Phraseology in English. Features of English phraseology

Figurative expressions (phraseological units) make a person's speech more interesting and stylistically colored. For those who are seriously studying the language, it is impossible to ignore the topic - idioms in English language with the translation.

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How to make your speech richer

You need to constantly develop your language skills, increase vocabulary, arsenal of knowledge through idioms And stylistics. Often, in practice, it is required to use not faceless dry clichés, but proverbs, winged expressions, phraseological units, professional words, entire layers of informal vocabulary and even jargon.

Then it will be possible to fully communicate in a certain language environment. For example, if you are planning a long-term trip to the United States or the UK.

A person "taking the first steps" in a plan study foreign language , “beginning with the basics”, respectively, “who takes one’s first steps”, “makes up one’s mind”; in other words, “newbie”, one who is still “layman”, “a freshman”, “a new kind on the block”, easily manages set of standard phrases, which help him to greet correctly, exchange information, ask questions, talk about the weather and nature, find out the cost of goods and services, wish success in work and personal life, thank and say goodbye.

Confident user of English and vocabulary, who can fluently “speak and write” or “doka”, “an authority”, “a skilled craftsman”, has already “ate a dog on this”, “the one who knows the ropes”; it's time to start using set expressions correctly in English - idioms and phraseological units.

The use of phraseological units

Consider what this phenomenon is - idioms in english. These are varieties phraseological units, that is, combinations of words that cannot be composed of individual components in an arbitrary order, but have an unchanged form and are subject to memorization in their original form.

In other words, they represent holistic education. They cannot be divided into parts or modified. In speech, they work on a par with individual words.

If you spend comparative analysis, it will be easy to see how similar in value set expressions in English and Russian idiomatic expressions.

For example, the biblical expression "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is the exact equivalent of "an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth". And the idiom "yellow press" is nothing more than a combination of "yellow press". The Russian saying "to lose sight of" is very similar to the English phrase "lose sight of somebody".

And yet, there are differences, and there are many of them. This is determined by the peculiarities of the perception of the surrounding world by the inhabitants of a particular country. Therefore, not all phrases can be translated literally.

So, who is attentive to the history and culture of the English language will never translate “there is still gunpowder in the powder flasks” as “there is some powder in the powder flask yet”. Indeed, in the original it sounds: “We are not licked yet”.

"Kill yourself in the nose" will not become literal "to make a cut on one's nose" because in fact it is - "to put smth in smb's pipe and smoke it".

For clarity and complete understanding, you should carefully study the examples presented in the reference, as well as in the educational literature. Then you can gradually expand the list the most popular idioms, by studying the artistic performance of the works of individual authors.

It is useful to compare expressions in English with their translation into .

Unacceptable to replace natural creative process with a purely formal approach to business. You should not rely on electronic translators for everything, although they are used to create quite competent words, expressions, and even entire texts.

Both languages abound idioms, which mean the same thing but differ by one element.

For example, in Russian, an individual with very poor eyesight can be logically and correctly called "blind as a mole", and in English he can be likened to a bat - "аs blind as a bat".

The familiar “titmouse in the hand” loses its color and becomes just a bird “a bird in the hand”.

A "difficult child" is a child who creates problems - "a problem child".

The Russian expression "throwing pearls in front of pigs" is only partly comparable with English. There, the beads are changed to pearls "to cast pearls before swine".

It also happens, that common phrases or phrases, similar in spelling or sound in Russian and English, are completely different in meaning:

“accurate translation” is “accurate translation”, and by no means “neat”;
"civilian occupation" is a "civilian profession". "Civilian" and "occupation" are completely inapplicable here;
"peace activist" - "fighter for peace". A direct translation of the second word as "activist" will indicate insufficient language training of the person performing the translation.

At this stage, a person has a special sense of the language and even the desire to engage in translation of original literature. And this, in turn, makes the novice linguist take their oral and written speech more seriously and thoughtfully.

At the same time, it rises cultural level. He learns that each idiomatic expression has its own characteristics, depending on the situation of use.

American idioms are divided into formal and colloquial, figurative and ugly, can reflect the speaker's attitude to a particular phenomenon, are modern and outdated, monosyllabic and polysyllabic.

In good English-English idiomatic dictionary special marks are used that help to assess the nature of the situation where communication takes place and make the right choice in favor of one or another idiomatic expression.

For example, the Russian phrase “You should take the matter with all seriousness” in the English version should look almost the same: “You should give the matter a serious consideration”.

Important! The main thing is not just to memorize popular English idioms, but also to try to observe the measure in their use. As a basis, it is best to take a regular textbook for students of the humanities faculties. The authors of such manuals build educational material so that the studied vocabulary is worked out in the most thorough way.

It is not surprising that the career of future teachers, human rights activists, historians, economists, diplomats and translators will largely depend on the ability to express one's thoughts in a diverse and beautiful way.

Thus, in legal circles, especially during litigation, representatives of the interests of both parties tend to use sentences in speech that include words of different styles. Language formations of various levels are skillfully intertwined: bookish, neutral and reduced vocabulary in order to impress the public, to influence its feelings and thoughts.

Verb in a phrase

Special attention should be paid to such a phenomenon in English as phrasal. They mean the movement or movement of people and objects in space, as well as a change in their state. Compound formula: verb + postposition = phrasal verb

Important! The first element of phrasal verbs are the basic verb forms that the student is introduced to first. This is the same “multiplication table” that you need to know as “Our Father”. It is located at the end of any bilingual dictionary.

What's happened phrasal verbs Let's list the main types:

to be,
to break,
to bring,
to come,
to cut,
to get,
to give,
to go,
to keep,
to put
to run,
to set
to stand,
to take,
to turn.

For beginners, of course, it is not easy to adjust from the use of all the above verbs in the direct meaning. But if you try to independently explain in what directions all actions can take place, visualize this situation, then it turns out that “the devil is not so terrible as he is painted” or “the devil is not so terrible as he is painted”.

After all, the second part of these multifunctional verbs is surprisingly similar to places and directions. And this short list to remember is “easier than a steamed turnip” or “as easy as ABC”.

These are the same ones:

about,
around,
away,
back,
over.

Phrasal verbs can be learned in different ways. Everyone chooses for themselves a more understandable and simple way

You can make a table for each of the studied verbs, where expressions in English with translation will be put together:

TAKE
book version	Colloquial	Translation
1. to hear, read, understand smth; 3. to let smb in your house; 4. to make a garment fit	take in	1. understand; 2. deceive, cheat someone; 3. give shelter; 4. sew in clothes
1. to remove; 2. to leave the ground; 3. to .have as a break from work	take off	1. take off your clothes; 2. take off (about an airplane); 3. take a day off
1. to conduct or accompany someone for recreation; 2. to carry out; 3. to pull out smth	take out	1. take someone for a walk or go entertain someone; 2. take something out of the room; 3. take out, get
1.to.return; 2. to admit you were wrong;	take back	1. return; 2. take back your words
1. to make short; 2. to adopt as a hobby;	take up	1. shorten; 2. get addicted to something; 3. get to work
1. to write down the information; 2. move to a lower position	take down	1. record; 2. move from top to bottom

Next, you should be patient and begin to perform special exercises of a transformational nature. These can be dialogues or entire texts in which neutral or bookish vocabulary should be replaced with colloquial formulas, making it more lively and expressive.

