Lecture 4
English 3318: Studies in English Grammar
Form-class Words Adjectives and Adverbs
Dr. Svetlana Nuernberg
Objectives ●
Differentiate between attributive – predicative adjectives adjectives –
●
●
Differentiate between subclasses f adverbs Give supprting criteria f – –
frm !mrphlg"# functin !sentence psitin#
t justif" the assignment f a wrd t a given frm class
Adjectives ●
●
$n terms f frm% adjectives are nt as easil" identifiable in islatin as nuns r verbs. &e need either meaning r cnte't r clues –
(djective )rame Sentence: *he ++++nun is ver" +++ ●
–
(djective Derivatinal Suffi'es ●
–
nl" adjectives will fit in the bth slts
the frm f the wrd can als prvide clues
(djective $nflectinal (ffi'es
Adjective Derivational Suffixes ●
*he mst reliable derivatinal suffi' identif"ing a wrd as an adjective is –
●
,us - grgeus% famus% curageus% cntagius
*here are sme ther adjective frming suffi'es merr "% funn" – beautiful% wnder ful – terrif ic% ascetic – frtunate% temper ate –
●
, childish% reddish , fragmentar"% cmplimentar" , punitive% active , variable% amenable
(s clues t adjectives% these suffi'es are nt as reliable as ,us% –
the" ccasinall" shw up n ther frm classes t: handful !nun# panic !nun% verb#% punish !verb#
Adjective Inflectional Suffixes ●
*he inflectinal suffi'es that pattern with adjectives are
●
, er % the sign fr cmparative frm
●
, est% the superlative frm
●
/sitive
big
"ung
smart
●
0mparative
bigger
"unger
smarter
●
Superlative
biggest
"ungest
smartest
Comparative and Superlative Degree ●
*he ,er frm is used in the cmparisn f tw nuns - thats wh" it is called the cmparative degree: – –
●
*he cmparative degree with than can als be fllwed b" a clause rather than a nun phrase –
●
/at is "unger than /h"llis /h"llis is the better student f the tw
/at is "unger than $ suspected
*he ,est frm% the superlative degree% is used when singling ut ne f mre than tw nuns –
*m was the ldest persn in the rm f the three candidates% Sarah is the best campaigner
Additional Cases ●
)r man" adjectives the cmparative and superlative degrees are nt frmed with ,er and ,est% but with more and most % which we can thin2 f as alternative frms r allmrphs –
●
E'ceptins are: tw s"llable adjectives ending in – – – –
●
adjectives with mre than s"llables are patterns with more and most ," r ,l" !prettiest% friendlier% lvelier# ,le !nbler% nblest# ,w !narrwer% narrwest# ,er !tenderest#
Sme adjectives have n cmparative and superlative
Adjectives or Adverbs ●
4re and mst are nt e'clusive fr adjectives –
●
,l" adverbs% thse derived frm adjectives% have cmparative and superlative versins: mre 5uic2l"% mst fre5uentl"
Small grup f wrds that have cmparative and superlative frms can serve as adjectives r adverbs - inflectinal test is nt ver" reliable – – – – –
earl" earlier earliest
fast faster fastest
late later latest
high higher highest
hard harder
lng lnger
lw lwer
deep deeper
Exceptions ●
Near (nearer, nearest) - can serve nt nl" as adjective and adverb% but als as a prepsitin% the nl" prepsitin that ta2es inflectin –
●
ur seats were near the fift","ard line
E'ceptins t regular cmparative and superlative frms gd – better – best –
●
bad wrse wrst
far farther farthest
far further furthest
(djectives can als be cmpared in a negative sense with as, less, and least – –
*his picnic is nt as enj"able as $ thught it wuld be *his picnic is less enj"able than $ thught it wuld be
Rules of !umb Tests for Adjectives Formal Proof 1. 7as adjective,ma2ing mrpheme a. *a2es cmparative r superlative mrpheme
