Intermediary communicative types of sentences

1. Intermediary (mixed) communicative types of sentences

Blokh 2008: pp. 286-291

2. Intermediary communicative sentence models:

• Statement – Question
• Statement – Inducement
• Inducement - Question

3. +

•S Q
•Q S (Rhetorical question)

4. S  Q

S Q
• “I wonder why they come to me about it.”
• “But surely I may treat him as a human
being.” – “Most certainly not” (B. Shaw)
• “I don’s disturb you, I hope, Mr. Cokane.” –
“By no means” (B. Shaw)
• “Wait a second, you haven’t told me your
address.” – “Oh, I’m staying…” (A.
Christie)

5. Q  S (= Rhetorical question)

Q S (= Rhetorical question)
• Can a leopard change his spots?
• “That was my mission, you imagined. It was
not, but where was I to go?” (O. Wilde)
• How could I have ever thought I could get
away with it! (J. Osborne)

6. In living speech…

• “How can a woman be expected to be
happy with a man who insists on treating
her as if she were a perfectly rational
being?” – “My dear!” (O. Wilde)

7. Rhetoric questions may be followed by a direct answer which only accentuates the declarative nature of the questions:

• “What more can a woman desire in this
world?” – “Nothing more, I am quite sure.”

8. The answer may be given by the speaker himself…

• “Who, being in love, is poor? Oh,
no one.” (O. Wilde)

9. A rhetorical question used as an answer to a genuine question:

– Albina, are you
preparing a free talk
for tomorrow?
– Well, who else will?

10. FEEL THE DIFFERENCE:

• Had she had what was called a complex
all the time? Or was love always sudden
like this? A wild flower seeding on a wild
wind? (J. Galsworthy)

11.

Declarative-imperative

12. S  I

S I
• You ought to get rid of it, you know.
• “You might as well sit down,” said Javotte.
• “And if you’ll excuse me, Lady Eileen, I
think it’s time you were going back to
bed.” The firmness of his tone admitted of
no parley. (A. Christie)

13. I  S

I S
• The Forsyte in him said: “Think, feel, and
you’re done for!” (J. Galsworthy)
• Talk of the devil and he will appear.
• Live and learn.
• Live and let live.
• Don’t cross the bridge till you get to it.

14. Imperative-interrogative type

15. I  Q

I Q
• “Tell me about your upbringing.” –
“I should like to hear about yours.” (E.J.
Howard)
• Please, tell me what I can do.

16. Q  I (the reverse intermediary construction)

Q I
(the reverse intermediary construction)
• I’m having a party tonight. Would you like
to come? (the speaker feels hopeful that his
interlocutor will accept the implied invitation)
• Can I take you home in a cab?
• And you will come too, Basil, won’t you?

17. Thank you for your attention!