Grammatical rules are the basis of correct speech, but for accurate and effective speech we must also know the stylistic side of grammatical forms. Not all morphological forms are used in the same way in all styles. Suffixes seldom express evaluation; what stands out in them is mostly the style they belong to, that is, functional colouring. For example, of the forms of the present tense -yapti belongs to conversation, -moqda to written text (news, press, fiction) and -yotir mostly to poetic speech. The -ajak form of the future (qozonajak, “will win”) is typical of an elevated written style, while the -adi form is neutral (qozonadi). So the choice between forms with one meaning depends on style and situation.
Worked examples
One meaning – three forms: «Maktab qurilyapti» (“a school is being built”, colloquial), «Maktab qurilmoqda» (written, news), «Maktab qurilayotir» (poetic, elevated).
«Jamoamiz g‘alaba qozonadi» (“Our team will win”, neutral) – «Jamoamiz g‘alaba qozonajak» (“Our team shall win”, elevated, solemn).
Class activity
“Change the form”: the teacher says a sentence and the group turns it into a form of another style (-yapti → -moqda).
Practice
1
Which form is typical of conversation: -yapti or -moqda?
-yapti.
2
In which style and with what colouring does the form «ko‘rajak» occur?
In written, mostly publicistic and artistic style; it gives an elevated, solemn colouring.
3
Turn «Kitob o‘qilmoqda» into a colloquial form.
«Kitob o‘qilyapti» (“the book is being read”).
4
Why is functional colouring in morphological means more noticeable than emotional colouring?
Because most suffixes give grammatical meaning, not evaluation; their style (written or oral) is more noticeable.