3318-Lecture4

Lecture 4

English 3318: Studies in English Grammar 

Form-class Words Adjectives and Adverbs

Dr. Svetlana Nuernberg

Objectives ●

Differentiate between attributive  –  predicative adjectives adjectives  –

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Differentiate between subclasses f adverbs Give supprting criteria f  –  –

frm !mrphlg"# functin !sentence psitin#

t justif" the assignment f a wrd t a given frm class

 Adjectives ●

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$n terms f frm% adjectives are nt as easil" identifiable in islatin as nuns r verbs. &e need either meaning r cnte't r clues  –

(djective )rame Sentence: *he ++++nun is ver" +++  ●

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(djective Derivatinal Suffi'es ●

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nl" adjectives will fit in the bth slts

the frm f the wrd can als prvide clues

(djective $nflectinal (ffi'es

 Adjective Derivational Suffixes ●

*he mst reliable derivatinal suffi' identif"ing a wrd as an adjective is  –

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,us - grgeus% famus% curageus% cntagius

*here are sme ther adjective frming suffi'es merr "% funn"  –  beautiful% wnder  ful  – terrif  ic% ascetic  – frtunate% temper  ate  –

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, childish% reddish , fragmentar"% cmplimentar" , punitive% active , variable% amenable

(s clues t adjectives% these suffi'es are nt as reliable as ,us%  –

the" ccasinall" shw up n ther frm classes t: handful !nun# panic !nun% verb#% punish !verb#

 Adjective Inflectional Suffixes ●

*he inflectinal suffi'es that pattern with adjectives are

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, er % the sign fr cmparative frm

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, est% the superlative frm

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/sitive

 big

"ung

smart

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0mparative

 bigger

"unger

smarter 

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Superlative

 biggest

"ungest

smartest

Comparative and Superlative Degree ●

*he ,er frm is used in the cmparisn f tw nuns - thats wh" it is called the cmparative degree:  –  –

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*he cmparative degree with than can als be fllwed b" a clause rather than a nun phrase  –

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/at is "unger than /h"llis /h"llis is the better student f the tw

/at is "unger than $ suspected

*he ,est frm% the superlative degree% is used when singling ut ne f mre than tw nuns  –

*m was the ldest persn in the rm f the three candidates% Sarah is the best campaigner 

 Additional Cases ●

)r man" adjectives the cmparative and superlative degrees are nt frmed with ,er and ,est% but with more and most % which we can thin2 f as alternative frms r allmrphs  –

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E'ceptins are: tw s"llable adjectives ending in  –  –  –  –

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adjectives with mre than  s"llables are patterns with more and most  ," r ,l" !prettiest% friendlier% lvelier# ,le !nbler% nblest# ,w !narrwer% narrwest# ,er !tenderest#

Sme adjectives have n cmparative and superlative

 Adjectives or Adverbs ●

4re and mst are nt e'clusive fr adjectives  –

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,l" adverbs% thse derived frm adjectives% have cmparative and superlative versins: mre 5uic2l"% mst fre5uentl"

Small grup f wrds that have cmparative and superlative frms can serve as adjectives r adverbs  - inflectinal test is nt ver" reliable  –  –  –  –  –

earl" earlier earliest

fast faster fastest

late later latest

high higher   highest

hard harder

lng lnger

lw lwer

deep deeper  

Exceptions ●

 Near (nearer, nearest) - can serve nt nl" as adjective and adverb% but als as a prepsitin% the nl" prepsitin that ta2es inflectin  –

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ur seats were near the fift","ard line

E'ceptins t regular cmparative and superlative frms gd  –  better  –  best  –

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bad wrse wrst

far farther farthest

far   further  furthest

(djectives can als be cmpared in a negative sense with as, less, and least   –  –

*his picnic is nt as enj"able as $ thught it wuld be *his picnic is less enj"able than $ thught it wuld be