English idioms: 5 of the best from Skyeng

English idioms. The most creative lesson in English Idioms

Output

In conclusion, I would like to note that a person who is truly interested in phraseological units of the English language with the correct translation will definitely acquire several original books and a large explanatory dictionary, since this is very interesting.

What are phraseological units? Not everyone can answer right away. These are stable phrases, sometimes incomprehensible and ridiculous when translated for people of other cultures. In English, such phrases are called idioms. What are phraseological units and idioms, why do they need to be studied? You can find answers to these and other questions in this article.

Comparison of phraseological units in Russian and English

When studying English, you probably come across strange phrases that confuse you quite often. These are phraseological units called idioms. Idioms are an integral part of the communication of English-speaking people and are sometimes used even more often than phraseological units in Russian.

What are phraseological units?

Phraseology (Greek phrasis - “expression”, logos - “teaching”) is a section of linguistics that studies stable combinations in a language. Phraseologisms are ready-made combinations of words. Researchers of phraseology drew attention to the national peculiarity. Therefore, phraseological units were defined by the term “idiom”, which in Greek means “peculiar”. In English, they are also called "idioms".

Some linguists at first even argued that phraseological units are untranslatable into other languages. And indeed, we have discovered a huge layer of phraseological units that have no analogues in the English language: hang your nose, your soul has gone to your heels, your stigma to fluff, etc.
Many of them were born in the works of Russian writers. A treasure trove of phraseological units was I. A. Krylov, from whose fables a large number of phraseological units came to our phraseology. The rest were created by the language-creating people.

When comparing other phraseological units in English and Russian, we found phraseological units similar in structure:

burn bridges - to burn bridges;
live like a cat and dog - a cat and dog life

The following expressions are very similar in Russian and English:

appetite comes with eating - appetite comes with eating;
marriages committed on the heaven - marriages are made in heaven;

It is interesting to note that many Russian and English expressions go back to the same primary source - the Bible. The Bible is the richest source of phraseological units.

A storm in a tea-cup Storm in glass water .

Interestingly, the French idiom Cherches la femme (A. Dumas) is widely used in both Russian and English. But if in Russian his tracing paper is used (search a woman), then in English it is not tracing paper that functions, but a turnover that reveals the meaning of a foreign expression:

There is a woman in it Here involved female .

In the English language, and later in Russian, units endowed with extraordinary brilliance entered. This explains their prevalence in both languages and the similarity of images. W. Shakespeare: To be or not to be to be or not to be .

English writer William Thackeray is the author of phraseological units: A skeleton in the closet - a skeleton in the closet (oh family secret hidden from strangers).

It turned out that the names of body parts are among the most frequently used words in the formation of phraseological units. And what is most interesting, the images are similar in languages.

To wash one's head - lather head ( neck ).
To have a heart of gold have golden a heart

However, when translating from language to language, imagery often changes. This is such an interesting phenomenon for the English and Russian languages. So we observe the difference in images in the following phraseological units:

Buy a pig in a poke (buy a pig in a poke) - buy a pig in a poke
As two peas (like two “peas”) - like two drops of water

So, idioms or phraseological units - These are stable combinations of words that cannot be translated just like that. Bright emotional cunning expressions. Due to the unusualness, these phrases are easy to remember. The main mistake of beginners in learning any language is an attempt to translate a phraseological unit (idiom) literally, as a result of which it often turns out to be just nonsense. It is impossible not to notice that idioms exist in all languages, and often inherit from each other the meaning of the expression.

Having studied a huge layer of phraseological units in Russian and English, we came to the following conclusion:

And in Russian and English there are expressions that do not have an analogue for each other;
Both in Russian and English there are expressions that have a common stylistic coloring;
And in Russian and English there are expressions that came from other languages, for example, from Latin or French;
Some Russian and English expressions go back to the same primary source - the Bible;
It turned out that the names of body parts and the names of animals are among the most frequently used words in the formation of phraseological units.

Why study phraseological units?

First of all, the study of phraseological units (idioms) will greatly enrich your speech, which is no less important for live communication.

If you are still engaged in learning English seriously and for a long time, then you are unlikely to be able to bypass the study of idioms, which is why we have collected the most interesting, most used idiomatic expressions in our work!

100 most interesting and frequently used phraseological units (idioms) in English

(with literal translation and Russian equivalents)

