locuciones conjuntivas

18:56 Sep 19, 2013 

Yes, you are absolutely correct: 'compound conjunctions' is the teacher's term, and 'conjunctive phrases' is the linguist's term. They are synonymous. As a linguist, I prefer the latter because it's more descriptive. 'Conjunctive expressions' would be an informal way of saying it, whereas 'phrases' is the linguist's term.

18:21 Sep 19, 2013 

It does seem to me it depends a little on the register of the ST. I have been (was) an EFL teacher for 30 years and compound conjunctions seems more of a layman's term and conjunctive phrase a linguist's term. Not one I would have thrown around in class.

17:47 Sep 19, 2013 

That would work, too.

07:10 Sep 19, 2013 

I had not addressed the scope of “locución”. I think “phrase” is the nearest equivalent for this word. “Expression” is very often a suitable translation too. The main difference, I think, is that “phrase”, like “locución”, always means a group of words, whereas “expression” can be a single word. That difference is relevant in this particular case, where the distinction is precisely between one word and more than one, which is why I think “phrase” would be more suitable than “expression” here. (In the source Toni cited, where Halliday refers to a “conjunctive expression”, he is defining a conjunctive, which can be one word or more than one.) But the question concerns the phrase (or expression) “locución conjuntiva” as a whole.

07:09 Sep 19, 2013 

The very last thing I want to do is “diss” Michael Halliday, whose stature and importance are beyond dispute. And it is perfectly true that “conjunctive” is a standard term, indeed an indispensable term, in linguistics. Halliday himself, and others, regularly use expressions like “conjunctive relation”. Let me say again that I am not for a moment claiming that “conjunctive phrase” is an incorrect way of referring to a conjunction consisting of more than one word, but simply that in my view it doesn’t happen to be the usual way of doing so in English grammar. The same applies to “conjunctional phrase”, which is a less common alternative.

The question specifically concerns how to express the contrast between conjuntions consisting of one word and those consisting of more than one, and my view is that “simple conjunction” and “compound conjunction” would be normal. I think “simple” (or “one-word”) may be needed, since a compound conjunction (or conjunctive phrase) is still a conjunction, so the contrast is not strictly between “conjunctions” and “compound conjunctions/conjunctive phrases”, since the latter are a subset of the former.

04:32 Sep 19, 2013 

Sorry Muriel;

How to Express a Condition? We use several different structures to express a condition in English. The most common among these structures are explained here.

By using a conjunctional phrase A condition can be expressed by using conjunctional phrases such as in case. In case it rains, I shall put on my rain coat. In case you are not satisfied with the product, you can send it back.
Read more at http://www.englishpractice.com/improve/express-condition/#9P...

23:29 Sep 18, 2013 

Well, Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday was my guru. I used his model for my doctoral thesis, and none of my advisers objected to his terminology. The term 'conjunctive' is pretty standard in the linguistics field. I understood that the question was more about the scope of "locuciones" in English.

20:17 Sep 18, 2013 

I said "rarely, if ever", out of native caution, but in recognition that English grammarians do sometimes use "conjunctive" in relation to conjunctions. Toni has just quoted an example from Michael Halliday. But it's a pretty rare exception, I think, and may to some extent be a personal usage. Generally speaking, it is not easy to find works on English grammar using the word "conjunctive" when referring to conjunctions, but as I say, when you turn to French grammar, for example, it's very common.

And of course it's not wrong, not at all. "Conjunctive" certainly can mean "of the nature of or relating to a conjunction" in grammar (just look in any good dictionary). I repeat, I am simply talking about prevailing custom.

There are exceptions: the term "conjunctive adverb" is well established in English grammar. But to refer specifically to a conjunction consisting of more than one word, "compound conjunction" is what is usually said.

19:17 Sep 18, 2013 

This question is interesting, I think, because it illustrates the weight of custom in usage. The word “conjunctive”, as an adjective from “conjunction”, is quite commonly used when referring to other languages, such as French or Spanish, but English-speaking grammarians rarely if ever use it when referring to English. You often find references to “conjunctive” phrases or expressions in French, for example, meaning conjunctions consisting of more than one word. I think the explanation for this is probably that French grammarians call them “phrases conjonctives”, and if you study French you get used to transferring this expression into English. The same probably goes for “locuciones conjuntivas” in Spanish. In short, I strongly suspect that the use of “conjunctive” in this sense is really a calque.

On the other hand, “conjunctive” is used in English linguistics to denote a different phenomenon: expressions of the form “X and Y” or “X-Y”, involving a conjunction of two or more elements.

Note that we talk about “verb phrases” and “noun phrases” in English, not “verbal” or “substantival”. It’s a matter of customary style, really.