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