White crow. - The black ship.(lit.: " black ship»);
White cash (colloquial, "legitimate cash fixed in financial documents and subject to taxes") - white cash.(lit.: " white cash»);
Fight like a fish on ice. - To pull the devil by the tail.(lit.: " Pull the devil's tail»);
Sick question. - A sore subject.(lit.: "Sick question");
Was not. - Sink or swim. - (lit.: "Sink or swim");
Be in worries, troubles. - In hot water.(lit.: " In hot water»);
Be in seventh heaven. - To be in seventh heaven;
Be out of place. - A round peg in a square hole.(lit.: "Round peg in a square hole");
To be under someone's shoe. - To be under someone's thumb.(lit.: "Being Under Someone's Thumb");
Important bird. - Big frog in a small pond. (lit.: " Big frog in a small swamp»);
To be fooling around. - Act the fool. / Play the fool.(lit.: "Play the fool/donkey");
That's right, like two and two. - As sure as eggs is eggs. (lit.: « True like eggs are eggs»);
Spin like a squirrel in a wheel. - To be busy as a bee.(lit.: "Be busy as a bee");
In a nutshell. - In a nutshell. - (lit.: "In a nutshell");
Pull yourself together. - To take oneself in hand.(lit.: "Pull yourself together");
Written with a pitchfork on the water. - It's still all up in the air.(lit.: "It's still up in the air");
Hang by a thread. - To hang by a thread.(lit.: "Hanging by a thread");
Hanging on the telephone. - To sit on the phone.(lit.: "Sit on the phone");
Lead someone by the nose. - To draw the wool over someone's eyes.(lit.: "Put wool over someone's eyes");
You won't spill water. - As thick as thieves.(lit.: "To be as close to each other as thieves");
Lone wolf. - Alone wolf;
That's where the dog is buried. - That's the heart of the matter.(lit.: "Here is the heart of the matter (case)");
Get out of bed on the wrong side. - To get out of the bed on the wrong side.(lit.: "Standing on the wrong side of the bed");
Lose temper. - To fly off the handle.(lit.: "Fly off the handle");
Hungry as wolf. - Hungry as a hunter.(lit.: "Hungry Like a Hunter");
Not worth a penny. - not worth a bean. (lit.: « Not worth a bean»);
Goose pawed. (colloquial: "simpleton, simpleton") - A silly goose.(lit. "Stupid Goose");
They do not look at a given horse's teeth. - Not look a gift horse in the mouth. (lit. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth");
To make mountains out of molehills. - To make a mountain out of molehill.(lit.: "Make a mountain out of molehills");
Chickens don't eat money. - rolling in money.(lit.: "Riding in the Money");
Heart wide open. - open-hearted;
The soul went to the heels. - One's heart sank into one's boots.(lit.: "Heart sank into shoes");
Live like on a volcano. - To sit on a powder keg.(lit.: "Sit on a powder keg");
Cover your tracks. - To cover up one's traces.(lit.: "Hide Traces");
Nick down. - Put it into your pipe and smoke it.(lit.: "Put in your pipe and smoke it");
There are not enough stars from the sky. - He won't set the Thames on fire.(lit.: "He won't set fire to the Thames");
Play with fire. - To play with edge tool.(lit.: "Play with a sharp instrument");
Pour out your soul. - To bare one's heart.(lit. "Open Heart")
Looking for a needle in a haystack. - To look for a needle in a haystack.(lit.: "Looking for a needle in a haystack");
Drink the cup to the bottom. - To drink the cup to the end.(lit.: "Drink the cup to the rest (draft)");
What fly bit you? (colloquial, "what's bothering you?") - What's biting you?(lit.: "What's biting you?");
How the wind blew it. - Vanish into thin air.(lit.: "Disappear into clear air");
Like thunder from a clear sky. - Like a bolt from the blue.(lit.: "Like a blow (of thunder) in the blue sky");
Like twice two is four. - As plain as the nose on your face.(lit.: "As clear as the nose on your face");
Like peas on the wall. - You might as well talk to a brick wall.(lit.: "You might as well talk to a brick wall");
How it was removed by hand. - Disappeared as if by magic.(lit.: "Vanished like magic");
Like a herring in a barrel. - Packed like sardines.(lit.: "Stuffed Like Sardines");
Like an elephant in a china shop. - Like a bull in a China shop(lit.: like a bull in a Chinese china shop);
Heart stone. - A heavy heart.(lit.: "Heavy Heart");
A drop in the sea. - A drop in the ocean.(lit.: "A drop in the ocean");
Ride like cheese in butter. - To live in clover.(lit.: "Live in Clover");
Wedge with a wedge to knock out. - Nail drives out nail.(lit.: "The nail kicks out the nail");
When the cancer hangs on the mountain ( or) After the rain on Thursday ( i.e. never) - When the pigs fly(lit.: when the pigs fly) When hell freezes(lit.: "When Hell Freezes Over");
Cat in a bag. - A pig in a poke. - (lit.: "Cdbymzin a bag»);
Nice gesture. - A fine gesture;
Toughie. - A hard nut to crack.(lit.: "A tough nut to crack");
Buy a pig in a poke. - To buy a pig in a poke.(lit.: "Buy a pig in a sack");
Pour like a bucket. - It rains cats and dogs.(lit.: "The rain is pouring with cats and dogs");
Catch fish in troubled waters. - To fish in troubled waters.(lit.: "Fishing in Troubled Waters");
Between the hammer and the anvil. - Between the devil and the deep blue sea.(lit.: "Between Hell and the Deep Blue Sea");
Measure on your arshin ( =0,71 m). - To measure another's corn by one's own bushel.(lit.: "To measure someone else's grain with your own bushel");
The world is small. - It's a small world.(lit.: "The world is small");
Click on all buttons. - To pull strings.(lit.: "Pull the ropes");
Call a spade a spade. - To call a spade a spade.(lit.: "Call a shovel a shovel");
On half-bent (colloquial, "obsequiously"). - On bent knee.(lit.: "on bended knee");
Not a sheep sneezed ( or) Not a pound of raisins ( or) Not khukhry-mukhry (colloquial, “about something important, significant). - Nothing to sneeze at.(lit.: "Nothing to Sneeze");
Mute like a fish. - Dumb as an oyster.(lit.: "Mute like an oyster");
Not for me. - It is not my cup of tea. (lit.: "Nthats my cup of tea»);
Neither to the village nor to the city. - Neither here nor there.(lit.: "Neither there nor here");
Nothing new under the sun Nothing new under the sun. (lit.: "Nnothing new under the sun");
Promise mountains of gold. - To promise the moon.(lit.: "Promise the Moon");
The black sheep spoils the whole herd - The rotten apple injures its neighbours.(lit.: "Ga rotten apple spoils the neighbors»);
Pour from empty to empty. - to beat the air.(lit.: "beat the air");
Shove like a tractor (colloquial, “stubbornly do your job”). - to flow through something.(lit.: "Plow through anything");
Swim like a stone. - To swim like a stone.(lit.: "Swim Like a Stone");
Spit on the ceiling. - To sit twiddling one's thumbs.(lit.: "Sit and twiddle your thumb");
Tuck your tail. - To put one's tail between one's legs.(lit.: "Place the tail between the legs");
Catch two rabbits. - Butter both sides of smb's bread.(lit.: "Butter on both sides of the bread");
Put on the counter (colloquial, slang). - To turn on the meter./ The meter is running;
Then soup with a cat (colloquial) - Later alligator.(lit.: "Later - Alligator", a rhyming answer to the word “later”);
They look like two drops of water. - As like as two peas in a pot.(lit.: "Like two peas in a pod");
Pass through fire and water. - To go through fire and water;
A trifling business. - A piece of cake. (lit.: "TObit of cake») ;
Born in a shirt - To be born with a silver spoon in the mouth. (lit.: « Born with a silver spoon in your mouth») ;
Tet-a-tet - Head to head, face to face. (lit.: "Gtin to head, face to face»)
Sweet tooth. - A sweet teeth. (lit.: "sweet tooth");
Verbal diarrhea (colloquial, "empty endless chatter"). - verbal diarrhea;
Laugh into your fist. - Laugh in the beard. (lit.: « FROMlaugh in beard»);
Calm as a boa constrictor. - As cool as a cucumber.(lit.: « Xcold as a cucumber»);
Shot sparrow. - A knowing old bird.(lit.: "Knowing Old Bird");
Build castles in the air. - Build castles in the air. (lit.: "Build castles in the air");
Just what the doctor ordered (colloquial, “what you need”). - Just what the doctor ordered.(lit.: "Just what the doctor ordered");
Kill two birds with one stone. - To kill two birds with one stone.(lit.: "Kill two birds with one blow");
Kill the goose that lays golden eggs. - Kill the goose that lays the golden egg. (lit.: "Kill the goose that lays the golden egg");
Sip grief. - Smell hell.(lit.: "Smell Hell");
To beat around the bush. - To beat about the bush.(lit.: Hang around the bush");
Though a dime a dozen. - thick as blackberries. (lit.: "Tfat as a blueberry»);
At least roll a ball. - Bare as a bone.(lit.: "Naked as a Bone");
Thin as a match. - Thin as a rake.(lit.: "Thin as a rake");
Black cash (colloquially, "unofficial, illegal cash, undocumented and tax-free"). - black money.(lit.: "Black money").