Rules of !umb Tests for Adjectives Formal Proof  1. 7as adjective,ma2ing mrpheme a. *a2es cmparative r superlative mrpheme

happ"% lvable% flish sfter % sftest

Functional Proof  b. 0an be made cmparative r superlative  b" using mre r mst 3. 0an be 5ualified 8. 0an fit bth slts in the frame sentence

mre sensitive% mst sensitive rather  sft *he +++nun seems ver" +++ 

Exercise " 1. 0reate a cmparative and superlative frms fr the adjectives listed friendl"% helpful% wise% awful% rich% mellw% e'pensive% valid%  pure% able

. *est each f the wrds belw with the test fr adjectives given abve. &hich wrds are adjectives9 7w man" f the criteria are valid fr each adjective9 alluring% eating% s2inn"% pale% diet% tall% cntrlled% hungr"  – E'ample: selfish !adjective -  criteria#  – (pplicable: has adjective,ma2ing mrpheme ,ish;% can be made cmparative
Subclasses of Adjectives ●

*he adjective test frame *he ++nun is ver"++++   –  –

is useful in identif"ing adjectives is useful in helping distinguish subclasses f adjectives: ●

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thse that are limited t the prenun slts thse that are limited t the cmplement slts

4st adjectives can fill three slts in the sentence  patterns:  –

 predicative adjectives ●

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as subject cmplement !as in the test frame# as bject cmplement

attributive adjectives

 Attributive Onl# Adjectives ●

( small number f f adjectives will nt fill the cmplement slt , attributive nl" adjectives:  –

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main% principal% frmer% mere% ptential% atmic% late !meaning =dead># and technical adjectives: sulfuric% h"drchlric these d nt serve as either subject r bject cmplements in the verb phrase% nr d the" ta2e 5ualifiers: ●

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7e is the frmer president 4" reasn is main She is a mere child

?*he president is frmer  ?4" main reasn is ver" main ?*he child is mere

*here are a few ther adjectives that rarel" appear in an attributive psitin in reference t animate nuns:  –

fnd% read"% ill% well

$redicative Onl# Adjectives ●

4an" s,called (,adjectives are predicative nl":  –

abla@e% afraid% aghast% alne% awa2e ●

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*he huse was abla@e ?*he abla@e huse burned dwn in an hur  *he children were awa2e ?*he awa2e children were nis"

$ncidentall" nt all predicative adjectives ta2e very, the sample 5ualifier in the test frame  –

we d nt usuall" sa": ●

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we wuld rather sa": ●

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=ver" afraid> r =ver" awa2e> =ver" much afraid> and =ver" much awa2e>

althugh the" d cmbine with the ther 5ualifiers:

 Adjectives %ollo&ed b# Clauses ●

( number f adjectives in predicative psitin appear fre5uentl" with cmplements in the frm f phrases r clauses  –

sme adjectives: fond  and aware% are rarel" used withut them: ●

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*he children were afraid that the dg wuld bite *he children were aware that the dg wuld bite *he dg was fnd f biting children &e were cnscius f the prblem ur team is certain t win

these cases are called 6cmplements6 rather than mdifiers r 5ualifiers because the" cmplement the idea e'pressed  b" the adjective A direct bjects are cmplements f verbs

 Abilit# to Combine &it! 'ualifiers ●

(nther subclassificatin f adjectives relates t their abilit" t cmbine with 5ualifiers  –

mst adjectives can be intensified% 5ualified: smewhat late% rather late% 5uite earl"% ver" happ" , gradable

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certain adjectives dente meanings that are cnsidered abslute: uni5ue% s5uare% rund% perfect% single% duble% fatal% empt"% right% wrng% impssible

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these can fill bth the attributive and predicate slts% but the" can nt be 5ualified r cmpared - nngradable

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we can sa" =almst perfect> and =nearl" s5uare>% but will avid =mre perfect> and =ver" perfect>

 Adverbs ●

(dverbs mdif"  –  –  –  –

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verbs: Sue swims 5uic2l" adjectives: Bill6s car is mechanicall" sund ther adverbs: (ndrew drve incredibl" fast whle sentences: bviusl"% smene ate the rest f the pi@@a

are the mst difficult f the fur frm classes t identif" and understand (dverbs verlap with adjectives ! fast, slow#  –  –  –

