Supervisor : Pham Thu Huong

Presenters : Nguyen Thi Cuc (509701011) Dang Thi Diu (509701016)

Class : 509701A1

ADJECTIVES

I. Definition

II. Position III. Syntactic function of adj

OUTLINE

IV. Postpositive V. Head of noun phrase .

VI. Verbless adjective clauseVII.Syntactic subclassification of adj.VIII.Semantic sub-classification of Adj

Adjective is the part of speech that modifies a noun or a pronoun.

Ex1: A black bird is flying in the sky. (the adj “ Black “ describes the noun “ bird” )

1. Before a noun : young man, beautiful girl.. 2. After the verb : BE , BECOME, SEEM,

STAY, LOOK,…Ex :-Your ideas are interesting. -Books are becoming expensive. -She looks happy. -The weather wills stay dry. 3. With some verbs after the object: Ex: My sister keeps her room tidy. 4 . The+ adj the young, the rich , the poor 5. After a noun (certain phrases): the people present/knight errant………

Syntactic function of adjective

Attributive Predicative

- Adjectives are attributives when they premodify nouns.

- Appearing between the determiner and the head of the noun phrase :

Ex: She has read an interesting story. What is her main argument.

Attributive

a. Intensifying Adjs b. Limiter Adjs c. Denominal Adjs

Words have heightening or lowering

effect on the N they modify.

2 subclasses: emphasizes

amplifiers.

Emphasizers have a general heightening effect.

Emphasizers are attributive only.

- Examples include: a certain winner pure fabrication an outright lie a real hero

When they are inherent, they are central adjectives.

Ex: a happy house the house is happy

When they are non-inherent, they are attributive only.

Ex: a perfect stupid not “ the stupid is perfect”

Limiter adjectives particularize the reference of the noun.

Ex: The chief reason the principal causeThe only occasion the particular place

Some of these have homonyms. - Ex:“a certain person” ( a limiter “a particular

person”)“a certain winner” (an intensifier” a sure

name”)

Some examples of amplifiers that are attributive only:

A close friend A very end His entire salary A strong opponent Utter folly A great supporter

Several intensifiers have homonyms that are central adjectives.

Ex: those are real flowers those flowers are real ( “not artificial”)

- Some adjective derived from Ns are attributive only.

Ex: criminal law ~ ( law concerning crime)

medical school ~(a school for students of medicine)

Subject complement

Object complement

Predicative :

Subject complement

Object complement

-They can be complement to a subject which is a finite clause or non-finite clause.

- They expresses the result of the process denoted by the verb.

-Whether she will resign is uncertain

( finite clause )

Ex : Learning English is difficult

( non-finite clause )

Ex :He pulled his belt tight ( As a result , his belt was then tight )

- He pulled the window open ( As a result ,the window was then open )

Postposition is obligatory for a few adjectives, which have a different sense when they occur attributively or predicatively.

The most common are probably’ elect ‘ ('soon to take office') and ‘proper ‘ ('as strictly defined'), as in: Ex : the president elect

the City of London proper.

It’s commonly found together with superlative, attributive adj

Eg: the best hotel available.

If the noun phrase is generic and indefinite , coordinated Adj or Adj with a clause element added can be postposed ,

Ex: Soldier timid or cowardly don’t fight well. A man usually honest will sometimes cheat.

Adjective can often function as heads of noun phrases.

Adjectives have personal referenceEx :The extremely old need a great deal of

attention. We will nurse your sick and feed your

hungry. The young in spirit enjoy life. The rich will help only the humble poor The wise look to the wiser foe advice. The old who resist change can expert

violence.

Some adjective can function as Noun –phrase heads when they have abstract reference.

+ These take singular concord +A few are modifiable by adverbs –

include : in particular ,superlatives

Ex : -The oldest ( the oldest man ) died last night. - She ventures into the unknown. -The very best ( the best thing) is coming.

-An adjective ( alone or as head of an adjective phrase ) can function as a verbless clause.

Ex : ( By then ) happy, she sang a song. She, (by then ) happy, sang a song. She sang a song , (by then) happy.

+ The implied subject is usually the subject of the sentence.

Ex: The boy is talking with his girl friend , who is my friend.

+ If clause contains Additional clause constituent, its implied subject can be other than the subject of the sentence.

Ex : Long and untidy, his hair played in the breeze.

+ The implied Subject of the adj clause can be the whole of the superordinate clause :

Ex: Strange ,it was he who initiated divorce proceeding.

Verbless adjective clause

Contingent adjective clause

Exclamatory adjective sentence

They expresses the circumstance or condition under what is said in the superordinate clause applies.

Ex: Confident, they make active students. (= When)

The implied subject of the contingent adjective clause is normally the subject of the superordinate clause, but it can be the objects.

Ex : She can drink it warm. He must sing it when happy,

-An adj as head of an adj phrase or as its

sole realization can be exclamation.

-Ex:- How beautiful of you!

- Great !

- Wonderful 1

EXCLAMATORY ADJECTIVE SENTENCE

Adjective can be subclassified they according to whether they can function:

Both attribute and predicative Attributive only

Predicative only

These ere the majority and constitute the central adj:

Ex: An beautiful girl The girl is beautiful

2.Attributive only- Function: do not characterize the referent of

noun directly.- Ex: “my old dog” (“ old” refer to time) “my dog is old” (“old” refer to age)

Adj that are restricted to predicative position are most like verb and adverb

They tend to refer to a condition rather than to characterize. (most common referring to heath or lack of heath)

Ex: faint ( nhot nhat, bat tinh), ill, well, unwell

A larger group comprises adj that can or must take complementation

Ex: afraid (that, of, about) Conscious ( that, of) Fond (of) Loath (to)

Semantic sub-classification

1. Stative/Dynamic2. Gradable/Non-gradable

3. Inherent/Non-inherent

1.1- Stative. Denote a state or condition, which may

generally be considered lasting.

EX: big, red, small …

Can’t be used in an imperative.

Ex: Be big/red/small

- Can’t be used in possesses constructions.

Ex: He is being big.

Denote attributes which are under the control of the one who possesses them

Ex: braveCan be used in an imperative.

Ex: Be brave!Can be used in progressive constructions.

Ex: We’re being very patient with you

- Describe qualities that can vary in intensity or grade.

( hot, very hot, hotter)

Can be used with intensifiers (a little, extremely, fairly, very…)

- Have comparative and superlative forms (big, bigger , the biggest)

Non-gradable adjs are used alone.EX: The dog was dead.

All dynamic adjs are gradable.

Most stative adjs (tall, old) are gradable, some are non-gradable (technical adjs: atomic, hydrochloric

Most adjective are inherent.

Adj that characterize the referent of the N directly are termed INHERENT, those that do not are termed NON-INHERENT.

EX: + A new student = A new friend (INHERENT)

+ An old friend (NON-INHERENT)

The order of adjectives

Determiners

Observation

Size and shape

Age

At, the , two

Beautiful, interesting,…

wealthy, large, round

Young, old , new, ancient,…

The order of adjectives

Color

Origin

Material

Qualifier

Red, black, pink…..

France, American, Canadian,….

woolen, metallic, wooden,….

Rocking chair, hunting cabin,…

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LISTENINGTHANK YOU FOR

YOUR LISTENING