Every language, including Russian, contains a large number of words. But these linguistic units do not mean anything without the correct formatting. This is where syntax comes in handy. The basic units of syntax are just responsible for the grammatical connection of words into sentences, which make up human speech, written and oral. Knowledge of this important section of the science of language will help you correctly and competently formulate your thoughts. Syntax in the language system, the basic units of syntax and consider below.
Syntax is a special branch of language science
The structure of syntactic units, their meaning and interaction is studied by a section of grammar called "syntax". It is a word of Greek origin, meaning "composition" or "construction". Thus, the section studies how exactly from the whole set of words to build the basic units of syntax - a phrase and a sentence. If this section of grammar is mastered at the proper level, speech will be harmonious, logical and varied.
Inseparable fromsyntax is related to punctuation. This is a system of rules governing the punctuation marks. They help to divide the text into sentences, as well as logically arrange the syntactic units themselves.
Basic units
The basic units of syntax are the phrase and the sentence. Each of them has its own characteristics and purpose. Syntax units also include text and a complex syntactic integer.
Let's figure out what the basic units of syntax are. The table will help with this.
| Phrase | Offer | |
| Does not have a communicative function, serves for the grammatical and semantic connection of words with each other. | The minimum communicative unit, serves to formalize oral and written speech. Predicative. | |
| Simple | Complex | |
| One grammatical stem | Two grammatical foundations | |
| Catch the net, wooden table, slow down, jump high. |
The forest is unusually beautiful today. He felt very sad. |
I came to pay my respects. Nature comes to life: in some places you can already hear the singing of arriving birds. |
Subordinate relationship
So we've said what syntax is, the basic units of syntax. Syntactic links determine how the relations between the latter are implemented. There are two types of connection that can connect words in a phrase that make up the elements of a sentence: coordinating and subordinating.
When we talk about the latter, it implies that it is possible to single out the main part and the one that will depend on it. In other words, the main - from which it is necessary to ask a question, dependent - to which it is put.
Let's look at examples: know (what?) the exact time. In this phrase, "know" will be the main word, "time" will be dependent.
I don't know what tomorrow will bring me. Here we already have a complex sentence with a subordinating relationship between the parts. From the first - "I know" - we ask a question to the subordinate clause (what?) "what tomorrow will bring me".
Methods of submission
Subordinate relationship is implemented in several ways. This is most noticeable within the phrase.
- Agreement: when the entire syntactic unit changes, the word forms included in it also change. Wicker basket; wicker basket, about wicker basket. Dependent words in this case can be participles, adjectives, ordinal numbers and adjective pronouns.
- Control: the dependent word remains unchanged, while the main word can change its grammatical form. Describes the landscape - described the landscape - described the landscape - described the landscape. Dependent words: nouns, verbs, adjectives and cardinal numbers.
- Adjacent: connection only in meaning. Went staggering, very handsome, went to work. Here, all invariable parts of speech will be used as dependents.
Correct communication
Unlike subordination, a coordinative connection connects absolutely equal parts. These can be both special combinations of words: flowers and herbs, walked and rejoiced, as well as components of a complex sentence: "The street soon calmed down, but anxiety grew in the house."
Here we do not single out the main and dependent words, this connection is framed intonation or with the help of coordinating conjunctions. Compare: "He was walking, crying, not noticing anyone. - He was walking and crying." In the first case, only intonation is used, in the second, the union and (coordinative connecting).
Phrase. Phrase types
So, above it was described what are the basic units of syntax. The phrase is the smallest of them. It is two or more words connected in meaning, intonationally or grammatically. Phrases are singled out from sentences, because they are part of them. This is done as follows: It is drizzling outside.
- First, the grammatical basis is determined. It is not a phrase. The rain is drizzling.
- Next, ask questions from the subject: rain (what?) is fine.
- After that, from the predicate: it's drizzling (where?) on the street.
According to what part of speech the main word belongs to, allphrases are divided into nominal (oak table, each of the guests is capable of learning); verbal (was stumbling, speaking clearly) and adverbial (very fun, to the right of the road, somewhere in the store).
Also phrases are divided into simple and complex.
In the first, only one question is possible: the sun (what?) is bright and radiant. Complex ones are more common. Compare: read (what?) a magazine (simple) and read (what) a popular science magazine. In the last example, a question is also asked from the word journal to the word popular science, so the phrase is complex.
Highlight free and complete phrases. The first ones differ in that each word from their composition is a full-fledged member of the sentence. The second in the sentence is not divided into constituent parts. Only two students passed the session with excellent marks. "Two students" is essentially a phrase, but in the sentence it acts as a subject, so it can be characterized as a whole.
Not a phrase
It should be remembered that phrases are never:
- Subject and predicate.
- Homogeneous members of the sentence.
- Phraseological units (they should not be confused with whole phrases that are one member of the sentence: three sisters, a boy with a girl, etc.).
- Combinations of a functional word and an independent part of speech: during the day (preposition and noun), so does he (conjunction and pronoun), what an ignoramus (particle and noun).
- Complex forms: I will read(future tense), highest (superlative), calmer (comparative), let it go (imperative).
Offer and its features
We already know that the basic units of syntax are the phrase and the sentence, but it is the latter that is the most important. After all, our speech consists precisely of sentences: we think and speak with them, making up a coherent text.
