Grammar as a phenomenon – a subsystem of language as a linguistic discipline

4. Means of form- building. Synthetic and analytical forms
The means employed for building up member-forms of categorial oppositions are traditionally divided into synthetical and analytical; accordingly, the grammatical forms themselves are classed into synthetical and analytical, too.
Synthetical forms are built with the help of bound morphemes, analytical forms are built with the help of semi-bound morphemes (word morphemes).
Synthetical grammatical forms are based on inner inflexion, outer inflexion, and suppletivity
Synthetical means of form-building are

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  Inflexions (form-building morphemes)
  
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  Sound alterations/interchange – inner inflexions (goose-geese) (Sound interchange may be of two types; vowel and consonant-interchange. It is often accompanied by affixation: bring — brought.)
  

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  Suppletivity (good-better-the best) (Forms of one word are be derived from different roots)
  

Analytical forms are combinations of the auxiliary element (a word morpheme) and the notional element: is writing.
Analytical forms are contradictory units: phrases in form and word forms in function.
In the analytical form is writing the auxiliary verb be is lexically empty. It expresses the grammatical meaning. The notional element expresses both the lexical and the grammatical meaning. So the grammatical meaning is expressed by the two components of the analytical form: the auxiliary verb be and the affix -ing constitute a discontinuous morpheme.
Analytical forms are correlated with synthetical forms. There must be at least one synthetical form in the paradigm.
Analytical forms have developed from free phrases and there are structures which take an intermediary position between free phrases and analytical forms: will go, more beautiful.
Features of an analytical form

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  Analytical forms consist of 2 parts: auxiliary element (operator) and notional part
  
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  Analytical forms develop grammatical “idiomaticity” – the meaning of the whole differs from the meaning of its parts – Grammatical meaning (!) – is writing
  
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  Within a gr. category analytical forms should be opposed to synthetic ones is writing- writes
  
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  The elements of an anal. form function as one member of the sentence, i.e. perform one syntactic function
  

The delegation was met at the airport- they met each other at the airport

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  Auxiliary elements are devoid of their lexical meaning – are lexically empty
  
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  The lexical meaning of the whole group is understood from its notional part.
  
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  In analytical forms the auxiliary is changeable, it should change grammatically is writing-are writing- was writing.. ( just TO BE to express pres.cont!)