M. Iriskulov, A. Kuldashev a course in Theoretical English Grammar Tashkent 2008

Questions and tasks for discussion 
 
1. Why is the simple sentence refered to as aa monoprediactive unit? 
2. How is the constituent structure of the simple sentence analysed? 
3. What is the difference between obligatory and optional positions in 
syntagmatic connection? 
4. What is the essence of “the verbocentoic conception of the sentence”? 
5. How is the semantic interpretation of the sentence carried out? 
6. What are the main cognitive aspects of the simple sentence? 
7. what is valency? 
8. What is the essence of Jr. Tailor’s theory? 
9. What do P. Hopper and S. Thomson suggest? 
10. What is the essence of R. Langacker’s theory? 
ACTUAL DIVISION OF THE SENTENCE. COMMUNICATIVE TYPES
OF SENTENCES 
I. Actual division of the sentence and means of expressing it. 
II. Actual division of the sentence in terms of cognitive linguistics. 
III. The problem of classification of sentence according to the purpose of 
communication. 
IV. Communicative types of sentences in Modern English.
I. Actual division of the sentence and means of expressing it. 
One of the basic characteristic features of the sentence is its communicative 
and informative sufficiency. It means that every sentence should convey some 
new information in the process of communication. The interpretation of the 
sentence from this point of view requires the division of the sentence into two 
parts. One of them contains the starting point of communication or that already 
known to the listeners and the other part conveys new information or that not yet 
known to the listeners and for the sake of which the sentence is constructed. This 
interpretation of the sentence has been termed the actual division of the sentence or 
the functional sentence perspective.
The idea of actual division of the sentence has first been put forward by

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W. Mathesius. He termed the starting point of communication the “basis” and the 
new information the “nucleus”. Recently there came into common use a new pair 
of terms. They are the “theme” and the “rheme”. The theme denotes the starting 
point of communication, it is an object or phenomenon about which something is 
reported. The rheme expresses the information reported, e.g.: Their visit to the 
Blacks was quiet promising. “Their visit to the Blacks” is the “theme”, the rest