THE ADJECTIVE IN ENGLISH

o The defining characteristics of central adjectives:

 

They are a class of notional words which

- express the general semantics of Quality;

- have the morphological category of Degrees of Comparison;

- function as the Attribute or the Predicative (Complement) in the sentence.

 

o Semantic groups of adjectives:

 

1.1. Qualitative vs. 1.2. Relative adj.;

2.1. Neutral Qualitative adj., which describe the referent of a nominal expression and can show different degrees of a quality, vs.

2.2. Strong Qualitative adj., which describe the absolute limit of a quality of the referent of a nominal expression.

 

o Syntactic functions:

 

- the Attribute as part of a noun phrase:

1.1. in preposition or 1.2. in postposition to the head noun;

- the Predicative / Complement:

2.1. Subject Predicative following a link verb and describing the subject of the sentence, or

2.2. Object Predicative following and describing the object of the sentence.

 

- Adjectives with an incomplete range of syntactic functions →

Adjectives only in the attributive role

Adjectives only in the predicative role (usu. describe relations or states)

 

o Morphological properties of English adjectives:

THE MORPHOLOGICAL CATEGORY OF DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Form: the opposition of	Positive form unmarked	Comparative form Marked - synthetically - “?” syntactically / analytically “?” *	Superlative form Marked - synthetically - “?” syntactically / analytically “?” *
Meaning:	quality	gradation of a to the degree of the other objects	quality as compared same quality in
Type of opposition		triple gradual

* Controversy over the grammatical status of the “more / most + adj.” constructions:

(1) they are analytical morphological forms as they express the same meaning as the synthetic morphological forms –er/ -est

(2) another point of view: they are syntactic construction (phrases) as

- more / most are adverbs which retain their lexical meaning and are opposed to less/ least,

- more / most stand in a syntactic relation to the adjective like other words with degree semantics (less, very, rather, a bit etc.)

- a most + adj. = very

- The category of Degrees of Comparison is not fully realized by English adjectives: Neutral Qualitative adj. vs. Strong Qualitative and Relative adj.

THE FIELD STRUCTURE OF THE CLASS OF ADJECTIVES

 

o Central adjectives: Neutral Qualitative adj.

o Peripheral adjectives: Strong Qualitative adj., Relative adj.

 

o Zones of syncretism between the class of Adjectives and other word classes:

- Adj – N: substantivised adjectives

(≠ full substantivation as a result of lexicalization when a new word (noun) has been formed)

- Adj – V: participles