*he hrse li2es a fast trac2 !adjective# Dn6t drive s fast !adverb# *he" are slw learners !adjective# 7e drives t slw !slwl"# !adverbs#

Derivational Suffixes ●

ne cmmn indicatr f frm is suffi' -  l"% which we use t derive adverbs f manner frm adjectives  –

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tell how r in what way abut the verb: ●

7e wal2ed slwl"

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She answered crrectl"

$t is nt cmpletel" reliable signaler% since -  l" ccurs n nuns !fll"#% adjectives !lvel"% ugl"# *here are man" adjectives that we can turn t adverb with mrpheme ,l";

Restrictions ●

 Nt all adjectives can becme manner adverbs% these restrictins are related t  –

meaning ●

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describe a state - tall% ld fi'ed r inherit characteristic - Nrwegian characteristic that change - wea2% active% industrius

bjective characteristics -  tall and ld subjective characteristics - nice and splendid

*he adjectives that refer t bjective r stative r inherent 5ualities rarel" becme manner adverbs:  –

tall% ld% fat% shrt% thic2% large% flat% rund% red ●

if the" d - the" have metaphrical% speciali@ed meaning hardl"% widel"% s5uarel"% shrtl"% flatl"

Ot!er Derivational Suffixes ●

Besides ,l"% tw ther derivatinal suffi'es  prduce adverbs: ,ward and ,wise  –

wrds ending in -ward  signal directin: hmeward% frward% bac2ward% upward% dwnward

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wrds ending in – wise% which indicate manner% include bth

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ld usage: therwise% lengthwise% crsswise

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 jargn: budgetwise% weatherwise% mne"wise%  prfitwise

Inflectional Suffixes ●

0mparative and superlative inflectins: ,er% ,est the cmparative frm f ,l" adverbs% usuall" frmed b" adding more rather than ,er   – e'cept fr  : sn% ften - the nl" that ta2e ,er% ,est  – the superlative degree , mst suddenl"% mst favrabl"  - is rare in bth speech and writing - calls attentin  –

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*he cmmittee was mst favrabl" impressed with the  prpsal *he crime was planned mst ingeniusl"

)lat adverbs - made frm adjectives withut the additin f ,l":  –

earl"% late% hard% fast% lng% high% lw% deep

 Adverb Subclasses ●

(dverbs are ften categri@ed n the basis f the 2ind f infrmatin the" prvide  –

manner !hw# - 5uic2l"% slwl"% reluctantl"% well: ●

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time !when# - "esterda"% then% immediatel" ●

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7e is ama@ingl" beautiful

fre5uenc" and number - ften% twice% seldm ●

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Cur bss called here

degree - stri2ingl"% incredibl"% ama@ingl" ●

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ur guest arrived "esterda"

 place !where# - here% smewhere% arund% utside ●

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*he hrses ran steadil"

*he" met fre5uentl"

duratin - alwa"s% still% briefl"

Rules of !umb Tests for Adverbs Formal Proof 

1. 7as adverb,ma2ing mrpheme a. *a2es cmparative superlative mrphemes

suddenl"% crsswise% hmeward She ran faster  She ran fastest

Function Proof 

b. 0an be made cmparative r  superlative with mre r mst 3. 0an be 5ualified 8. 0an be mved within a sentence

D. 0an fit in the frame sentence

mre suddenl"% mst suddenl" rather  suddenl" *he dr pened suddenl" *he dr suddenl" pened Suddenl" the dr pened *he man tld his str" +++++++ .

Exercise (  1. *here are tw - l" mrphemes: ne t create adjectives% anther t create adverbs. * understand the differences srt the fllwing wrds int tw grups: adjectives and adverbs  –

lvel"% flishl"% abslutel"% maniacall"% timel"%  paternall"% wrldl"% ghstl"

. Decide whether each f the e'amples belw is an adverb f time% place% manner% degree% fre5uenc" and number r duratin  –

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sn% an'iusl"% smewhere% utterl"% ften% carelessl"% nce% eternall"

0an an" be used mre than nce9