UNIT IX

Describing persons, things and circumstances

: adjective and adjectival groups

SALSABILA (21101311008)
9.1 STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTIC USES OF THE
ADJECTIVAL

An adjectival group or adjectival group is a group of words based on an

adjective, such as 'very nice' or ' interested in football'. An adjective group can
also consist simply of an adjective.

The adjectival group is composed potentially of three structural elements:

A head (h), a modifier (m) and a post-head element, which will be either a
modifier (m) or a complemenet (c). Post modifier and complement can occur
together in the same adjG.
Examples of full AdjG structures are:
• Extremely hot for this time of the year (mhm)
• very glad that you won the match (mhc)
• quite fond of music (mhc)

What is the difference between a complement and a

post modifier?
• Complements are necessary to complete the meaning of a
noun. Postmodifiers are not necessary; they give extra
information about the noun which helps to identify it or
locate it in some way
9.2 Adjectives and the Adjectival Group

9.2.1 Simple, Derived and Compound Adjectives

1. Native Origin
Good little white
Big short hard
Small black

2. Adjectives derived from nouns, other adjectives and verbs

greenish hopeful handsome handy civic creative
foremost central secondary apparent marvellous readable

3. Adjectival Prefixes added to words which are already adjectives

unhappy insecure discourteous abnormal irrelevant
Adjectives formed by adding the prefix a- to a verb or adjective
( asleep,
awake, ablaze, alone).

4. Adjectives in English are not marked for gender or number

A fair-haired girl – fair-haired girls
A tough character – tough character
need it
9.2.2 Participle and Participial Adjectives
1. Participial adjectives seldom used as verb
-ing: interesting, amazing -en: animated, ashamed, assorted, sophisticated
2. Pseudo-participial adjectives-addition of ing or -ed to nouns
-ing: enterprising, neighbouring -en: talented, skilled, gifted, bearded, detailed
3. Participial adjectives commonly used as modifiers in Nominal Group,
as complement in a clause as part of Verbal Group
A confusing remark
That is confusing
4. Other forms
-ing: annoying, exciting -en: annoyed, excited,
5. Participial adjectives can be graded
Attributive Predicative
-ing: very distressing news -the news is most distressing
-en: rather frightened tourists -the tourists seemed quite frightened
6. Compound forms
-ing: heart-breaking news; good-looking girl
-en: well-paid workers; sun-tanned legs
9.2.3 Semantic Classes of Adjectives
(Descriptors, classifiers, degree emphasizers, non adjectival words used as
modifiers)

1. Descriptors
Such adjectives express the following kinds of meanings.
• size, weight, extent: (note that these are often paired as opposites): big/
little, large/small, heavy/light
• colour.
• meanings related to time: young, old, new, recent, early
• evaluative: pretty, beautiful, good, bad, nice, awful, dreadful, shocking
• an active or passive process (participial adjectives): frightening,
surprising, soothing, tired, exhausted, refreshed
• general qualities: hot, cold, full, empty, sweet, sour, hard, soft, strong,
weak, bright, dull
• a temporary state: asleep, alone, awake, ajar (with predicative function
only)
2. Classifiers

• restrictive: average, additional, chief, complete, entire, final, following,

initial, main, only, old, new, previous, former, right, left
• relating to groups such as nationalities, religions, politics: Brazilian,
Christian
• category-specific meanings associated with culture, technology, science,
and so on.
• restrictive: an only child, the standard size, the main reason
• relating to groups: Greek sculpture, the Western powers, African music
• category-specific meanings: a nuclear plant, a medical student,
parliamentary debates.
9.2.4 Syntactic Functions of the Adjectival Group
Adjectives in groups
• (pre-)modifier in a NG :a very good actor, heavy rain, an old friend
• (post-)modifer in a NG :something cheap, the person responsible
• head of a NG :the French, the sick, the most expensive
• complement of a preposition :at last, for good, in short
• modifier in an AdjG :bright red, pale blue, red hot

AdjGs in clauses:
• Subject Complement :the acting was brilliant.
• Object Complement :i consider that offensive.

Peripheral AdjGs
• Stance Adjunct :strange, I never suspected him.
• Detached predicative supplement :angry and tearful, Susan walked out.
• Exclamation :fine! Great! Right! Fantastic!
:that’s great
:how dreadful it was
9.2.5 Central and Peripheral Adjectives

1. Central adjectives: descriptors

2. Predicative adjs only: afraid, asleep, ablaze, afloat, alive, alone, alike,
aware, averse
3. Attributive adjs only:
these can be grouped into the following types:
• restrictive classifiers: the chief/ main reason; sole responsibility; an only
child
• time/ space: the previous page; my old school; a new baby; your left leg
• associative classifiers: an agricultural college, foreign affairs, a nuclear
weapon
• degree emphasisers: sheer nonsense; utter rubbish; an outright lie
• process-oriented: a big eater; a hard worker, a slow reader