Lecture 1 Fundamentals of grammar

Sound Alternations
Sound alternations are a way of expressing grammatical categories which
consists in changing a sound inside the root. This method appears in Modern
English, for example, in nouns, as when the root vowel [au] of mouse is
changed into [aı] in mice, etc.
This method is much more extensively used in verbs, such as write —
wrote — written, sing — sang — sung, meet — met — met, etc. On the whole,
vowel alternation does play some part among the means of expressing
grammatical categories, though its part in Modern English has been much
reduced as compared to Old English.


Analytical Types
These consist in using a word (devoid of any lexical meaning of its
own) to express some grammatical category of another word.
There can be no doubt in Modern English about the analytical character of
such formations as, e. g., has invited or is invited, or is inviting, or does not
invite. The verbs have, be, and do have no lexical meaning of their own in
these cases. The lexical meaning of the formation resides in the participle or
infinitive following the verb have, be or do. Some doubt has been expressed
about the formations shall invite and will invite. There is a view that shall
and will have a lexical meaning.
While the existence of analytical forms of the English verb cannot be
disputed, the existence of such forms in adjectives and adverbs is not
nowadays universally recognised. The question whether such formations as
more vivid, the most vivid, or, again, more vividly and most vividly are or
are not analytical forms of degrees of comparison of vivid and vividly, is
controversial. We can only say here that if these formations are recognised as
analytical forms of degrees of comparison, the words more and most have to
be numbered among the analytical means of morphology.