VII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2015

There is only subordinate structure in comparative PU.

Adjectival comparison appears in the sentence as a definition, post-positional or dangling, as well as a predicative.

(as) black as thunder = darker clouds,

"You might give me a hand at least, Anne," she said ... "instead of standing with a face as black as thunder "(D. Cusack).

(as) right as rain - 1) perfectly healthy, in good health; 2) in a good condition, in a good order

"You all right again, Roy?" the Indian said to him. Roy nodded. "I'm

all right, Bob, "he said. "Right as rain"(J. Aldridge).

(as) merry as a grig - very funny, cheerful

Nothing seemed to put her out. She was always as merry as a grig (W.S. Maugham).

Thus, the function of adjectival comparisons coincide with the functions of adjective with the difference that the situation in post-position for adjectival comparisons is normal, and in pre-position - a deviation from the norm. Pre-positional use of adjectival comparison is an occasional stylistic device which is uncommon.

This clear-as-daylight mood disappeared as daylight is bound to disappear (D.H. Lawrence).

The deviation from the norm is the use of conjunction like instead of as. It is possible that in such cases, is becoming a new norm, as in spoken English has long been a tendency to use like as a conjunction (he can’t do it like I can).

like a bear with a sore head - much angry; = looks beast; mad as heck

But as he found himself continually foiled, he became sulky, like a bear with a sore head (D.H. Lawrence).

The comma after the lexeme sulky disconnects the comparison to amplify emphatic.

It is also possible to add the variable phrases to the adjectival comparisons. PU (as) large as life may serve as an example -1) in life-size, 2) (colloquial., jocular.) - in person; in all its glory:

An imposing-looking Don, as large as life, and quite as natural (C. Bede).

To be sure I was as large as life, and twice as natural (R. Blackmore).

"This is a child!" Haigha replied ... "we only found it today. It's as large as life, and twice as natural "(L. Carroll).

Later, the comma is not posed in this comparison, which in the end of XIX century has become a common playful extension of the turn (as) large as life.

Mrs. Warren (swopping on the Reverend Samuel): Why, it's Sam Gardner gone into the Church! Well, I never! Do not you know us, Sam? This is George Crofts, as large as life and twice as natural (G.B. Shaw).

The comparison was so firmly established in the language that an update of the turn was needed for the creation of the comic effect.

Mabel Chiltern: I assure you she is coming upstairs as large as life and not nearly so natural (O. Wilde) (full-size, although not quite in its natural form).

The newly formed comparison gives an additional characteristic of designated persons, but this characteristic is stable and does not allow changes at the normative use. Both comparisons exist parallel as different structured phraseological synonyms. The widespread distribution of such turns can explain given below occasional change of comparison.

There she is - large as life and twice as impudent (R. Aldington).

Replacing the word natural by word impudent gives the comparison a sarcastic character.

Библиографический список

1. Кунин А.В. Фразеология современного английского языка. – Международные отношения, 1972. – 273-274 с.

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