happ"% lvable% flish sfter % sftest
Functional Proof b. 0an be made cmparative r superlative b" using mre r mst 3. 0an be 5ualified 8. 0an fit bth slts in the frame sentence
mre sensitive% mst sensitive rather sft *he +++nun seems ver" +++
Exercise " 1. 0reate a cmparative and superlative frms fr the adjectives listed friendl"% helpful% wise% awful% rich% mellw% e'pensive% valid% pure% able
. *est each f the wrds belw with the test fr adjectives given abve. &hich wrds are adjectives9 7w man" f the criteria are valid fr each adjective9 alluring% eating% s2inn"% pale% diet% tall% cntrlled% hungr" – E'ample: selfish !adjective - criteria# – (pplicable: has adjective,ma2ing mrpheme ,ish;% can be made cmparative
Subclasses of Adjectives ●
*he adjective test frame *he ++nun is ver"++++ – –
is useful in identif"ing adjectives is useful in helping distinguish subclasses f adjectives: ●
●
●
thse that are limited t the prenun slts thse that are limited t the cmplement slts
4st adjectives can fill three slts in the sentence patterns: –
predicative adjectives ●
●
–
as subject cmplement !as in the test frame# as bject cmplement
attributive adjectives
Attributive Onl# Adjectives ●
( small number f f adjectives will nt fill the cmplement slt , attributive nl" adjectives: –
–
main% principal% frmer% mere% ptential% atmic% late !meaning =dead># and technical adjectives: sulfuric% h"drchlric these d nt serve as either subject r bject cmplements in the verb phrase% nr d the" ta2e 5ualifiers: ●
●
●
●
7e is the frmer president 4" reasn is main She is a mere child
?*he president is frmer ?4" main reasn is ver" main ?*he child is mere
*here are a few ther adjectives that rarel" appear in an attributive psitin in reference t animate nuns: –
fnd% read"% ill% well
$redicative Onl# Adjectives ●
4an" s,called (,adjectives are predicative nl": –
abla@e% afraid% aghast% alne% awa2e ●
●
●
●
●
*he huse was abla@e ?*he abla@e huse burned dwn in an hur *he children were awa2e ?*he awa2e children were nis"
$ncidentall" nt all predicative adjectives ta2e very, the sample 5ualifier in the test frame –
we d nt usuall" sa": ●
–
we wuld rather sa": ●
–
=ver" afraid> r =ver" awa2e> =ver" much afraid> and =ver" much awa2e>
althugh the" d cmbine with the ther 5ualifiers:
Adjectives %ollo&ed b# Clauses ●
( number f adjectives in predicative psitin appear fre5uentl" with cmplements in the frm f phrases r clauses –
sme adjectives: fond and aware% are rarel" used withut them: ●
●
●
●
●
–
*he children were afraid that the dg wuld bite *he children were aware that the dg wuld bite *he dg was fnd f biting children &e were cnscius f the prblem ur team is certain t win
these cases are called 6cmplements6 rather than mdifiers r 5ualifiers because the" cmplement the idea e'pressed b" the adjective A direct bjects are cmplements f verbs
Abilit# to Combine &it! 'ualifiers ●
(nther subclassificatin f adjectives relates t their abilit" t cmbine with 5ualifiers –
mst adjectives can be intensified% 5ualified: smewhat late% rather late% 5uite earl"% ver" happ" , gradable
–
certain adjectives dente meanings that are cnsidered abslute: uni5ue% s5uare% rund% perfect% single% duble% fatal% empt"% right% wrng% impssible
–
these can fill bth the attributive and predicate slts% but the" can nt be 5ualified r cmpared - nngradable
–
we can sa" =almst perfect> and =nearl" s5uare>% but will avid =mre perfect> and =ver" perfect>
Adverbs ●
(dverbs mdif" – – – –
●
●
verbs: Sue swims 5uic2l" adjectives: Bill6s car is mechanicall" sund ther adverbs: (ndrew drve incredibl" fast whle sentences: bviusl"% smene ate the rest f the pi@@a
