Determiners and Adjectivals Ed McCorduck English 402--Grammar SUNY Cortland http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

slide 2: basic rule for the structure of all NPs basic structure of all noun phrases (NPs): Det (ADJpr1)(ADJpr2)…(ADJprn) N (ADJps1)(ADJps2)…(ADJpsn) Det – determiner ( ) - optional element (not required to be expressed) ADJpr – prenoun adjectival/modifier 1, 2 … n – from one to an infinite number N – noun as headword ADJps – postnoun adjectival/modifier English 402: Grammar

slide 3: prenominal adjectives an ADJpr can be a member of the word class adjective a member of the word class noun a verb in the –en form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture) a verb in the –ing form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture) English 402: Grammar

slide 4: postnominal adjectivals an ADJps can be a verb in the –en form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture) a verb in the –ing form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture) a prepositional phrase (PP) a relative clause English 402: Grammar

slide 5: examples of NPs with various Dets and ADJs exx NP: a ghost Det N NP: the friendly ghost Det ADJ N NP: this friendly smiling ghost Det ADJ ADJ N NP: those intrepid lion tamers Det ADJ ADJ N NP: our fools on parade Det N ADJ NP: each contaminated pizza in the fridge that I ate Det ADJ N ADJ ADJ NP: Osborne’s dim-witted claptrap Det ADJ N English 402: Grammar

slide 6: types of determiners: articles definite article the indefinite article a / an English 402: Grammar

slide 7: articles with first and subsequent mention General rule: the indefinite article is used for the first mention of a noun (phrase) and the definite article is used for all subsequent mentions of it. exx I saw a shooting star. The shooting star was blood- red. I took the shooting star as an ill omen. English 402: Grammar

slide 8: specific and nonspecific reference of articles Articles can have specific or nonspecific reference. exx I saw a shooting star. indefinite article specific reference A shooting star can portend disaster. nonspecific (general) reference English 402: Grammar

A revolt started in the mailroom. The leaders of the revolt slide 9: first and subsquent mention and specific and nonspecific reference A revolt started in the mailroom. The leaders of the revolt indefinite article definite article specific reference specific reference demanded more milk-and-cookie breaks. A revolt is an act of treason. Those who lead the revolt indefinite article definite article nonspecific reference nonspecific reference desire only bloodshed, chaos and strife. English 402: Grammar

slide 10: the “zero” article determiners articles zero article (no explicit article used) with (many) proper names English 402: Grammar

Lay (some) lilies on my grave. slide 11: use of the “zero” article with plural count nouns with specific reference with the first mention of plural countable nouns (alongside the determiner some only when the reference is specific) exx Lay (some) lilies on my grave. *Some lilies/Lilies are symbols of resurrection. English 402: Grammar

slide 12: use of the “zero” article with uncountable nouns with noncount nouns (alongside the determiner some only when the reference is specific) exx *Some quicksand/Quicksand kills. For sure, quicksand is one bad-ass mother. We ran right into (some) quicksand. The quicksand took most of our hiking party. English 402: Grammar

slide 13: types of determiners: possessives exx my your our his her its their Antonio’s the undertaker’s English 402: Grammar

slide 14: types of determiners: demonstratives exx this that these those English 402: Grammar

slide 15: types of determiners: quantifiers exx each every all several many much English 402: Grammar