THE CONSTRUCTIONIST APPROACH TO STUDYING ENGLISH VERBAL COGNATE OBJECT STRUCTURES

Abstract

The article analyzes the key features of constructions within the frame of Construction Grammar (CxG) using English verbal cognate object structures as a case study. The advantages of the Construction Grammar guidelines are outlined through the analysis of the functional, semantic, syntactic and pragmatic peculiarities of the language structures. Constructions are reviewed as idiomatic form-meaning pairings with the consideration of both linguistic and extralinguistic factors. The success of Construction Grammar in explaining and describing the specific parameters of grammar structures lies in its complicated multifaceted nature, making it possible to consider structural, as well as cognitive characteristics. The author makes a conclusion that a constructionist approach to language structures is an effective tool of studying non-conventional verbal structures. The paper examines the role of cognate object in revealing the semantic peculiarities of the verb and calls attention to its compensational function in this respect. It is stated that cognate objects help to add specifying slots in the argument structure.