Introduction

Chapter 1 Phraseology

1.1 The subject and tasks of phraseology

1.2 Types of phraseological units

1.3 The concept of phraseological system

Chapter 2 Varieties of phraseological units in English

2.1 Bibleisms

2.2 Shakespeareanisms

2.3 Statements of English writers that have become phraseological units

2.4 Phraseologisms borrowed from literary works of other languages and countries

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The English language has a thousand-year history. During this time, it has accumulated a large number of expressions that people found successful, well-aimed and beautiful. And so a special layer of the language arose - phraseology, a set of set expressions that have an independent meaning.

The study of English is widespread in our country. A good knowledge of the language, including English, is impossible without knowledge of its phraseology. Knowledge of phraseology greatly facilitates the reading of both non-fiction and fiction. The reasonable use of phraseological units makes speech more expressive.

With the help of phraseological expressions that are not translated literally, but are perceived rethought, the aesthetic aspect of the language is enhanced. "With the help of idioms, as with the help of various shades of colors, the informational aspect of the language is complemented by a sensual-intuitive description of our world, our life" .

The world of modern English phraseology is large and diverse, and every aspect of its study certainly deserves due attention.

The purpose of this work is to study the ways of formation of phraseological units in the English language.

The following tasks were set during the work:

1. understand the subject and tasks of phraseology;

2. to analyze the equivalence of a phraseological unit to a word;

3. consider the types of phraseological units and the concept of phraseological system;

4. show the ways in which phraseological units appear in the English language.

For those who study English as a foreign language, this layer of the language is difficult to master, but after mastering phraseological units, you can begin to speak like English and understand them from a half-word, as speech readiness increases dramatically. You can briefly and very accurately express your thought, being sure of the correctness of its expression. In many cases, knowledge of English phraseology helps to avoid Russicisms, that is, literal translations of sentences from Russian into English.

Thus, from all of the above, we can conclude that the relevance of the topic is undeniable.

Chapter 1 Phraseology

1.1 The subject and tasks of phraseology

Phraseology is a branch of linguistics that studies stable combinations in a language. Phraseology is also called a set of stable combinations in the language as a whole, in the language of a particular writer, in the language of a particular work of art, etc.

As an independent linguistic discipline, phraseology arose relatively recently. The subject and tasks, scope and methods of studying phraseology are not yet clearly defined, and therefore have not received full coverage. The questions about the main features of phraseological units in comparison with free phrases, about the classification of phraseological units and their relationship with parts of speech, etc., have been developed less than others. the composition of these units in the language. Some researchers (L.P. Smith, V.P. Zhukov, V.N. Teliya, N.M. Shansky and others) include stable combinations in phraseology, others (N.N. Amosova, A.M. Babkin , A.I. Smirnitsky and others) - only certain groups. So, some linguists (including academician V.V. Vinogradov) do not include proverbs, sayings and catchwords in the category of phraseological units, believing that they differ from phraseological units in their semantics and syntactic structure. V.V. Vinogradov argued: "Proverbs and sayings have a sentence structure and are not semantic equivalents of words."

The tasks of phraseology as a linguistic discipline include a comprehensive study of the phraseological fund of a particular language. Important aspects of the study of this science are: the stability of phraseological units, the consistency of phraseology and the semantic structure of phraseological units, their origin and main functions. A particularly complex branch of phraseology is the translation of phraseological units, which requires considerable experience in the study of this discipline.

Phraseology develops the principles of identifying phraseological units, methods for their study, classification and phraseography - descriptions in dictionaries.

Phraseology uses various research methods, such as component analysis of meaning. On the basis of the research methods existing in linguistics, “proper phraseological methods of analysis and description” are being developed:

1. identification method - establishing the identities of words and syntactic constructions that form phraseological units with their free counterparts;

2. application method, which is a kind of identification method, a method limited in the choice of variables, establishing different structural and semantic organizations of a phraseological unit from combinations formed in accordance with regular patterns of choice and combination, etc. Phraseology offers various types of classifications of the phraseological composition of a language, depending on the properties of phraseological units and methods for their study.

The subject of the history of phraseology is the study of the primary, initial forms and meanings of phraseological units, determining their sources for all available monuments, identifying the areas of their use in different eras of the existence of the language, as well as establishing the volume of the phraseological composition and its systemic ordering in one or another historical era language development.

Unfortunately, in the English and American linguistic literature there are few works specifically devoted to the theory of phraseology, but even the most significant works do not raise such fundamental questions as scientifically based criteria for identifying phraseological units, the ratio of phraseological units and words, the consistency of phraseology, phraseological variability, the method of study phraseology, etc.

Also, English and American scientists do not raise the question of phraseology as a linguistic science. This explains the lack of a name for this discipline in English.

1.2 Types of phraseological units

As you know, phraseological units arise from a free combination of words, which is used in a figurative sense. Gradually, portability is forgotten, erased, and the combination becomes stable.

In English, there are the following typologies of phraseological units *:

1. Typology based on the grammatical similarity of the component composition of phraseological units.

a) combination of an adjective with a noun:

Vicious circle - vicious circle

The Indian summer - babeleto

b) when translating into Russian, a combination of a noun in the nominative case with a noun in the genitive case:

Point of view - point of view

Apple of discord - apple of discord

c) combination of the prepositional form of a noun with an adjective:

Be on a good footing - be on a short footing with someone

d) combination of a verb with a noun (with and without a preposition):

Come to one's senses - take the mind

Cock one's nose - turn up your nose

e) combination of a verb with an adverb:

To see through somebody - see through

Fly high - be very ambitious

Get down to earth - descend from the clouds to earth

f) combination of a participle with a noun:

One's heart is bleeding - the heart bleeds

2. Typology based on the correspondence of the syntactic functions of phraseological units and parts of speech with which they can be replaced.

a) nominal phraseological units:

Swan-song - swan song

(in a sentence, they perform the functions of a subject, predicate, complement; by the nature of connections with other words, in combination they can control any member and be controlled);

b) verb phraseological units

Hold one's ground - hold on very firmly, do not give up your positions

(in the sentence they play the role of a predicate; in combination with other words they can agree, control and be controlled);

c) adjective phraseological units

Inbloominghealth - blood with milk

(they have the meaning of a qualitative characteristic and, like adjectives, act in a sentence as a definition or nominal part of the predicate);

d) adverbial or adverbial phraseological units:

Up one's sleeves - after the sleeves

(like adverbs, they characterize the quality of the action and play the role of circumstances in the sentence);

e) interjectional phraseological units:

good luck! - Good afternoon!

