Adjectives

What is an adjective? An adjective modifies a noun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun which it modifies. In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives: The colorful balloon floated over the treetops. The mines are usually dark. The room was filled with large, yellow, rain boots.

Types of adjectives The main criteria for classifying an adjective: A) gradability, B) comparative and superlative forms, and C) Used in an attributively and predicatively form. Most adjectives fulfill all these criteria, and are known as CENTRAL adjectives. Those which do not fulfill all the criteria are known as PERIPHERAL adjectives.

Central adjectives Examples of central adjectives are: color adjectives (red, dark) adjectives of size and dimension( big, long) adjectives of time (new, old).

Peripheral adjectives Some adjectives, such as beautiful, have all the characteristics of central adjectives, except that they cannot be inflected to show comparative or superlative. Other adjectives lack other characteristics. For example, absolute, is not gradable. Affraid is gradable but it does not occur in attributive position and it cannot be inflected.

Defining Characteristics of Adjectives Morphological characteristics Syntactic characteristics Semantic characteristics

Morphological characteristics of Adjectives They can be inflected to show comparative and superlative degree: big,bigger,biggest

Syntactic Characteristic: attributive and predicative adjectives An attributive adjective, usually comes before the noun it modifies.eg: An old church we went last weekend. A predicative adjective is an adjective that usually comes after a copular verb: The apple is delicious.

Semantic characteristics of Adjectives There are two major semantic categories of adjectives: descriptors and classifiers. Descriptors are adjectives that describe color, size and weight, chronology and age, emotion and other chracteristics. They are typically gradable. For example: Color descriptors: black, white. Size, quantity: big, long, little. Time descriptors: annual, daily, early. Emotive descriptors: bad, beautiful, fine. Miscellaneous descriptors: appropriate, cold, dead, empty.

Descriptors Color: black, white, dark, bright, blue,brown, green, gray, red. Size/quantity/extents: big, deep, heavy, huge, long, large, little, short, small, thin, wide Time descriptors describe chronology, age, and frequency: annual, daily, early, late, new, old, recent, young Evaluative/emotive descriptors denote judgments, emotions, and emphasis: bad, beautiful, best, fine, good, great, lovely,nice, poor Miscellaneous descriptors cover many other kinds of characteristics: appropriate, cold, complex, dead, empty, free, hard, hot, open, positive, pratical, private, serious, strange, stron, sudden.

Classifiers Rational/classificational/restrictive classifiers limit the referent of a noun in relation to other referents: additional finalnecessary averagefollowing original chief generalparticular complete initialprevious different internalprimary direct leftpublic entire mainsimilar external maximumsingle Standardtopvarious

Classifiers Affiliative classifiers identify the national or social group of a referent:Aqmercian, Chinese, Christian, English, French, German, Irish Topical/ other classifiers give the subject area or specific type of a noun: chemical, commercial, environmental, human, idnustrial, legal, medical, mental, official, oral, phonetic, political, sexual, social, visual.

Classifiers and descriptors As you can see from the previous examples, the distinction between descriptors and classifiers is not always clear. Many topical classifiers, provide descriptive content while they also limit the reference of the head noun. E.g. chemical, medical, political.

Descriptors and classifiers Some adjectives can serve as both classifiers and descriptors, depending on their context of use. For example the expression in the left-hand column contain a descriptor, while the same adjective is a classifier in the right-hand column. descriptorclassifier A popular girl in high schoolPopular, vote, popular opinion Criminal activityCriminal law A primary issuePrimary school

Semantic characteristics of Adjectives Classifiers limit or restrict a noun’s referent: restrictive classifiers limit the referent of a noun in relation to other referents: average, complete, different. Afiliative classifiers, identify the national or social group of a referent: American, Chinese. Topical/other classifiers give the subject area or specific type of a noun: chemical,commercial, human, industrial, legal, medical.

Exercise 1. Variability in the defining characteristics of adjectives Morphological inflection Attributive role Predicative role Descriptive meaning Gradableexample -++ absolute beautiful big affraid alive different lone

Variability in the defining characteristics of adjectives Morphological inflection Attributive role Predicative role Descriptive meaning gradableexample big Beautiful -++?- Absolute Affraid --++? Alive -+?-+ Different -+-+? lone

The formation of adjectives New adjective can be formed through three processes: Using participial forms Adding word endings or derivational suffixes Compounding (i.e. combining two words)

Participial adjectives Both –ing and –ed participial forms can be used as adjectives. Most participial adjectives are derived from verbs (e.g.promising, surprised, determined). In fact, when a participle follows the verb be, it is sometimes difficult to know whether to analyze it as an adjective or a main verb. Read text on “Borderline cases in classifying words” from the book ‘StudentGrammar of Spoken and Written English’ – Biber,Conrad and Leech.

Adjectives with derivational affixes These adjectives often have one of the following suffixes: - ist : Communist -able: gradable-ive: impresive -al: paternal-less: useless -ate: immaculate-ory: obligatory -an: Anglican-ous: corgeous -ant: fragrant-some: winsome -ent: intelligent-wise: streetwise -ful: truthful- y: misty

Adjectives with derivational affixes We can attach the prefixes non- pro- and anti- to the beginning of some nouns, and the suffixes -like and -friendly to the end to create adjective forms.e.g.: A pro-/anti- democracy movement A business-like manner A user-friendly computer manual

Adjectival compounds Adjectival compounds are made from combinations of more than one word, resulting in a compact expression of information. They take many forms including: Adjective+adjective: greyish-blue Adjective+noun: full-time Noun+adjective: life-long