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Section 13. Philology and linguistics
Section 13. Philology and linguistics Секция 13. Филология и лингвистика
Drinko Anna Gennadevna, Ukraine, Horlovka Institute for Foreign Languages State Institution “Donbasskyi State Pedagogical University" Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Grammar and Practice of Speech
E-mail: [email protected]
Comparative analysis of imperative constructions in English and Ukrainian
Abstract: The author of the article displays classifies and gives comparative description of the modals of the imperative constructions in the English and Ukrainian languages. The analysis is based on the examples from English, American and Ukrainian texts. The imperative constructions are the basic way of expressing inducement in compared languages, 58.3% in English and 75.5% in Ukrainian. The unextended and extended models of imperative constructions were selected. The nuclear of the unextended construction is the verb in the imperative form. In the extended construction, the nuclear is the verb in the imperative form that interacts with other components. The main model in Ukrainian is the model (You) Vimp, the most frequent model in English is Vimp. + Pron. The compared languages display allomorphism in the formation of negative imperative constructions. An isomorphic feature of both languages is the intensification of inducement with the help of adverbs.
Keywords: inducement, extended and unextended imperative constructions, imperative sentence.
Introduction
With an increasing interest to people’s activities in various fields ofscience and culture, many scholars focus upon the category of inducement. This category has been the subj ect of research on the material ofdifferent languages
K. M. Hezalova, N. V Golovin, I. V. Korunets, V T. Ushakov, M. O. Chichina, N. M Khabirova. [1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6]. However, there have been no comparative and typological studies of inducement in the English and Ukrainian languages. The significance of the article is determined by a comprehensive approach to the ways of expressing inducement in these languages and the constructions that are involved in the formation of imperative sentences. Such an approach coincides with the general interest to one of the most important categories ofcommunicative linguistics — the category of inducement.
The research in question was carried out on fiction works of British, American, and Ukrainian authors. The database includes 2,524 incentive speech acts in English and 2,700 in Ukrainian.
Results of the Research and their Discussion
In the analyzed languages, all the ways of expressing inducement are divided into two groups — mono-
functional and multifunctional. For the first group, inducement is the basic function. Monofunctional constructions include: (a) imperative constructions (iCs) and (b) constructions with performative verbs.
For the group of multifunctional constructions, inducement is a secondary function. This group consists of: (a) constructions with modal verbs, (b) constructions with verbs in the indicative mood, (c) constructions with verbs in the subjunctive mood, (d) constructions with non-finite forms of the verb, and (e) non-verb constructions.
The central place among monofunctional incentive constructions in the English and Ukrainian languages is occupied by the constructions with the verb in the imperative mood that induce the addressee to action. These constructions represent imperative sentences that inform about the desire of the speaker for the addressee to perform a certain action.
The specific essence of the imperative sentence is its clearly expressed structural, lexical and semantically limited nature: not every structural model of the sentence has the imperative form; not every verbal lexeme is able to be the predicate of
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the imperative sentence, whereas its semantic structure always shows a relation “the doer of the action and the action itself”.
The imperative sentence assumes structural variations for expressing grammatical meanings within the limits of three grammatical categories:
(a) the category of inducement, which is presented by four oppositions —“direct inducement”, inducement to a joined action, inducement to the 3rd person, and “reflexive inducement”,
(b) the category of affirmation/negation in the sentence;
(c) the category of emphasizing in the sentence.
This article concerns only “direct inducement”
or inducement of the 2nd person singular and plural. Such imperative sentences are divided into affirmative and negative. Verbs in affirmative sentences state the actions that the addressee has to perform upon the speaker’s requirement. The affirmative forms are usually related to the non-doer — a person who is only induced to begin the activity. The negative forms, on the contrary, are addressed to the person that is already performing some activity.
The incentive constructions that form the affirmative imperative sentence in English include synthetic forms of verbs: English e. g.: Come in.
The negative constructions of imperative sentences include analytical forms of verbs: don't + inf. English e. g.: Don't go there.
In Ukrainian, the affirmative forms of the imperative mood are formed from the verb in the present/future tense by means of endings of the second person paradigm. Ukrainian e. g.: Заходь (те).
The negative imperative is formed by means of the negative particle and the synthetic form of the verb. Ukrainian e. g.: Не заходь (те).
Comparing the models of ICs in the two languages, it is possible to observe a similarity in the formation of the affirmative imperative. These construction belong to the synthetic way of formation. The difference is that in English the negative imperative belongs to the analytical way of formation.
Imperative constructions can further be classified into extended and unextended. The unextended imperative construction consists only of one nuclear component, whereas the extended structure has two or more components. The nuclear component of the unextended construction is the verb in the imperative form; it is the basic element that does not interact with other components.
