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V. SEM – based on the peculiarities of connectives and connections (detachment, parcellation)
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V. SEM – based on the peculiarities of connectives and connections (detachment, parcellation)
Detachment
Sometimes one of the secondary parts of a sentence by some specific consideration of the writer is placed so that it seems formally independent of the word it logically refers to. Such parts of structures are called detached. The essential quality of detached construction lies in the fact that the isolated parts represent a kind of independent whole thrust into the sentence or placed in a position which will make the phrase (or word) seem independent. But a detached phrase cannot rise to the rank of a primary member of the sentence—it always remains secondary from the semantic point of view, although structurally it possesses all the features of a " primary member”. Detached constructions in their common forms make the written variety of language akin (сродни) to the spoken variety where the relation between the component parts is effectively materialized by means of intonation. In the English language detached constructions are generally used in the belles-lettres prose style and mainly with words that have some explanatory function. Detached construction as a stylistic device is a typification of the syntactical peculiarities of colloquial language. A variant of detached construction is parenthesis.
Detachment (обособление) – is a syntactical device consisting in separating a secondary part of a sentence with the aim of emphasizing the sentence or the part of it making it more prominent. Another function of detachment is to show that the author stands aloof and he is unaffected by the events and characters he portrays. Graphically detachment is marked by commas, dashes, brackets: Then we could get married at home – properly. Steyne rose up, grinding his teeth, pale, and with fury in his eyes.
Detachment is based on subject-predicate relation: She was a beautiful woman. – She was a beauty. He spoke indistinctly. – He mumbled. We exchanged letters. – We corresponded. The detached part often becomes the additional rheme of the utterance. Functions: it breaks the monotony of the narration, gives prominence to the isolated parts, creates emotional colouring. We went away, miserable.
Any secondary part may be detached: They put him under laughing gas one year, poor lad (Jerome K. Jerome). – apposition. Talent, Mr. Micawber has, capital, Mr. Micawber has not (Ch. Dickens). – direct object.
Parcellation
Parcellation - is breaking off of the syntactical relation between a word or phrase or sometimes a clause or sentence. (Парцеллируемые части всегда находятся вне основного предложения! ) Every secondary part of the sentence may be parcellated. Graphically it is marked by a full stop: I have to beg you for money. Daily!
Parcellation is typical of colloquial speech, widely used in non-personal direct speech. In literature it may also create some emotional effect, some tension and accentuation of the parcellated part. When the semantic connections between the parcellated parts and the sentences are weak or practically none, the effect is comical.
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VI. SEM with some change in their semantic function (rhetorical questions)
Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical question presents a statement in the form of a question. A question appealing to the reader for an answer, is emphatic and mobilizes the attention of the reader even when the latter is not supposed to answer anything, when the only possible answer is implied within the boundaries of the question.
The form of a rhetorical question is often negative.
Rhetorical question preserves the intonation of a question, though sometimes the assertive sentiment is so strong that both the intonation and the punctuation are changed to those of the exclamatory sentence.
Rhetorical question is an indispensable element of oratorical style, but is not confined to it only, more and more penetrating into other style. So it is widely employed in modern fiction for depicting the inner state of a personage, his meditations and reflections.
Through frequent usage some rhetorical questions became traditional (for example, What business is it of yours? What have I to do with him? etc. )
Such questions usually imply a negative answer and reflect a strongly antagonistic attitude of the speaker towards his interlocutor or the subject discussed.
e. g. Can anybody answer for all the grievances of the poor in this wicked world?
Rhetorical question – is the question which doesn’t require any answer but contains it in itself. They are always expressive and employed both in everyday speech and literature. According to I. R. Galperin we have a transference of grammatical meaning from that of a question to a statement: Who is here so vile that will not love his country? (Shakespeare). Did I say a word about money? Do you wish to bull a whole country into the prison?
Rhetorical questions may render different nuances of meaning, a whole range of emotions from admiration to disgust. There are some other devices belonging to the same group.
- Negative meaning may be expressed by positive statements without any negative forms:
a) by the use of some specific affirmative sentences and phrases (dash me – к черту, my foot, my eyes).
e. g. – They are supposed to find diamonds.
- Diamonds my foot! (Какие к черту алмазы! )
b) The use of isolated subordinate clauses of unreal comparison:
e. g. As if I ever stopped thinking about her.
c) exclamatory reiterative / ri’itə rə tiv/ (повторяющиеся) responses:
e. g. – I explained why I did that.
– Explained! Explained!
d) the use of some rhetorical questions:
e. g. Did I say a word about money?
2. Imperative meaning may be conveyed by the use of noun or noun phrases:
e. g. Tea! For two! Out here!
All these devices are based on a property of the language unit to do more than one job – to be polyfunctional. Syntactical forms are transposed (транспонированы, перемещены, переставлены) into a sphere which is not usual, they fulfil an uncommon function which results in expressiveness in conveying different shades of meaning. This phenomenon is called stylistic transposition.
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