What characterizes a sentence as the basic unit of syntax? The grammatical basis is the indicator that distinguishes it from a phrase or a simple set of words. This feature is also called predicativity, because it is the predicate that carries an indicator of the reality or unreality of what is happening. It is expressed through the mood of the verb.
Also, the sentence as the basic unit of syntax is characterized by logical and intonational completeness. This is a short statement, the formulation of a certain thought about the subject of conversation. It cannot be confused with a phrase, because in the latter there is no logical completeness - it is just a grammatically connected set of words.
Grammar basis
There is a grammatical basis for every sentence. This is an indicator of its structure - the most important characteristic.
The predicative stem can be represented by both the subject and the predicate, or by each of them separately.
For example, the sentence: "We saw the long-awaited land." There are both main members here. Another thing is a proposallike this: "The long-awaited land has become visible." Here, from the base, only the predicate - it became clear.
It is precisely by the number of predicative stems that the most important characteristic is given: a simple sentence in front of us or a complex one.
Let's take a quick look at each main term. The subject shows us the subject of speech, indicates what the sentence is talking about. The predicate means what the subject does, what it is, who or what it is. There are three types of this main member in structure and meaning: simple and compound, verbal and nominal.
What are offers
Sentences are the main thing that learns syntax. The basic units of syntax are characterized in many ways.
Regardless of the number of predicative stems, sentences are distinguished by:
- The purpose of the statement. Communicating among themselves, people can report some facts (declarative sentences), ask (interrogative) or call for some action (incentive). At the end of such syntactic units, respectively, a period, question mark or exclamation mark is placed.
- Emotional coloring. Distinguish between exclamatory and non-exclamatory sentences. It should be noted that the former may not necessarily be exclusively incentive. For example, the sentence: What a ridiculous situation! We will characterize it as narrative but exclamatory. It's all the fault of the modal particle that expresses admiration.
Characteristicssimple sentences
Simple sentences are the basic units of syntax. Let's briefly analyze their most important characteristics.
- One-part or two-part. The grammatical basis will indicate this. If it is represented by one of the members, the proposal will be one-part. Otherwise, two-part. If the sentence has only a subject or a predicate, you must specify its type (definitely or indefinitely-personal, nominative or impersonal).
- Common or not. Minor members are responsible for this characteristic. If there is at least one of them, the offer is common.
- Complete or incomplete. The latter are typical for oral speech: some member is omitted in them. Thus, it is not possible to build a logical chain without neighboring sentences. For example: "Are you reading a book?" - "No, a magazine." The answer to the question is the incomplete sentence.
- A simple sentence can be complicated. This is also one of its characteristics. The complicating elements are isolated and secondary members, both common and not, as well as homogeneous constructions, introductory words, appeals.
Sentences simple and complex
Russian syntax is very diverse. The main syntactic units are simple and complex sentences. Let's see what is the difference between them.
If a syntactic unit has one grammatical basis, then it will be a simple sentence. The wind is very loud today. The characterization of such a proposal will go according to plan,above.
There are cases when a syntactic unit consists of several simple ones. Then it will be a difficult sentence.
The most difficult thing is to distinguish a simple sentence with homogeneous predicates from a complex one. Here you need to carefully look at the subject. If it is one item that performs different actions, then the sentence will be simple. Let's look at examples:
"They walked the streets of the city and enjoyed their newfound freedom." - "They walked along the streets of the city, and the newfound freedom gave them strength." The first suggestion is simple. There is only one predicative basis here, complicated by homogeneous predicates: they walked, enjoyed. The second sentence will be difficult, because there are two grammatical bases: they walked, they gave freedom.
Types of links in complex sentences
As it was written above, the basic units of syntax are sentences. If we talk about complex structures, then their most important characteristic will be the type of connection between the parts. Syntax also deals with these phenomena. The basic units of syntax, complex sentences, may include subordinating and coordinating parts. Depending on this, there is a gradation into compound and complex sentences.
Let's look at each type in more detail. The components of compound sentences are equal. This equality provides them with a special, creative connection. It is expressed in the fact that in the constructionsentences use coordinating conjunctions. Thus, a question from one simple sentence to another is impossible.
Example: "I want to get everything back, but something keeps getting in my way." This sentence is compound, the parts are connected by an adversative union but.
Also, intonation plays an important role in the formation of a complex sentence: at the end of each simple sentence, it goes down - this characterizes logical completeness.
Complex syntactic integer
What other elements does the Russian syntax include? The basic units of syntax are also complex sentences. They are made up of elements where one depends on the other. That is, between the simple parts of such a sentence, you can always put the question: "The clearing (what?) We went to was hidden from prying eyes."
Such a connection is realized through subordinating conjunctions and intonation descending towards the end of each simple sentence.
Do not forget that there is an allied bond. It implies the absence of formal elements between the parts, only intonation completeness: The river was noisy and seething; ships sailing on it feared for their safety.
We figured out what the Russian syntax includes. The basic syntactic units, the sentence and the phrase, form other structures called the complex syntactic whole. And it, in turn, already forms the text. Inside it, as well as in any other element of syntax, there are connections, both grammatical and semantic andeven formal ones (for example, unions with which the following sentence begins).
What is a complex syntactic integer? This is a group of sentences, simple and complex, logically interconnected by one main idea. In other words, a complex syntactic whole is a micro-topic that contains an intermediate meaning. As a rule, it is limited to paragraph articulation.
It is not uncommon for a text to be a syntactic whole. As a rule, these are short stories with one short storyline.
