The unit "Semi-complex and Semi-compound Sentences" in the university course in Russian syntax

The unit of modern Russian language courses focused on semi-complex and semi-compound sentences is one of the most difficult compared to other topics. In the widely known current textbooks on syntax, this unit is usually not accompanied by a preamble that would highlight the grammatical phenomenon essence or the principles for classifying constructions related to elementary structure "complicators". Meanwhile, the very status of semi-complex and semi-compound sentences on the gradience scale from simple to composite sentence patterns remains controversial. The article aims to clarify problem areas and provide theoretical and methodological grounds that could serve as the linguo-didactic basis for a university course in the syntax of such sentences. The methodological framework of the study includes general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison, observation). Moreover, the research employs procedures common to the humanities in order to describe and interpret individual phenomena, as well as modeling educational situations. The study resulted in a characterisation of the major features inherent in semi-complex and semi-compound sentences, regardless of the construction type complicating it. The hierarchical (multi-tier) formal grammatical structure, the increasing complexity of actant-predicate relations of such sentences, their "polypropositional" semantic structure and the "polyrhematic" communicative organisation caused by "additional" predicativity arising in them are associated with the formation of special, independent of word properties, two-tiered syntactic connections and relations. Rhythmic-melodic prominence with constructional optionality is the most essential feature of a complicator. Therefore, homogeneous part series duplicating the positions already present in the linear chain of the word forms which are members of the predicative centre are not complicating constructions. The same can be said about event names in the role of the main parts or secondary elements extending them. The combination of the enumerated properties leads to the conclusion that there is a close unity, rather than the usually declared heterogeneity of phenomena categorised as complicators. This article offers methodological recommendations for a university course in Russian syntax (the unit "Semi-complex and Semi-compound Sentences").