The structural principle of classifying phraseological units

The second type of restriction is the restriction in introducing any additional components into the structure of a phraseological unit.

In the phraseological unit to carry coals to Newcastle no additional components can be introduced.

The third type of structural restrictions in phraseological units is grammatical invariability. A typical mistake is to use the plural form of a fault in the phraseological unit to find fault with somebody (e. g. The teacher always finds faults with the boy).

THE CLASSIFICATION OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS: SEMANTIC, FUNCTIONAL (ACCORDING TO THEIR GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE), CONTEXTUAL

Semantic approach stresses the importance of idiomaticity, functional - syntactic inseparability, contextual – stability of context combined with idiomaticity.

V.V.VINOGRADOV'S CLASSIFICATION OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS

In his classification V.V. Vinogradov developed some points first advanced by the Swiss linguist Charles Bally. The classification is based upon the motivation of the unit, i.e. the relationship existing between the meaning of the whole and the meaning of its component parts. The degree of motivation is correlated with the rigidity, indivisibility and semantic unity of the expression.

Accordingly, Vinogradov classifies phraseological units into three classes: phraseological combinations, unities and fusions (Рус. Фразеологические сочетания, единства и сращения).

Phraseological collocations (combinations) are partially motivated; they contain one component used in its direct meaning while the other is used figuratively: meet the necessity, meet the requirements, to be good at something. Phraseological unities, are much more numerous. They are clearly motivated. The emotional quality is based upon the image created by the whole:

To lose one’s head, to lose one’s heart to smb.

Phraseological fusions are completely non-motivated word-groups. The meaning of components is completely absorbed by the meaning of the whole:

To come a cropper - to come to disaster;

To leave smb. in the lurch - to abandon a friend when he is in trouble.

The structural principle of classifying phraseological units is based on their ability to perform the same syntactical functions as words. The following principal groups of phraseological units are distinguishable:

1) Verbal: to run for one's (dear) life (ни за что (на свете); to sit pretty (неплохо устроиться).

2) Substantive: dog's life, cat-and-dog life, white lie, red tape, brown study (в (мрачном) раздумье);

3) Adjectival: safe and sound, as a cucumber, (as) nervous as a cat, (as) weak as a kitten, (as) pretty as a picture, as large as life;

4) Adverbial: high and low -* They searched for him high and low;

by hook or by crook -* She decided that, by hook or by crook, she must marry for love or money -* He came to the conclusion that a really good job couldn’t be found for love or money;

5) Interjectional: my God! goodness gracious! good Heavens!

N.N.AMOSOVA'S CONCEPT OF CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

N. N. Amosova's approach is contextological. She defines phraseological units as units of fixed context. Fixed context is defined as a context characterized by a specific and unchanging sequence of definite lexical components and a peculiar semantic relationship between them.

Units of fixed context are subdivided into phrasemes and idioms.

Phrasemes are always binary: one component has a phraseologically bound meaning, the other serves as the determining context (small talk, small hours, small change).

Idioms may be motivated or demotivated. A motivated idiom is homonymous to a free phrase, but this phrase is used figuratively: take the bull by the horns (to face dangers without fear). In the nick of time is demotivated, because the word nick is obsolete. Both phrasemes and idioms may be movable (changeable) or immovable.

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