Additional reading

стр. 76 – 99

2. стр. 49 – 68

3.–

4.стр. 150-190

6. стр. 167-212

Practical tasks:

8. Comment on the oppositional reduction in the following sentence:

Model: No problem is too hard for him. – In this sentence generalization withoun stylistic effect is achieved by the neutralization of the category of number using the weak member of the opposition (problem, singular) instead of the strong member, plural.

I’d like some hot water, if it is nor being troublesome.
XVIII. Verb. The categories of person and number

The categories of person and number are closely connected with each other. This aspect allows the verb to reflect the personal and the numerical semantics of the subject of the sentence.

The category of person in verbs is represented by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person, and it expresses the relation between the speaker, the person or persons addressed, and other persons and things. The 1st person, of course, expresses the speaker or a group of which the speaker makes a part; the 2nd person, the person or persons spoken to, and the 3rd, that person or thing (or those persons or things) which are neither the speaker nor the person(s) spoken to.

The category of number expresses the quantity of the subjects (one or more than one). Speaking deductively, we might build the following system of personal and numerical categories:

1st person singular — the speaker

2nd person singular—one person spoken to

3rd person singular — one person or thing (neither

speaker nor spoken to)

1st person plural — the speaker and another person or other persons

2nd person plural — more than one person spoken to 3rd person plural — more than one person or

— thing (neither speakers nor spoken to)

The expression of the category of person is shown only in the verb of the present tense of the indicative mood. From the point of view of the expression of the person there are 3 groups of verbs: - modal verbs have no personal inflections, the category of person is neutralized with these verbs. – The expression of person by a unique lexeme “be” is three different suppletive personal forms: “am” for the first person singular, are for the second person and is for the third person. – The remaining verbs express person by the opposition of the third person singular against other persons. The strong member of the opposition is marked by the affix –(e)s, the other two persons remain unmarked.

In the elevated mode of speech: poetry, prayers, some archaic forms are used: second person is marked by affixes “canst, wilt, needst, art (singular), come-comest-comes, stop-stoppest-stops.

The category of number is expressed by the opposition of the forms of the verb “be” in the first and third person in the present and past tenses: am-are, is-are, was-were; and by the opposition in the third person of non-modal verbs in the present tenses. The marker of the strong member of the opposition (singular number) is the affix –(e)s.

Thus, we can say that by virtue of the verb “be” we can distinguish three persons and two numbers in English.

Glossary of Linguistic Terms

1. elevated mode – возвышенный стиль