(like interjections, such phraseological units express will, feelings, acting as separate, undivided sentences).

Phraseological units can also be systematized according to other features. For example, from the point of view of sound organization, all phraseological units are divided into those ordered according to their phonics and neutral ones.

The former combine phraseological units with a pronounced rhythmic organization, with rhyming elements, with sound repetitions.

An interesting classification of phraseological units according to their origin.

In this case, one can single out native British phraseological units (Fleet Street - a street in London, where the editorial offices of the most popular newspapers used to be) and phraseological units borrowed from other languages (Tête-à-tête - from French eye to eye).

Phraseological units borrowed from the Latin language are distinguished into a special group.

The world of modern English phraseology is large and diverse, and every aspect of its study certainly deserves due attention.

The purpose of this work is to study the ways of formation of phraseological units in the English language.

The following tasks were set during the work:

1. understand the subject and tasks of phraseology;

2. to analyze the equivalence of a phraseological unit to a word;

3. consider the types of phraseological units and the concept of phraseological system;

4. show the ways in which phraseological units appear in the English language.

Thus, from all of the above, we can conclude that the relevance of the topic is undeniable.

Chapter 1 Phraseology

1.1 The subject and tasks of phraseology

Phraseology develops the principles of identifying phraseological units, methods for their study, classification and phraseography - descriptions in dictionaries.

1. identification method - establishing the identities of words and syntactic constructions that form phraseological units with their free counterparts;

The subject of the history of phraseology is the study of the primary, initial forms and meanings of phraseological units, determining their sources for all available monuments, identifying the areas of their use in different eras of the existence of the language, as well as establishing the scope of the phraseological composition and its systematic ordering in one or another historical era of language development.

Also, English and American scientists do not raise the question of phraseology as a linguistic science. This explains the lack of a name for this discipline in English.

1.2 Types of phraseological units

As you know, phraseological units arise from a free combination of words, which is used in a figurative sense. Gradually, portability is forgotten, erased, and the combination becomes stable.

In English, there are the following typologies of phraseological units *:

1. Typology based on the grammatical similarity of the component composition of phraseological units.

a) combination of an adjective with a noun:

Vicious circle - vicious circle

The Indian summer - Indian summer

b) when translating into Russian, a combination of a noun in the nominative case with a noun in the genitive case:

Point of view - point of view

c) combination of the prepositional form of a noun with an adjective:

Be on a good footing - be on a short footing with someone

d) combination of a verb with a noun (with and without a preposition):

Come to one's senses - take on the mind

Cock one's nose - turn up your nose

e) combination of a verb with an adverb:

To see through somebody - see through

Fly high - be very ambitious

Get down to earth - descend from the clouds to earth

f) combination of a participle with a noun:

One's heart is bleeding - the heart bleeds

2. Typology based on the correspondence of the syntactic functions of phraseological units and parts of speech with which they can be replaced.

a) nominal phraseological units:

Swan-song - swan song

(in a sentence, they perform the functions of a subject, predicate, complement; by the nature of connections with other words, in combination they can control any member and be controlled);

b) verb phraseological units

Hold one's ground - hold on very firmly, do not give up your positions

(in the sentence they play the role of a predicate; in combination with other words they can agree, control and be controlled);

c) adjective phraseological units

In blooming health - blood and milk

(they have the meaning of a qualitative characteristic and, like adjectives, act in a sentence as a definition or nominal part of the predicate);

d) adverbial or adverbial phraseological units:

(like adverbs, they characterize the quality of the action and play the role of circumstances in the sentence);

e) interjectional phraseological units:

good luck! - Good afternoon!

(like interjections, such phraseological units express will, feelings, acting as separate, undivided sentences).

The former combine phraseological units with a pronounced rhythmic organization, with rhyming elements, with sound repetitions.

An interesting classification of phraseological units according to their origin.

Phraseological units borrowed from the Latin language are distinguished into a special group.

Their source was Christian books (the Bible), subsequently translated into English.

Apple of discord - apple of discord

A significant part of phraseological units is what came into English from ancient mythology.

Augean stables - Augean stables

Some phraseological units are calques - a literal translation from the source language.

Phraseologisms are widely used in literature of all styles. And a competent translator should not allow inaccuracies in the translation of this or that phraseological unit. Without knowledge of phraseology, it is impossible to appreciate the brightness and expressiveness of speech, to understand a joke, a play on words, and sometimes simply the meaning of the entire statement.

1.3 The concept of phraseological system

The phraseology of the English language, like vocabulary, is a harmonious system.

It has autonomy, since phraseological units are fundamentally different, on the one hand, from individual words, on the other hand, from free phrases, and at the same time it is part of a more complex system of the national language, being in certain relations with its different levels.

For example, like words, phraseological units consist of phonemes that perform a meaningful function; this determines the systemic connections of phraseology with the phonemic level of the language.

Phraseological units correlate differently with various parts speech, which characterizes their systemic connections at the morphological level.

Performing certain syntactic functions in a sentence, phraseological units are in systemic relations with other linguistic units at the syntactic level.

As part of the phraseological system of the English language, various paradigms (groups) of phraseological units are distinguished, united according to their characteristic features.

In addition to the already mentioned groups of phraseological units, a number of others can be considered, based on their own linguistic features: phraseological units are single-valued and polysemantic, homonymous, synonymous, antonymous and some others.

Also, according to stylistic features, it is necessary to distinguish between stylistically marked and neutral phraseological units, and the former make it possible to identify various layers in their composition that differ significantly in stylistic coloring and stylistic affiliation.

The syntagmatic relations of phraseological units are characterized by the possibilities of their compatibility with a certain range of lexical units.

Some phraseological units are characterized by very limited compatibility, for example, the phraseological unit into the public eyes, which is combined with the verb to come, to be, but does not combine with the verbs to take, to become, etc.

Other phraseological units are characterized by a single, closed compatibility, they can be used with only one single word.

However, among the phraseological units there are many that have a variety of syntagmatic connections.

Let us dwell in more detail on the systemic connections of phraseological units, determined by linguistic features.

Most phraseological units are characterized by unambiguity: they have only one meaning, their semantic structure is quite monolithic, indecomposable:

From the first look - according to the first impression

To daydream - indulge in ethereal dreams

But there are phraseological units that have several meanings:

1. do nothing

2. act frivolously, fool around

3. do stupid things.

Polysemy usually occurs in phraseological units that have retained a partial motivation of meanings in the language.

Moreover, ambiguity develops more easily in phraseological units that have a holistic meaning in their structure, and which can be correlated with phrases.

Modern English is characterized by the development of figurative, phraseological meaning in terminological combinations: specific gravity, center of gravity, fulcrum, bring to a common denominator and the like.

