Modality as an important sentence feature

Predicativity as an important sentence feature

Approaches to Sentence Studies. The Structural Types of Sentences.

The features which should be included into definition:

n the sentence is a syntactic unit;

n the sentence is an autonomous unit which isn’t a part of a larger syntactic structure;

n the sentence is a structurally complete unit which is based on a certain syntactic pattern

n expresses primary predication (expresses relation to reality in terms of tense and mood)

n names a situation, rather than an object

n the sentence is characterized by its own purpose of utterance. It can be a statement, a question or a command (the minimal communicative unit).

n the sentence as a syntactic unit is materialized in a written or oral form (has aphonetic or graphic shape).

So, the sentence is an autonomous, structurally complete syntactic unit having its own purpose of utterance and phonetically and graphically shaped which names a situation and expresses predication.

Ch. Balie: “In every sentence there are 2 obvious aspects: dictum and modus.

Dictum expresses the meaning of the sentence (what is said about the subject).

Modus expresses the speaker’s attitude to what is being said.

Predicativity consists in ascribing an action, state or quality from the predicate to the subject. It is expressed through the interrelation between two principal parts of the sentence the subject and the predicate (formally through their agreement in person and number + tense characteristics, refers an action to a definite period of time).

In imperative sentences the doer is always implied if not mentioned.

One-member nominal sentences name not a peculiar thing or person but the situation as a whole. They possess the meaning of predication, an ability to describe a situation, not predicativity.

Modality is a universal category of language which expresses the relation of sentence meaning to reality as it is presented by the speaker.

The most important and most universal means of expressing sentence modality is the verbal category of mood. Since every predicate in a sentence stands in one of 3 moods the modality expressed in this way is called the objective modality. Objective modality is subdivided into 2 groups: modality of reality (indicative mood) and modality of unreality (the imperative, subjunctive moods). There are no indicators of the speaker’s personal attitude towards the meaning of the sentence.

Forms expressing the speaker’s personal attitude constitute the subjective modality.

Means of expression:

n Parenthesis: single words ( probably, certainly, luckily); phrases ( in my opinion, to my mind, to tell the truth); parenthetical clauses ( I think, I hope, I doubt, I’m afraid, as john told me).

n Evaluating words; N-s. Adj-s, Adv-s;

n Syntactic means (tag-questions);

n Intonation

Modal verbs show the relations between the action and the doer and are not included either into the objective or subjective modality.

Peter must (obligatory) do it. May – probable, can – possible due to his phis. or mental ability, should – desirable, has to – is induced, is to – planned.

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