GROUP PRESENTATION Adjective Phrases CONTENT Structure Adjective phrase

GROUP PRESENTATION Adjective Phrases

CONTENT Structure Adjective phrase Syntactic functions The head

INTRODUCTION What are Adjectives and the Adjective phrases? An adjective may be a word or group word with the same meaning Adjective phrases are defined as phrases in which an adjective functions as the head of the phrase Examples: 1. Susan is clever 2. The doctor is very late 3. My sister is fond of animals

A. STRUCTURE

♦♦♦ Adverb modifier ( or premodification): modifying, describing or qualifying constituents which precede the head ♦♦♦ The head: which is an Adj or participle serving as the focus of the Phrase ♦♦♦ Cadj( post modification): contituent which follows head and completes the meaning implied by the head

THE TABLE SHOW THE STRUCTURE OF ADJECTIVE PHRASE

EXAMPLES OF THE ADJECTIVE PHRASES 1) Premodifier Partly very, so, extremely, too =>Form is Adverb and Adverb Phrase 2) Head Happy, excited, sweet, worry, cloudy => Form is Adjective 3) Postmodifier Indeed inspirit for his age tobe true enough to me ÞForm is Adverb, Prepositional Phrase, Infinitive Clause

Infinitive phrase Complementation That clause _ing clause _PP clause

ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT An adjective complement is a clause or phrase that adds to the meaning of an adjective or modifies it. The adjective complement always follows the adjective it complements and it is a noun clause or a prepositional phrase

ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT 1)_ing clause: verb in adj clause shows V_ing Ex 1: When summer comes, students are busy preparing for the exam. Ex 2: “Harry Porter” story is worth reading 2) _PP clause: verb in adj clause is a prepositional phrase (pp) Ex 1: We were shocked by the news. Ex 2: The child was eager for Christmas to arrive.

ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT 3) to Vinf_ clause: Adj clause has the Verb be + adj + inf complement Ex 1: Retailers seem eager to promote sales. Ex 2: I was surprised to see him doing that. 4) That clause: adj + that clause, when you want to comment a fact Ex 1: It seems sad that the blue whale is becoming extinct. Ex 2: It is important that she is punctual.

B. SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS

SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS Noun premodifier Complement subject postpositive Syntactic functions NP head Verbless adj clause Exclamatory adj sentence

Syntactic Function of Adjectives ♦ Noun pre-modifier • adjectives are placed before nouns • adjectives are attributive when they premodify nouns * eg : * eg a : this new Adj. P beautiful Adj. P car NP girl NP

Syntactic Function of Adjectives ♦ Subject complement • S + to be/ linking verbs + adj ( Cs) ♦ the function of adjectives are predicative Eg: the book is Np what he said Np impressive Cs is wrong Cs

POSTPOSITIVE 1. DEFINITION: An adjective is postpositive when it comes after the noun it modifies

CASES OF POSTPOSITIVE 1. Reduced as relative clause Eg: 1. He is a man greedy of flame 2. A room full of people 2. Indefinite pronouns ending in : _body ; _one; _thing ; _where Eg : There is nothing special

CASES OF POSTPOSITIVE 3. A few adjective change meaning when they are after noun phrase Comon: Comon elect; proper Eg: the present elect the City of London proper 4. In some nouns (legal), adjective are compulsory after the noun Eg: attorney general, body politic, court martial , heir apparent, notary public, postmaster general

CASES OF POSTPOSITIVE 5. A few a-adjective: a-adjective ablaze; afload; afraid; aghast; alert; alike; alive; asleep; averse; awake; aware; absent; aplenty Some others : Present; concerned; involved; galore; Unspoken, immemorial; payable 6. some postposed adjective _able; _ible retain the basic meaning

CASES OF POSTPOSITIVE 7. Noun phrases are indefinite, not specific Eg: A man usually intelligent will sometimes stupid Polices angry do not arrest a thief If adjective phrases are complements, the whole of an adjective must be after noun phrase The boys easiest to teach were in my class (right) The easiest to teach boys were in my class (correct)

CASES OF POSTPOSITIVE 8. Superlative construction Eg: the smallest quantity imaginable The lowest price possible The best hotel valuable 9. Measures: 9. a river two hundred miles long a road fifty feet wide a man eighty-five years old a bulding ten storeys high

10. Some idioms: The theatre royal The princess royal For time immemorial By all means possible Note: an adjective modified by enough, too, so the modified adjectives can not be separated from its complement

HEAD OF NOUN PHRASE Most commonly, such adjective personal reference: Eg: The rich built many house for the poor The rich = rich people The poor = poor people The extremely old need a great deal of attention the extremely old = extremely old people note: adjectives functioning as noun phrase heads generally require a definite determiner if they are conjoined

HEAD OF NOUN PHRASE Denoting nationalities Eg: You British and you French ought to be allies Superlatives Eg: The lastest is that he is going to run for election

HEAD OF NOUN PHRASE Some adjectives can function as noun-phrase Heads when they have abstract reference Singular concord adverbs superlatives

VERBLESS ADJECTIVE CLAUSE What is verbless clause? →Verbless clauses are clauses in which the verb (usually a form of to be) and sometimes other elements have been omitted or deleted. Eg 1: John believes the prisoner innocent. ~ John believes the prisoner to be innocent. Eg 2: Nice to see you ~ It’s nice to see you.

