of this type of the sentence, for example:
This one was, and had no gift at hiding his feelings; or if 
he had it he took no trouble to exercise it [7].
Moreover phraseological units are rather often met in paratactic blocks of multiple compound-complex sentences (38.7% from all examples of this type), for example:
Bill gets down on his all fours, and a look comes in his eye 
like a rabbit’s when you catch it in a trap [3].
It’s interesting to examine the location of idioms inside the hypotactic complex. There is a tendency of functioning of phraseological units in subordinate part that is connected with distribution of the components in the theme-rheme chain of hypotactic complex, for example:
I could not meet his eyes. <…>‘Don’t let anything change you back, Susannah. Please stay as you are.’
I just sat there looking at him and I knew then that I 
was in love with Malcolm Mateland [4].
The information structure of the studied example involves a combination of two parallel lines of theme-rheme (Т – R) lines both paratactic, and hypotactic complexes:
/Т1 + R1/ – /T2 + R2 (Ra + Rb)/.
The quantity of structures in which idioms are realized in the main part of hypotactic complex exceeds the number of models in which idioms are in the subordinate parts (67.8% and 32.2% respectively), for example:
Becky spent the day with them with the children, and Tom turned up in time for dinner, reeking of booze, and openly eyeing Crystal.
When he left again, Becky burst into tears and accused her 
of flirting with him, and Crystal was horrified [6].
In this example, the information structure includes theme-rheme lines paratactic and hypotactic complexes: / T1 + R1 (Ra + Rb) / – / T2 + R2 /.
The complicated rheme consists of the fragment of the main part which includes the verbal phraseological unit burst into tears and temporary subordinate when he left again.
It should be noted that in the paratactic complex phraseological units appear in most cases in a rheme zone too, giving to a narration more expressive colors, thereby increasing interest of readers to new details and the circumstances arising in constantly being developed subject lines, for example:
‘Mark is seventeen, Pam will be fourteen in June, and Matthew is six.’<…>‘Do you like your school, Pam?’ Mel gently spoke to her. ‘It’s okay.’
At that, Mark rolled his eyes, quick to show that he 
disapproved, and Pam took the bait at once [5].
The information structure of the analyzed sentence has the following form:
/Т1 + R1 (Ra + Rb) / – / T2 + R2/. Paratactic complex takes a finite position; its information segment has rather transparent form consisting of a simple theme and a simple rheme.
Level of a phraseological saturation of these structures is low. It was revealed 8.8% of the sentences in which two and more idioms units are used.
The research established that 75% falls on the structures in which phraseological units are at the same time realized both in paratactic, and hypotactic complexes. The sentences in which phraseological units concentrate only in a hypotactic complex, make 25%, for example:
Your great men often are; and therefore I shall not take him 
at his word, as he might change his mind another day, warn
me off his grounds [1].
In this example, verbal phraseological units take him at his word, change his mind are localized in a hypotactic complex – in main and in subordinate parts. This construction possesses interesting property to have idioms in contact predicative units.
The arrangement of phraseological units in a paratactic complex and in the main part of a hypotactic complex prevails in the sentences of studied type, making 50% from all models with two idioms.
The maximum quantity of phraseological units, actualized in the investigated structures, is three. Rate of models, in which they are implemented, amounts to 11.2% of the total number of examples of this type, for example:
I confess that I have been as blind as a mole, but it is better to 
learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all [2].
In the studied sentence phraseological units (adjectival as blind as a mole, a proverb better to learn wisdom late than never and adverbial idiom at all) are realized both in hypotactic, and in paratactic complexes, and a paratactic complex includes two phraseological units. The distribution of idioms in paratactic and hypotactic complexes is connected, probably, not only with the minimal quantity of constituents, but also with
equal distribution of information than in other types of constructions with expansion of paratactic or hypotactic complexes.
Thus, for sentences with a combination of parataxis and hypotaxis the phenomenon at which the increase in number of phraseological units causes a simplification of structure is inherent.
It should be noted that the use of idioms depends on writer’s idiostyle. The originality of each author consists in a special choice of grammatical structures, lexical items and means of expression. Individual style of the writer treats also with the existence or absence of phraseological units. Those authors who use idioms in their works, consider them as ways of the speech characteristic of the characters that give expressiveness and an emotionality to dialogues and storytelling in general (Courtenay, Doyle, Henry, Holt, Jerome, Steel, Twain). Other writers are very careful in a choice of lexical means, including and idiomatic expressions, preferring other linguistic methods and tools to build story lines (Baker, Gabaldon, Hamilton).
Литература
1. Austin, J. Pride and Prejudice. – New York : Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, [1984]. – 379 p.
2. Doyle, Arthur Conan The Complete Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. – New York : : C. N. Potter, 1975. – 326 p.
3. Henry, O. Tales of O. Henry : Sixty-two stories. – New York : Barnes & Noble, 1993. – viii, 565 p.
4. Holt, V. The mask of the enchantress. – Geneva : Edito-Service, 1982. – 346 p.
5. Steel, D. Changes. – London : Sphere, 1983. – 380 р.
6. Steel, D. Star. – London : Sphere Books, 1990. – 410 р.
7. Twain, M. The Celebrated Jumping Frog and the Other Stories. – Pleasantville ; N.Y. : Reader’s Digest Association, 1992. – 230 p.