I. The unextended IC.
The nuclear of the unextended IC is the verb in the imperative form:
English e. g.: Wait! See! (13.1%); Ukrainian e. g.: Дивись! Зачекай! (36.8%).
In English, this group includes constructions with the phrasal verb in the form of the imperative mood. English e. g.: Sit down; Come along. (15.6%).
The constructions of this type were not observed in Ukrainian. One should not confuse English phrasal verbs with Ukrainian verbs in the form of the subjunctive mood with particles. Ukrainian e. g.: Знав би; Xomie би.
II. The extended IC.
In the extended IC, the nuclear is the verb in the imperative mood that interacts with other components. 18 models with dependent components were found out in English and 14 ones in Ukrainian. The most frequent nuclear is complicated by the pronoun in pre-position: English e. g.: You wait! (3.5%). Ukrainian e. g.: Ви зайдть! (4.3%).
In the analyzed languages, neutral ICs oppose emphatic ICs. The nuclear of the emphatic IC is intensified by the auxiliary verb do in English: English e. g.: Do come in! (1.7%).
In Ukrainian, the emphatic function is performed by intensifying particles: Ukrainian e. g.: Так iди! (10.6%).
An IC in which the nuclear component is expressed by a transitive verb in the imperative mood interacts with a dependent component which is expressed by a noun or pronoun: English e. g.: Say the word (18.0%), Introduce me (23.1%). Ukrainian e. g.: Неси курку (15.1%), Спи-тай мене (11.8%).
The dependent component, except for the personal pronoun in the objective case, can be a reflexive or demonstrative pronoun: English e. g.: Help yourself; Read this. Ukrainian e. g.: Допоможи собц Читай це. Verbs in the imperative mood also interact with adverbs and numerals: English e. g.: Go off ahead; Take three (0.3%). Ukrainian e. g.: Йди сюди; Неси чотири (0.7%).
The analysis shows that the non-finite forms of the verb (the infinitive, the gerund and the participle) are also used in ICs, though rather infrequently: English e. g.: Stop talking (0.6%); Try to answer (0.4%); Be seated (0.2%). In Ukrainian the infinitive is used very often: Ukrainian e. g.: Припинирозмовляти (3.7%). In Ukrainian, there are no ICs with the gerund or past participle.
In the compared languages, there are ICs in which the nuclear component is expressed by the verb be. In English, the most frequently used constructions are Be
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+ adjective or Be + noun: English e. g.: Be strong (1.4%); Be a winner (0.6%);
Ukrainian e. g.: Будь веселим (1.3%) Будь головою (0.7%).
A less frequent construction is Be (get) + past participle (English 0.3%), for example: Be seated; Be prepared. The constructions of these types were not found in Ukrainian.
The nuclear in the IC can be extended not only by one dependent component, but also by two or more: English e. g.: Send Mr. Blair to me; Keep it up for your father tonight. Ukrainian e. g.: Покажить мен1 цього професора. Подайте мет цей листочок негайно.
The peculiarity of imperative sentences is the absence of the category of time. While the category of time is dominant in the indicative mood, in the imperative sentences of both languages this category is lost. Such complete or partial loss of the category of time is determined by the present or future perspective of the imperative. The action is marked by the imperative form which is already being realized at the moment of speaking or must be realized after the moment of speaking immediately or in a certain interval. In this case, ICs are complicated by adverbs of time: next day, next year, tomorrow, which show the temporal correlation of the action with the further future: English e. g.: Come tomorrow! Ukrainian e. g.: Приходь у вечер! сюди. To point out the temporal correlation of the action with the near future, the following adverbs are used: at once, now, immediately: English e. g.: Now you listen to me, old man, I'm speaking to you for your own good. Ukrainian e. g.: Тепер послухай, старина, я з тобою говорю для твоег ж користi [8, 287].
In English, there are components that are typical of imperative sentences. To these components belong question tags (interrogative joining parts): Listen to reason, will you? [9, 196]. The function of the final element can be compared with the function of the word please in both languages. This word is characterized by large mobility: it can start the imperative sentence, finish it, be interposed and used for easing the categorical inducement, English e. g.: Please don't think me banal [10, 358]. Ukrainian e. g.: Залишить, будь ласка, свог секрети [7, 483].
ICs display compatibility with exclamations and interjections, which give sentences expressive colorings. The exclamations Oh, Ah and the interjections For God's sake, For heaven’s sake, Заради Бога, Заради Христа are used most frequently in the analyzed literature: For God's sake, darling. Don't, don't sell yourself! [8, 335].
