Paradigmatics and Functioning of German Infinitive (Scientific and Journalistic Texts)

Abstract

A complex characteristic of the structural and functional features of the infinitive in the texts of the German journalistic and scientific discourses is presented. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that it reveals the ratio of the infinitive forms presented in these discourses (infinitives I and II in the active and passive voice). The dependence of the use of forms on the semantics of the type of infinitive is considered. Particular attention is paid to the description of the syntactic functions in which the infinitive is used, to the identification of the most demanded of them. The correlation of syntactic functions with the temporal characteristics of the infinitive is determined. The relevance of the study is due to the use of a comparative discursive approach for the analysis of the infinitive. It is noted that the functioning of the infinitive in publicistic and scientific discourse reveals both similarities and differences. The author concludes that the differences in the use of the infinitive are due to the main differential features of journalistic and scientific texts, while the similarities indicate the common features that are characteristic of the German infinitive as a whole and distinguish it from other linguistic phenomena.

Keywords

• german
• scientific and journalistic discourse
• forms and types of infinitive
• temporal and collateral characteristics
• syntactic functions