The Middle and New English Periods

The evolution of syntax was closely connected with the decline of the inflectional system, hence MdE and ModE sentences got more emphasis on the syntactical means of word connection: the word order became more strict and the use of prepositions more extensive.

The following changes took place:

Agreement: was considerably reduced

1 agreement in noun phrases practically disappeared, except for some instances in number, which were lost in the 15^th century when the inflection – e was dropped.

… this holy mayden, that requeste, A good man was ther of religioun. …goode men, etc.

2 nouns used attributeively had forms of the genitive case or were joined to the head

word by a preposition: fadres sone, men of armes

3 In Shakespere’s time noun patterns became more fixed: nouns used attributively were enclosed between a determiner and the head word:

Jog on, jog on, the footpath way; the darling buds of May; the master mistress of my passion….

Government: has not undergone essential changes.

Joining: it sphere widened by the reduction of agreement; agreement in gender and case

was lost: his schoures sote (his sweet showers).

The sentence

Parts of the sentence

The Subject: noun, pronoun, infinitive: to beholde it was gret joye

The Predicate: simple verbal: he sende writes sone anon

c ompound verbal= modal verb + infinitive: wel coude he singe

nominal predicate: Hauelok was a ful god gome.

The Object: 2 direct and indirect: anoint thi ship with pik and tar; him louede yung, him

louede olde

The Attribute: adjectives, pronouns, nouns in the Gen. case, nouns between the

determiner and the head word.

The Adverbial Modifier: adverbs, prepositional phrases.

Modern English

Agreement: goes on decreasing: this, that agree in number with the head words.

Government: disappeared, only the personal pronouns and the interrogative and relative pronoun who are governed. Shakespeare: …between you and I…

Joining: since agreement and government decline, the role of joining grows.

Closure: the always-wind-obeying deep

Simple sentence: the freedom of word order becomes more restricted, but: Hamlet:

Mother, you have my father much offended

Agreement: goes on decreasing: this, that agree in number with the head words.

Government: disappeared, only the personal pronouns and the interrogative and relative pronoun who are governed. Shakespeare: …between you and I…

Joining: since agreement and government decline, the role of joining grows.

Closure: the always-wind-obeying deep

Simple sentence: the freedom of word order becomes more restricted, but: Hamlet:

Mother, you have my father much offended

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