There are questions, the answer to which is obvious. What is a phrase? It would seem that the definition is embedded in the structure of this term. A combination of words - what else? This is true, but the full definition sounds a bit more complicated.
Definition
A phrase in Russian, as in any other language, is a syntactic construction consisting of a main and a dependent component, which in their essence are significant parts of speech and are interconnected. Not every pair of words forms a similar structure. There is also an equal connection, for example, between the subject and the predicate, which are not a phrase, but already form the grammatical basis of the sentence. Forms of the future tense of the verb, degrees of comparison of adjectives, nouns with prepositions, as well as phraseological units are also not phrases. This must be taken into account when parsing a sentence.
There is a classification of phrases depending on the core ormain component. There are such types as verbal, adjective, substantive and adverbial constructions. In them, the core components are, respectively, a verb, an adjective, in the third case - a noun, numeral or pronoun, and in the last case - an adverb or an adjective in a comparative degree.
In sentences, dependent elements can carry the function of secondary members - definitions, circumstances and additions. According to this role, they belong to one of three types according to the criterion of semantic relations. The division occurs respectively into attributive, adverbial and object phrases. By the number of components, simple and complex types are distinguished. But why are they needed at all?
The role of the dependent component
It's hard to express your thoughts by leaving only the subject and the predicate in the sentence. In addition to the fact that a significant part of the information content is lost, such structures look dry and faceless. Such proposals, in which there are no secondary members at all, are called non-common. Even if it is necessary to speak as briefly and concisely as possible, for example, when compiling a report or a report, it is extremely difficult to do without definitions, circumstances and additions. What can we say about the conversational style, in which value judgments are regularly used. In addition, they allow you to make speech more lively, beautiful and coherent.
The ratio of the phrase with the word
What is the basic language unit? word, concept,term. They form phrases and sentences. It is through them that people express their thoughts. In that case, what is a phrase? Yes, of course, it is a bunch of several concepts, but for the most part it performs the named function. Compared to a word, it provides more detailed information and is generally more informative. That is, the semantic function of the phrase lies between the nominative and the sentence. At its core, it is a unique language unit that combines the characteristics of both one and the other.
The ratio of the phrase to the sentence
People express their thoughts through sentences. And they are the main independent syntactic unit. The phrase does not express a complete thought, does not have the purpose of the statement, as well as semantic completeness and some other features. In general, as already mentioned, it has rather a nominative function, which puts it closer to the nominative. A phrase and a sentence can be homonymous, that is, they sound the same, but they will not be equal to each other, since the first is devoid of a grammatical basis.
The basis of the syntactic relationship
Due to the fact that parts of speech can be declined or conjugated, as well as take on other types of forms, it becomes possible to form phrases and sentences. In phrases between components, a certain subordinating relationship arises based on the lexical and grammatical properties of individualelements. Even in the same phrase, the same syntactic unit can at different times play the role of both the main and the dependent component. Thus, in the sentence there are connections of phrases with each other due to this, and also because of the variety of their types, it looks solid and logical. This is how speech is built.
Types of connection
Philologists distinguish 3 types: coordination, control and adjunction. All these types of communication in phrases have their own characteristics and features. It will be most clear to analyze them using the example of the sentence "A little girl quickly runs after the ball."
Agreement is characterized by the fact that, as a rule, an adjective acts as a dependent element. If you change the bar component, the second one will also change. So such a phrase does not present difficulties in determining the type of connection. An example is "little girl", if you change the case of the main element "girl", then, in accordance with it, the case of the dependent component will also change.
Control is another type of connection. With it, the dependent component also takes on some form, however, when the stem element is declined or conjugated, it no longer changes. An example is "running after the ball". The main part can take any form, but the case of the dependent word will remain unchanged - creative. This type of connection also implies the use of prepositions when necessary, especially with the structure "verb + noun" or"noun + noun", respectively "play football" and "read books".
Finally, one more kind - adjoining. As a rule, the structure of phrases with this type of connection is as follows - "verb + adverb". An example is "running fast". No changes occur with the dependent word, since the adverb does not change in any way, so the connection is only semantic, without a grammatical component. There is no morphological dependence.
Correct communication
Some philologists recognize the existence of phrases in which the components are equal. A coordinative connection, for example, is inherent in homogeneous members that belong to one core element. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that such a phrase without a dependent component is not generally recognized in the Russian language and is considered as such only by a small number of linguists.
Complex relationship types
Despite the significant differences in the characteristic features of coordination, control and adjacency, it is not always possible to unambiguously distinguish between them. For example, there are syntactically free and non-free (solid) phrases. The first includes those that can be easily divided into their constituent components, but in the second case everything is much more complicated. Syntactically non-free phrases cannot be broken down into elements, as they lose their meaning. Such examples include "two sisters", "a lot of space", "a couple of hours", etc. A sentence withphrase of this type is syntactically analyzed without dividing the problematic phrase into elements. That is, in this case, it is perceived as an integral unit.
By the way, isolated members of a sentence, for example, participial constructions and attributive clauses, despite the formal signs of maintaining a syntactic connection, cannot be part of a phrase. Relations between the conditionally core and dependent parts acquire a semi-predicative, that is, a more equal character. Despite the fact that common definitions expressed by the participial phrase are consistent in number and case with the main component, this is only a morphological connection that preserves the integrity of the sentence.
