D. V. Demidov

a) a word-centric approach to syntax. Within this 
approach the word is recognized the main language unit and the 
syntactical units – word-groups and sentences are regarded as 

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mere syntagmatics of words. The disadvantage of this approach 
lies in the fact that essential properties of syntactic units are 
neglected. Thus within this approach it is impossible to analyze 
the sentence not as a mere structure, but as a communicative unit 
as well as the word-group. It is not quite reasonable to reduce 
syntactic theory to the studying of syntagmatics of words.
b) A sentence-centric approach. It is based on the 
assumption that the main language unit is the sentence and syntax 
should be qualified as the theory of the sentence. This approach 
cannot be taken as a fully satisfactory, because word-groups and 
words are analyzed only as parts of the sentence and their 
essential properties are ignored.
c) A compre hensive approach to the subject matter of 
syntax. It states that the domain of syntax is the study of all 
syntactic level units in the system of their paradigmatic and 
syntagmatic properties. Until recently it was considered that 
syntax is constituted by two language units: word-groups, which 
form up minor syntax and the sentence, which forms up major 
syntax. 
Sentence is not the highest language unit, which crowns 
the hierarchy of language structure because the sentence itself 
cannot serve the purpose of communication. Only the 
combination of semantically connected sentences forms a 
language unit, which serves the purpose of communication. This 
highest communicative unit is called the text. Within the text 
sentence functions as a minimal communicative unit. Thus, it is 
reasonable to say that the theory of syntax consists of 3 basic