Б. С. Хаймович, Б. И. Роговская теоретическая грамматика английского языка
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MORPHOLOGY (1-377)
§ 348. Bilateral combinability is typical not only of prepositions but of other linking words as well: conjunctions, link-verbs and modal verbs. But the combinability of prepositions differs from that of all of them. As stated above, prepositions have stable right-hand and variable left-hand connections. Conjunctions and link-verbs have both connections variable (Cf. He is a student; afraid of being late). Modal verbs have both connections stable: the subject on the left and an infinitive on the right. § 349. Of certain interest is the model 'verb + preposition + noun'. Sometimes the preposition is but loosely connected with the verb. In such cases one and the same verb can be followed by different prepositions depending on the sense, e. g. speak of (about, with, to) a person. In other cases a verb is regularly followed by a fixed preposition, e. g. depend on (somebody, something). § 350. Though bilateral combinability is typical of prepositions, there are cases in the English language when either the left-hand or the right-hand connections are weakened or even lost altogether. In the sentence In his opinion, they would get copped doing it (Galsworthy) the preposition in has retained no left-hand connection. In the sentence Had he been laughed a t? (Galsworthy) the preposition at has retained no right-hand connection. §351. The combinability of at in the last example resembles, to some extent, that of an adverb. Cf. to be laughed away (off). On the basis of sentences like They bought chairs to sit о п. I have no pen to write with. Children like to read and to be read t o. The book was not looked for. and the fact that many prepositions are homonymous with adverbs A. 1. Smirnitsky thinks it possible to regard prepositions not as a separate part of speech, but as a group of adverbs. We are definitely against that view. 1. The number of instances when prepositions lose their right-hand connections is comparatively small. According to V. I. Artyukhova it occurs in 65 instances out of 4,575 in The White Monkey by J. Galsworthy. That means that in an overwhelming majority of cases (98,6 per cent) the combinability of prepositions differs from that of adverbs. 2. Many prepositions such as to, at, for, from, among, with, of, into, out of, in front of, etc. are not homonymous with adverbs. 3. Those prepositions that are homonymous with adverbs (down, along, before) are related with the latter by conversion (see § 57). These relations, as we know, are typical of English and connect words of different parts of speech. (Cf. home n. —home adv.; since adv. — since conj. — since prep.). § 352. Though the lexico-grammatical meaning, the combinability and function of English prepositions are similar to those of the Russian counterparts, the role of prepositions in the two languages is different. This difference, however, depends not on the prepositions, but on the nouns they introduce. The lexico-grammatical meaning of prepositions, 'relations (of substances)', approximates to the grammatical meaning of case (see § 81). In the Russian language with its six-case system the relations of substances are mostly denoted by case morphemes. Prepositions are but a secondary means of specifying these relations. In English the only positive case morpheme -'s shows but a very limited number of relations. So prepositions become a primary means of denoting relations of substances. Their role, as we see, is determined by the grammatical system of the language. In Russian the two means of expressing relations of substances are interdependent. Certain prepositions go with certain cases (к дому, от дома, над домом, etc.). So the preposition is closely connected with the noun it precedes. It cannot be used without the noun. In English the preposition is much more independent. It can be separated from the noun, as in The house I speak of. Several prepositions may refer to one noun in the sentence, as in He ... played with and read to the children. (Jerome). A preposition may refer not only to a word, but also to a word-combination (That is for you to decide.) or a clause (It all depends on how he will act.). Download 1.22 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: 
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