Chapter 2 Varieties of phraseological units in English

2.1 Bibleisms

The Bible is the main literary source of phraseological units. This greatest work enriched not only English, but also many other languages of the world with phraseological units. Much has been said and written about the tremendous impact that translations of the Bible have had on the English language. For centuries, the Bible was the most widely read and quoted book in England: "... not only individual words, but entire idiomatic expressions entered the English language from the pages of the Bible." The number of biblical turns and expressions that have entered the English language is so large that it would be a very difficult task to collect and list them. To expressions used in modern English speech, whose biblical origin is firmly established, belong to the following:

The apple of Sodom

The beam (the mote) in one's eye

The blind leading the blind

By the sweat of one's brow

The camel and the needle's eye

Can the leopard change his spots?

A crown of glory

daily bread

A drop in the bucket

A fly in the ointment

Loaves and fishes

The prodigal son

The promised land

A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country

beautiful but rotten fruit; deceptive success

"log" in one's own eye; own big flaw

the blind leading the blind

in the sweat of your face

an allusion to the gospel saying, which received this form in translation from Latin: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven

literally: can a leopard recolor its spots?

~ humpback grave fix

crown of glory

daily bread, livelihood

literally: a drop in a bucket

~ drop in the ocean

literally: a fly in an ointment

~ fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey

don't serve two masters

prodigal son

promised land

no prophet in his own country

In addition to the above expressions, which include whole sentences-sayings and various nominal (with the main word noun), attributive and adverbial phrases, many more verbal phrases have entered the English language from the Bible:

Phraseologisms of biblical origin often diverge in many respects from their biblical prototypes. This is due in some cases to the fact that the biblical prototype was rethought over time, the word order could also be changed in it, or archaic word forms were discarded. For example, the turn to kill the fatted calf in the parable of the prodigal son is used in the literal sense of "slaughter the fatted calf." Later, this turnover took on a new meaning to treat the best that is at home. In the phraseological unit gall and wormwood - something hateful, disgusting, the word order is changed compared to the biblical prototype and the articles (the wormwood and the gall) are discarded. In the expression whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap - ~ what you sow, that shall you reap, the archaic form of the verb to sow is discarded (cf. whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap). There are cases when a biblical turn is used in a positive sense, but in modern language it is rethought and is a phraseological unit with a negative assessment, for example:

Not to let one's left hand know what one's right hand does - the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing (modern version).

When thou doest alms let not your left hand know what your right hand doeseth - when you do alms, let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing (biblical prototype).

Some phraseological units go back to the biblical story. So, biblical images and concepts can be found in phraseological units such as forbidden fruit, Job’s comforter, unfortunate comforter, Juda’s kiss, the kiss of Judas, a prodigal son, the prodigal son, a dead letter, a dead letter; a law that has lost its meaning, a slogan.

2.2 Shakespeareanisms

In modern English, there are many phraseological units, the main function of which is to enhance the aesthetic aspect of the language. Many phraseological units originated in connection with customs, realities, historical facts, but most of the English phraseological fund, one way or another, arose thanks to literary works.

The works of the famous English classic W. Shakespeare are one of the most important literary sources in terms of the number of phraseological units that have enriched the English language. Their number is over a hundred. Examples of some of the most common Shakespeareanisms can be given.

Macbeth

Hamlet

To be or not to be?

To cudgel one's brains

The observed of all observers

To be hoist with one's own petard

To do yeoman service

Our withers are unwrung

To shuffle off (this mortal coil)

To give pause to (smb.)

To out-Herod Herod

To know a hawk from a handsaw

Caviar to the general

Germane to the matter

A towering passion

The primrose path of dalliance

There's the rub

From whose bourne no traveler returns

In the mind's eye

To the manner born

Shreds and patches

Sweets to the sweet

To the top of one's bent

to be or not to be?

center of attention

fall into your own trap

provide timely assistance

blasphemy, the accusation does not hurt us

leave this mortal world, end (accounts with life)

confuse

surpass Herod himself in cruelty

be not devoid of elementary insight

~ be able to distinguish a cuckoo from a hawk

too thin a dish for a coarse taste (the word general here means the general public)

more to the point

fury, rage

primrose path

here's the catch

~ that's where the dog is buried

where no one has yet returned, that is, in the kingdom of death

in imagination, mind

to the manner born

patches and shreds

beautiful - beautiful (courteous treatment when presenting a gift)

completely, completely; as much as you like

"Othello"

"King Henry IV"

"Twelfth Night"

"As You Like It"

"Midsummer Night's Dream"

King

"Much Ado About Nothing"

"Romeo and Juliet"

In modern English, Shakespeareanisms can be used with some modifications. For example, the expression to wear one's heart upon one's sleeve for days to peck at ("Othello") - flaunt your feelings; (~ soul wide open). This phraseological unit is associated with the medieval knightly tradition of wearing the colors of your lady on the sleeve. In modern English, it is usually used in an abbreviated form: to wear one's heart upon one's sleeve. Also, instead of the preposition upon another preposition can be used - on. For example: "It's lovely to be able to tell the world what she means to me." Howard … adds: “I never back off from showing my emotions whatever they are. I think if we all wore our hearts on our sleeves a bit more we'd all get on a lot better" (The times)

Shakespearean the better part of valor is discretion ("King Henry IV") is one of the adornments of courage - modesty exists in modern English with a changed word order: discretion is the better part of valour.

In Shakespearianism, buy golden opinions - deserve a favorable flattering opinion about yourself, arouse admiration in modern language, the verb win is used instead of the verb buy.

The expression at one fell swoop ("Macbeth") - with one blow, in one fell swoop, at one moment, immediately began to be used in the abbreviated form at one swoop. For example: "They go quick, one after another - five of them vanished already at one swoop."

In modern English speech, Shakespeareanisms are also used, which include obsolete words, i.e. archaisms that are not used anywhere except for this phraseological unit. For example, from whose bourne no traveler returns - where no one has ever returned from, that is, in the kingdom of death. The word bourne is archaic and denotes a border or limit; it is used in modern English only within the framework of this phraseological unit.

A large number of phraseological units created by Shakespeare came into general use, which indicates both the linguistic genius of Shakespeare and his colossal popularity.

2.3 Statements of English writers that have become phraseological units

In addition to Shakespeare, many other writers have enriched the English phraseological fund. Chief among these are Alexander Pope, Walter Scott, Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, and Charles Dickens.

Alexander Pop:

Walter Scott:

Geoffrey Chaucer:

John Milton:

Charles Dickens:

The statements of other English writers usually remain quotations and only in rare cases replenish the phraseological fund of the English language, entering into colloquial speech. Here are some examples of such statements (the phraseological units listed below are classified according to the time of creation of the work in which this phraseological unit is used).