are the mst difficult f the fur frm classes t identif" and understand (dverbs verlap with adjectives ! fast, slow# – – –
*he hrse li2es a fast trac2 !adjective# Dn6t drive s fast !adverb# *he" are slw learners !adjective# 7e drives t slw !slwl"# !adverbs#
Derivational Suffixes ●
ne cmmn indicatr f frm is suffi' - l"% which we use t derive adverbs f manner frm adjectives –
●
●
tell how r in what way abut the verb: ●
7e wal2ed slwl"
●
She answered crrectl"
$t is nt cmpletel" reliable signaler% since - l" ccurs n nuns !fll"#% adjectives !lvel"% ugl"# *here are man" adjectives that we can turn t adverb with mrpheme ,l";
Restrictions ●
Nt all adjectives can becme manner adverbs% these restrictins are related t –
meaning ●
●
●
– – ●
describe a state - tall% ld fi'ed r inherit characteristic - Nrwegian characteristic that change - wea2% active% industrius
bjective characteristics - tall and ld subjective characteristics - nice and splendid
*he adjectives that refer t bjective r stative r inherent 5ualities rarel" becme manner adverbs: –
tall% ld% fat% shrt% thic2% large% flat% rund% red ●
if the" d - the" have metaphrical% speciali@ed meaning hardl"% widel"% s5uarel"% shrtl"% flatl"
Ot!er Derivational Suffixes ●
Besides ,l"% tw ther derivatinal suffi'es prduce adverbs: ,ward and ,wise –
wrds ending in -ward signal directin: hmeward% frward% bac2ward% upward% dwnward
–
wrds ending in – wise% which indicate manner% include bth
–
ld usage: therwise% lengthwise% crsswise
–
jargn: budgetwise% weatherwise% mne"wise% prfitwise
Inflectional Suffixes ●
0mparative and superlative inflectins: ,er% ,est the cmparative frm f ,l" adverbs% usuall" frmed b" adding more rather than ,er – e'cept fr : sn% ften - the nl" that ta2e ,er% ,est – the superlative degree , mst suddenl"% mst favrabl" - is rare in bth speech and writing - calls attentin –
●
●
●
*he cmmittee was mst favrabl" impressed with the prpsal *he crime was planned mst ingeniusl"
)lat adverbs - made frm adjectives withut the additin f ,l": –
earl"% late% hard% fast% lng% high% lw% deep
Adverb Subclasses ●
(dverbs are ften categri@ed n the basis f the 2ind f infrmatin the" prvide –
manner !hw# - 5uic2l"% slwl"% reluctantl"% well: ●
–
time !when# - "esterda"% then% immediatel" ●
–
7e is ama@ingl" beautiful
fre5uenc" and number - ften% twice% seldm ●
–
Cur bss called here
degree - stri2ingl"% incredibl"% ama@ingl" ●
–
ur guest arrived "esterda"
place !where# - here% smewhere% arund% utside ●
–
*he hrses ran steadil"
*he" met fre5uentl"
duratin - alwa"s% still% briefl"
Rules of !umb Tests for Adverbs Formal Proof
1. 7as adverb,ma2ing mrpheme a. *a2es cmparative superlative mrphemes
suddenl"% crsswise% hmeward She ran faster She ran fastest
Function Proof
b. 0an be made cmparative r superlative with mre r mst 3. 0an be 5ualified 8. 0an be mved within a sentence
D. 0an fit in the frame sentence
mre suddenl"% mst suddenl" rather suddenl" *he dr pened suddenl" *he dr suddenl" pened Suddenl" the dr pened *he man tld his str" +++++++ .
Exercise ( 1. *here are tw - l" mrphemes: ne t create adjectives% anther t create adverbs. * understand the differences srt the fllwing wrds int tw grups: adjectives and adverbs –
lvel"% flishl"% abslutel"% maniacall"% timel"% paternall"% wrldl"% ghstl"
. Decide whether each f the e'amples belw is an adverb f time% place% manner% degree% fre5uenc" and number r duratin –
●
sn% an'iusl"% smewhere% utterl"% ften% carelessl"% nce% eternall"
0an an" be used mre than nce9