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meanings according to the kind of relations between the
constituents and to either full or partial transference of meaning.
The classification system includes a considerable number of
subtypes and gradations and reflects the wealth of types of
phraseological units existing in the language. It is based on truly
scientific and modern criteria and represents an earnest attempt to
take into account all the relevant aspects of phraseological units
and combine them within the borders of one classification system.

3. Ways of forming phraseologisms.
Phraseological units can be classified according to the ways
they are formed, according to the degree of the motivation of their
meaning, according to their structure and according to their part-
of-speech meaning.
A.V. Kunin classified phraseological units according to the
way they are formed, pointing out primary and secondary ways of
forming phraseological units. Primary ways of forming
phraseological units are those when a unit is formed on the basis of
a free word-group:
a) most productive in Modern English is the formation of
phraseological units by means of transferring the meaning of
terminological word-groups (e.g. launching pad, to link up);
b) a large group of phraseological units was formed from
free word-groups by transforming their meaning (e.g. granny flat,
Troyan horse);
c) phraseological units can be formed by means of
alliteration (e.g. a sad sack, culture vulture);
d) they can be formed by means of expressiveness,
especially it is characteristic for forming interjections (My aunt!
Hear, hear!);
e) by means of distorting a word group (e.g. odds and ends);
f) by using archaisms (e.g. in brown study a mood of deep
absorption or thoughtfulness; reverie);

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