J. Arbuthnot: John Bull - "John Bull" (a derisive nickname for the English). The turnover was first used by the court physician J. Arbuthnot in the satirical pamphlet "Law is a Bottomless Pit" (1712), later reprinted under the title "The History of John Bull".

J. Gay: (as) cool as a cucumber - completely calm, calm; ~ does not blow in the mustache, and does not blink an eye (“Poems on Several Occasions”).

D. Defoe: man Friday - Friday; a faithful devoted servant (named after the faithful servant in the novel Robinson Crusoe); a gentleman's gentleman - "a gentleman serving a gentleman", a servant ("Everybody's Business").

S. T. Coleridge: an albatross about one's neck is a constant reminder of someone else's fault; a sad circumstance (in Coleridge's poem "The Ancient Mariner" it is said about a sailor who called trouble on his ship by killing an albatross and was forced to wear a dead albatross around his neck as punishment).

K. Marlo: to clip smb.'s wings - clip someone's wings.

L. Chesterfield: small talk - chatter, talk about trifles, about the weather ("Letters to his Son").

J. G. Byron: (as) merry as a marriage-bell - very cheerful, cheerful, full of life ("Childe Harold's Pilgrimage").

W. Wordsworth: the child is father of the man - the features of an adult are already in the child.

J. Poole: Paul Pry is a poking nose, an overly curious person (the protagonist of the Paul Pry comedy).

A. Tennyson: a little rift within the lute - the beginning of discord or madness; wormhole, "crack" ("Idylls of the King, Merlin and Vivien").

A. O. Shaughnessy: mover and shaker - an influential person, an opinion leader who makes politics.

R. Kipling: the tail wags the dog - “the tail wags the dog”, the subordinate commands the boss (“The Conundrum of the Workshops”).

C. Snow: corridors of power - corridors of power (title of the book).

Many phraseological units were not created by the writers themselves, but only thanks to the latter they became widespread in modern English. Here are examples. The saying to be on the side of the angels (literally: to be on the side of the angels), to insist on the traditional (anti-scientific) point of view, gained popularity thanks to B. Disraeli. Phraseologism vanity fair - a vanity fair, which is the name of the famous novel by W. Thackeray, is found in the book by J. Bunyan "Pilgrim's Progress" (1678 - 1684). Phraseological unit a skeleton in the closet – the family secret, hidden from outsiders, introduced by W. Thackeray into literature, was also known before him. Comparisons green like a Cheshire cat - smirk, smile from the top of your head; (as) mad as a hatter and (as) mad as a March hare - out of your mind, crazy, completely out of your mind - popularized by L. Carroll in the book "Alice in Wonderland".

2.4 Phraseologisms borrowed from literary works of other languages and countries

Many phraseological units came to England from USA. They refer to intralingual borrowings. Some of these phraseological units were once created by American writers and are widely used in modern English speech.

The creators of many revolutions are known.

W. Irving: the almighty dollar - "almighty dollar" (usually used ironically); a Rip Van Winkle - "Rip Van Winkle", a backward man (named after the hero of the story of the same name who slept for twenty years).

E. O'Connor: the last hurrah - "last hurrah"; ~ swan song (usually about the last election campaign, or about a politician who ends his turbulent political career. According to the title of the novel).

F. Cooper: the last of the Mohicans - the last of the Mohicans (according to the title of the novel). The Mohicans are an extinct tribe of North American Indians. The popularity of Cooper's works contributed to the introduction of phraseological units related to the life of the Indians into the English language: bury the hatchet - make peace, make peace, end hostility (the Indians buried a tomahawk in the ground when making peace); dig up the hatchet - start a war (the Indians had a custom before starting hostilities to pull out a tomahawk buried in the ground); go on the war-path - enter the path of war, be in a warlike mood.

G. Longfellow: ships that pass in the night - fleeting, random meetings ("Tales of Wayside Inn") (comparison: they dispersed like ships at sea). The popularity of the expression is also associated with its use as the title of one of the novels of the writer Beatrice Harraden (1893).

J. London: the call of the wild - “call of the ancestors”, “call of nature” (according to the title of the novel); the iron heel "iron heel", imperialism (after the title of the novel).

M. Mitchell: gone with the wind - disappeared without a trace, sunk into the past (the expression became popular after the publication of M. Mitchell's novel "Gone With the Wind") and the film based on this novel was created by the English poet E Dawson (1867 - 1900).

J. Howe: the grapes of wrath - grapes of wrath (turnover is first found in J. Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (1862), owes its popularity to J. Steinbeck's novel of the same name).

The number of phraseological units borrowed from American fiction is not as great as the number of phraseological units created by English writers. But, it should be noted that the above Americanisms have the most vivid imagery and increased expressiveness in comparison with the statements of English writers.

French fiction made a significant contribution to the phraseological fund of modern English. Many works of French writers have been translated into English and are still very popular in England. In this regard, one should single out such French writers as Francois Rabelais, Jean-Baptiste Moliere, Jerome d'Angers, La Fontaine and others.

It is possible to give examples of phraseological units created by French writers and most used in modern English (all the following phraseological units, borrowed from French fiction, are translations and are presented in English - in their original form these phraseological units are not used in modern English speech):

Appetite comes with eating - appetite comes with eating (the expression is first found in the work “On the Causes” (1515) by Jerome d’Angers, Bishop of Le Mans; popularized by Francois Rabelais in “Gargantua and Pantagruel”);

Buridan's ass - Buridan's donkey (about a person who does not dare to make a choice between two equivalent objects, equivalent decisions, etc.) two identical bundles of hay. This story was allegedly cited by Buridan as an example in his discussion of free will. The phraseological unit an ass (or a donkey) between two bundles of hay goes back to the same story); castles in Spain - castles in the air (an expression associated with a medieval heroic epic, whose heroes, knights, received castles in Spain that had not yet been conquered in their personal possession);

For smb.'s fair eyes (or for the fair eyes of smb.) - for the sake of someone's beautiful eyes, not for the sake of his merits, but for personal disposition, for nothing, for nothing (an expression from J. B. Molière's comedy "Simply");

Let us return to our muttons - let's return to the topic of our conversation (an expression from the medieval farce of Blanche about the lawyer Patlen, later the infinitive to return to one's muttons arose through reverse formation);

To pull smb.’s (or the) chestnuts out of the fire (for smb.) - pull chestnuts out of the fire for someone; it is senseless, at the risk for oneself to work for the benefit of another (in La Fontaine's fable "The Monkey and the Cat" - the monkey Bertrand makes the cat Raton drag chestnuts from the fire for himself). The expression to make a cat's paw of smb is connected with the same fable. - to make someone your obedient tool - to rake the heat with the wrong hands).

It should be noted that the number of phraseological units borrowed from French fiction into English is not large, but despite this, they are often used by English writers to enhance imagery and are widespread in modern English speech.