A direct address can be part of the IC. The meaning of inducement and the meaning of the person (pointing
to the addressee) always come simultaneously. It is especially underlined by the frequency of using imperative forms together with the address. The direct address is an optional element that can occupy any position:
(1) initial: Man, remember this is the year 1881. 'До-рогий мш, не забувайте, — у нас тепер 1881 pix [8, 337];
(2) final: Don't be a fool, Freddie. ‘Не будь дурнем, ФредУ [8, 418];
(3) middle: Tell me, Mr. Barbecue — Smith, you know all about science, I know. ‘Скажи мену мктер Барбекю — Смгг, вам усе в^омо про науку, я знаю’ [11, 92].
The direct address that takes the final position dominates in imperative sentences. Proper names and evaluative utterances, such as My dear, ‘Мш дорогт' Dirty pig ‘Брудна свиня, are used in the function of the direct address. This address can also be expressed by a noun that denotes a title or profession or ties of a relationship: Sit in Mat, and let us see what you can do. Сдай, Мeт, i тепер покажи на що ти здатнии. [8, 368]; "Wheest, son,” she murmured, "calm yourself" ‘Перестань, синку, — бурмо-тУла мати, заспокойся.' [8, 101].
Conclusion
The study has revealed that the dominant model of ICs is the model with the verb in the imperative form. The frequency of such a model in the Ukrainian language is 36.8%; in English it takes only the fourth position, whereas the most frequent IC is the one with the dependent component expressed by a pronoun (23.1%) or a noun (18.0%). It should be noted that the mentioned structural models are also highly frequent in the Ukrainian language (11.8% and 15.1%), which is explained by that fact that at the moment of inducement the speaker usually points to the object of the action.
The compared languages display allomorphism in the formation of negative imperative constructions. In English, auxiliary verbs with the negative particle not are used; in Ukrainian — the negative particle with the verb in the imperative form. Affirmative imperative constructions belong to the syntactical way of sentence formation in both languages.
The study has disclosed some structural aspects of the IC. In English, there are ICs with tag questions, the gerund, and the past participle. A peculiar feature of Ukrainian is the absence of constructions with gerund and past participle. Another difference is in emphatic imperative constructions. An isomorphic feature of both languages is the intensification of inducement with the help of adverbs.
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References:
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2. Головина Н. В. Семантика императива и способы его выражения в современном английском и русском языках. Дис. канд. филол. наук: 10.02.04. - М., 1997.
3. Корунець I. В. Порiвняльна типологш англшсько! та укра'шсько! мов. Навч. поабник. - К.: An6iAB, 1995.
4. Ушакова В. Т. Повелительное наклонение и его синонимы в современном английском языке (в сопоставлении с украинским языком) Дис. канд. филол. наук. - К., 1967.
5. Чичина М. О. Сопоставительный анализ антропонимов обращений в русском и испанском языках. Дис . канд. филол. наук: 10.02.20. - М., 1995.
6. Хабирова Н. М. Способы выражения побудительных интенций в татарском и английском языках. Казань, 2004.
7. Хвильовий М. Новели. Оповщання. Повють про санаторну зону. Вальдшнепи: Роман. Поетичш твори. -
К.: Наук. думка, 1995.
8. Cronin A. J. Hatter’s Castle. Foreign Languages Publishing House. - M., 1963.
9. Wells H. G. The Time Machine. - M.: Прогрес, 1981.
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11. Huxley A. Crome Yellow. M., Progress Publishers, 1979.
Kornelaeva Evgenia Vladimirovna Postgraduate student, the Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology
E-mail: [email protected]
Prosodic markers of speaker’s profession
Abstract:: The article considers prosodic markers of a definite profession and is bosed on the auditory analyses which allowed to conclude that each speaker of a definite profession is characterized by a set of prosodic parameters. Keywords: profession, prosodic, auditory, parameters
Корнелаева Евгения Валерьевна Одесская национальная академия пищевых технологий, преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков E-mail: [email protected]
Просодические маркеры профессиональной принадлежности говорящего
Аннотация: В статье рассматриваются просодические маркеры профессиональной принадлежности говорящего. Исследование проведено на базе аудиторского анализа, который позволили заключить, что речь представителя каждой профессии обладает определенным набором просодических параметров.
Ключевые слова: профессия, просодия, аудиторский, параметры.
Целью данного исследования является выявление просодических маркеров, свидетельствующих о принадлежности говорящего к определенной профессии.
Объектом данной работы являются монологические высказывания актеров и политиков, реализованные в неформальном общении (интервью).
В задачу исследования входило: определить какие просодические характеристики, типичные для речи
актеров и политиков, обнаруживаются в их речи вне сферы их профессиональной деятельности.
Интервью является идеальным жанром, отвечающим целям и задачам нашего исследования, так как, во первых, этот жанр является универсальным (не зависящим от особенностей языкового коллектива), во вторых, интервью строится как доверительный разговор с одним собеседником на различные темы
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