A linguistic unit enters into syntagmatic relations with other units of the same level it occurs with. Syntagmatic relationships exist at every language level. E.g. in the word-group A PINT OF MILK the word PINT contrasts syntagmatic relationships with A, OF, MILK; within the word PINT – P, I, N and T are in syntagmatic relations. Syntagmatic relationships are linear relations, that is why they are manifested in speech. They can be of three different types: coordinate, subordinate and predicative.
Coordinate syntagmatic relationships exist between the homogeneous linguistic units that are equal in rank, that is, they are the relations of independence: you and me; They were tired but happy.
Subordinate syntagmatic relationships are the relations of dependence when one linguistic unit depends on the other: teach + er – morphological level; a smart student – word-group level; predicative and subordinate clauses – sentence level.
Predicative syntagmatic relationships are the relations of interdependence: primary and secondary predication.
As mentioned above, syntagmatic relationships may be observed in utterances, which is impossible when we deal with PR. Therefore, paradigmatic relationships are identified with ‘language’ while syntagmatic relationships are identified with ‘speech’.