VERBLESS ADJECTIVE CLAUSE I) An adjective ( alone or as head of an adjective phrase) can function as verbless clause. The clause is mobile, though it usually precedes or follows the subject of the superordinate clause. Eg 3: ( By then) nervous, the man opened the letter. Verbless Clause Superordinate Clause The man, (by then) nervous, opened the letter. The man opened the letter, (by then) nervous.

VERBLESS ADJECTIVE CLAUSE II) THE IMPLIED SUBJECT OF THE ADJECTIVE CLAUSE To be usually the subject of the sentence. Eg 4. I see the boy, who is blind. ≈ The boy whom I see is blind. But we do not have: I see the boy, blind. Can be other than the subject of the sentence if the clause contains additional clause constituents. Eg 5. She glanced with disgust at the car, quiet (now) in her daughter‘s lap.

VERBLESS ADJECTIVE CLAUSE II) THE IMPLIED SUBJECT OF THE ADJECTIVE CLAUSE Can be the whole of the superordinate clause. Eg 6. Stranger, it was she who initiated divorce proceedings. ≈ That it was she who initiated divorce proceedings is strange.

NOTE We can use a corresponding adverb to replace the adjective in this case, as with strangely for strange. Strangely , it was she who initiated divorce proceedings. The adjective refers to the subject without explicit reference to the action, and unless otherwise stated, the characterization is only temporary in its application. Nervous, the man opened the letter. ( connected with the action) Always nervous, the man opened the letter. ( not connected with the action, the man’s nervousness becomes a permanent characteristic)

CONTIGENT ADJECTIVE CLAUSE 1. WHAT IS CONTINGENT ADJECTIVE CLAUSE? A contingent adjective clause expresses the circumstance or condition under which what is said in the superordinate clause applies. A subordinator is often present but can be omitted. Eg 7: Enthusiastic, they make good students (=When enthusiastic, …) subordinator Eg 8: When ripe, these apples are sweet. subordinator

CONTIGENT ADJECTIVE CLAUSE 2. THE IMPLIED SUBJECT OF THE CONTIGENT ADJECTIVE CLAUSE IS NORMALLY THE SUBJECT OF THE SUPERORDINATE CLAUSE, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE THE OBJECT. E. g 9: We can drink it hot E. g 10: You must eat it when fresh 3. THE IMPLIED SUBJECT CAN BE THE WHOLE OF THE SUPERORDINATE CLAUSE. E. g 11: If ( it is) possible, the dog should be washed every day.

EXCLAMATORY ADJECTIVE SENTENCE An adjective as head of an adjective phrase or as its sole realization can be an exclamation: E. g 12: How good of you! E. g 13: How wonderful! E. g 14: Excellent! E. g 15: Good!

C. THE HEAD

SYNTACTIC CLASSIFICATION OF ADJS Intensifying Central Adjectives Attributive only Predicative only Limiter Related to adverbials Denominal

CENTRAL central = both attributive and predicative eg: a (1)lazy student→ the student is (2)lazy attributive predicative the (1)blue sea → the sea is (2)blue attributive predicative note: (1) attributive position (2) predicative position

ATTRIBUTIVE ONLY Adjectives which are restricted to attributive position do not characterize the referent of the noun directly eg. A small businessman → a businessman whose business is small → not a businessman is small Note: words with strongly emotive value: poor man, my dear lady, wretched lady…

ATTRIBUTIVE ONLY Inherent adjs Characterize the referent of the noun directly Eg: Distant hills a complete chapter a heavy bag a social survey an old man Non-inherent adjs Do not characterize the referent of the noun directly Distant relatives a complete idiot a heavy smoker A social animal an old friend

ATTRIBUTIVE ONLY Attributive only Intensifying adjs Limiter adjs Related to adverbials Denominal adjs

INTENSIFYING ADJECTIVES Emphasizers: have a general heightening effect on the noun and convey speaker’s attitude toward the referent eg. Utter despair, pure bliss, a real hero, a certain winner… Amplifiers: denote the upper extreme of the scale are central(inherent) eg. A complete victory →the victory was complete are attributive only(non-inherent) eg. A complete idiot (not the idiot is complete) Notes: mere, sheer, utter (always attributive only)

LIMITER ADJECTIVES Particularize the reference of the noun eg. the main topic, the only person, the precise reason, etc…. Note: a certain person a limiter → a particular person a certain winner an intensifier→ a sure winner

RELATED TO ADVERBIALS adjs that are attributive only can be related to adverbials. eg. my former friend ~ formerly my friend adjs premodify agentive nouns have a relationship to the verb base eg. a hard worker ~ a worker who works hard. the implied process can be associated with an inanimate object. eg. a fast car ~ a car that one can drive fast

DENOMINAL ADJECTIVES are derived from nouns and attributive only eg. A mathematical puzzle (a puzzle based on mathematics ) a criminal law (a law concerning crime) Note: a criminal law ~ a law seems criminal → a central adjective denominal # nominal adjs eg. The French are noted for their wines. The French people are noted for their wines.

PREDICATIVE ONLY Eg. Children were asleep. (not asleep children) S V Cs Adjectives which are restricted to predicative position refer to condition rather than to characterize Some group of adjs must take complementation: afraid(that, of, about); fond(of); conscious(that, of) etc… Eg. Jean is keen on maths. S V Cs

PREDICATIVE ONLY Some of the common predicative only adjectives in English are: ablaze alive unaware abreast alone afire aloof afraid ashamed aghast asleep aglow awake alert aware alike fond

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