Phraseological borrowings from German and Danish fiction few. Only a few writers from Germany and Denmark replenished the English phraseological fund with "winged" expressions. Here are examples of these phraseological units:

Speech is silvern, silence is golden - “the word is silver, silence is gold”; the proverb first occurs in German writer Thomas Carlyle: As the Swiss Inscription says: Sprechen ist silbern, schweigen ist golden (speech is silvern, silence is golden) ("Sartor Resartus");

Storm and stress - "storm and onslaught" (a trend in German literature of the 70-80s of the XVIII century); period of anxiety, excitement; tension (in public or private life), impetuous onslaught (German: Sturm und Drang - after the title of F. Klinger's play);

Between hammer and anvil - between the hammer and the anvil (according to the title of the novel (1868) by the German writer F. Shpilhagen);

The emperor has (or wears) no clothes - the king is naked (an expression from the fairy tale of the Danish writer G.H. Andersen "The King's New Dress", 1837);

An ugly duckling - “an ugly duckling” (a person unfairly assessed below his merits, which manifest themselves unexpectedly to others; according to the title of G.Kh. Andersen's fairy tale about an ugly duckling that grew up and became a beautiful swan).

In modern English, there are only a few phraseological units borrowed from Spanish fiction. In this regard, one of the most famous Spanish writers, Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra, who became famous throughout the world with his work Don Quixote, should be singled out. Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra is the author of the following idioms:

The knight of the Rueful Countenance - (book) Knight of the Sad Image, Don Quixote (Spanish: el Caballero de la triste figura. So Don Quixote was called by his squire Sancho Panza);

Tilt at windmills - fight with windmills, "quixotic" (Spanish: acometer molinos de viento. The battle with windmills is one of the episodes in the novel Don Quixote).

Currently, there are many phraseological units of Spanish origin in English, but only those phraseological units that are given above have literary roots.

Also in English there are phraseological units associated with Arabic artistic literature. From the tales of the Thousand and One Nights, several expressions came into the English language:

Aladdin's lamp (book) - Aladdin's magic lamp (a talisman that fulfills all the wishes of its owner). The idiom to rub the lamp is associated with the same tale - it is easy to fulfill your desire;

Alnascharn's dream (book) - empty dreams, fantasizing (in one of the tales of the "Thousand and One Nights" it is said about Alnashar, who bought glassware with all his money and put them in a basket, but, dreaming about how he would become rich man, and angry with his future wife, he hit the basket and broke all the glass);

The old man of the sea - a person who is difficult to get rid of, get rid of, an obsessive person (a hint of an episode in one of the tales, which tells how Sinbad the Sailor could not get rid of the old man who sat on his shoulders);

An open Sesame - "Sesame, open!" - a quick and easy way to achieve something (the magic words with which the door to the cave of robbers was opened in the fairy tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves").

The fact that some expressions borrowed from Arabic folklore have become phraseological units of the modern English language testifies to the metaphorical and expressive nature of these phraseological units. Similar concepts exist in other languages of the world, in this case we can talk about the internationality of phraseological units borrowed from Arabic literature.

Conclusion

The phraseological fund of the English language is so large that its full study would not fit within the framework of this work. Nevertheless, using the example of the considered phraseological units, one can clearly imagine how diverse in their semantics and expressiveness the phraseological units of the modern English language are. Thanks to the literary works of writers and poets, both Great Britain itself and different countries world, the English language currently has a huge number of phraseological units. But, we should not forget that from the history and culture of various countries of the world a huge number of phraseological units also came into the English language.

Unfortunately, in modern English speech there is no use of expressions taken from the literature of Asian countries. Only phraseological units borrowed from the literature of countries, one way or another, geographically close to Great Britain, have received wide circulation. It should be noted that the number of bibleisms in the English language is especially large, this may indicate the religiosity of the British.

An important fact is that all non-English literary borrowings presented in this work are complete tracing papers from one or another language. In modern English, these phraseological units are not used in a foreign language. Therefore, we cannot talk here about the process of assimilation of phraseological units borrowed from the literature of various countries.

The expression “enrich with phraseological units” is often used in the work. It must be said that this is not a simple pattern, because phraseology is the treasury of the language, and phraseological units in the language are wealth. Phraseologisms not only reflect the culture and life of a particular language, but also help to make speech the most expressive and emotional.

Phraseology is an extremely complex phenomenon, the study of which requires its own research method, as well as the use of data from other sciences - lexicology, grammar, stylistics, phonetics, history of language, history, philosophy, logic and country studies.

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Learning a foreign language is always a difficult, and for some, even an overwhelming task. But, we always strive to achieve high results instantly. Unfortunately, it's not that easy.

When learning English, like any other language, it is not enough just to learn words or memorize grammar. In order to learn a language and communicate freely with native speakers, it is necessary, first of all, to understand their so-called linguistic logic, the way of thinking. After all, despite all the correctness of the chosen words and grammar, you may not be understood at all. Simply because they don't speak English like that.

Most often, we get into a mess when using phraseological units. And, in order to simplify your life a little (at least in learning English), we want to bring to your attention the 10 most commonly used phraseological units in the English language and their alternative in Russian.

It's not my cup of tea. Literal translation: "This is not my cup of tea." In principle, it is quite normal and even understandable phrase. Only if there really is a cup nearby. But in English this phrase is used most often in the sense of "This is not my taste." For example: "He is not my cup of tea" - "He is not my type."
Kill two birds with one stone. As you may have guessed, we are not talking about the deliberate killing of innocent birds. This is an alternative to the well-known Russian expression "Kill two birds with one stone." That is, to solve two problems at once with one action.
To hear something straight from the horse's mouth. Literally: "To hear something directly from the horse's mouth." Agree, it sounds a little strange. "To hear firsthand" is an alternative to this expression in Russian.
The last straw. Literally: "The last straw." Any ideas on this? That's right, this is the "last straw".
Speak of the Devil. Literally: "talk about the devil." In Russian speech, this phrase sounds like "Light in sight."
Don't pull my leg. The equivalent of this phrase is the phrase, well known to all of us, "Don't powder my brains."
Keep your chin up. Literally translated as "Keep your chin up". Although you and I say "Keep your nose up!" when we want to cheer someone up.
To be in the blue. As for me, this is the most incomprehensible expression in the English language. And to understand why the British say "to be in blue" (and this is how, in my opinion, this phrase is translated) is unrealistic. After all, the meaning of this phrase is "to fail."
Piece of cake."Piece of Pie" is a literal translation of the phrase, which actually means "Easier than simple".
To get into hot water. This phraseological unit in Russian corresponds to the expression "Get in trouble."

As you can see, if you want to use phraseological units of the English language, it’s not enough just to translate the words of a phrase that is so well known in Russian. Indeed, in English there are set expressions that you should know. I hope we have been able to help you improve your English. But we advise you to seek help from specialists to achieve better results. Yes, you can study