Syntactic Structures in English-Language Agreements: Structural and Functional Aspects

Abstract

The article examines features of syntactic arrangement and structural components of agreements composed in English. Agreements belong to genres of legal texts, which implies that the structure of the texts should be formal. The structure of agreements itself performs certain functions. This fact conditions the necessity of expertise in the structural composition of agreements as well as syntactic means, command of which is essential for the comprehension of the content of an agreement and for the ability to compose this type of legal texts. The objective of the study is to determine features of syntactic structures used in English-language agreements considering their functions and importance for providing the structural integrity of the legal text. The compliance of English legal texts with the linguocultural norm has been the main criterion in selecting the material for the study. The research analyses structural components of agreements, examines their syntactic structures and outlines their functions. The study reveals that the sphere of usage defines the structure of agreements, which directly affects their syntactic arrangement. The research demonstrates a connection between the structure and the context of the text, on the levels of both paragraphs and sentences. The investigation outlines syntactic models that are typical of agreements composed in English, such as complex sentences, participial phrases, absolute participial constructions, polysyndeton, stylistic inversion, and parallelism; and defines their functional status.

Keywords

• professional communication
• legal communication
• agreement
• syntactic arrangement
• syntactic models
• syntactic devices