The Structure of the English Adjective Phrase.

The Structure of the English Adjective Phrase.

Patricia Galera Simon.

Natalia Denisa Muresan.

Francisco Jose Ibañez Gea.

1. Functional description of the AP.

2.2.3 Participial adjectives used as VGs.

2. Structure of the AP.

3.2 Syntactic subclassification of the adjectives.

• excess: This book is too short.

2.1 Head.

Restrinctions may vary and are not always absolute.

• sufficiency: The room is hot enough.

The AP can be composed of three structural elements: Head, Modifier, and a Post- head element, that could be a Modifier or a Complement.

• insufficiency: This window is not clean enough.

1. Attributive only

The head is realized by an adjective, which may function alone in representation of a whole AP,but can function as heads in another type of phrases:

They derived from transitive verbs can be used as modifiers in a NG and as Complements in a clause, retaining their ability to function as part of a VG.

4.4 Quantifying modifiers:

I'll wear my 'old jacket to the date.

AdjG

2..1.1 Adjectives as heads of NP.

1. Exact qualification.

2. Intensifying adjectives.

m

The depth, length, height ans age can be measured or quantified.

• Emphasizers: a clear truth

m

c

• The adjectives can function as heads in NP, which can be subject of a sentence, an object, a complement or a prepositional complement.

h

The queue was 100 yards long.

-ing: disturbing, astonishing, shoking.

-ed: delighted, disturbed, agitated, startled.

• Amplifiers: a complete victory

very good indeed at football

• They do not inflect: number in the case of genitive.

2. Non-exact quantification.

• Downtowners: feeble joke

• Adjectives require a definite determiner.

Predicative function, non-measurable quantification expressed by determiners.

3. Restrictive adjectives.

The most central elements of the AP have four properties: Functional potential:

• Typically used as heads to refer to some classes of persons:

He's not getting any taller.

A particular object.

the fearful, the strong...

3. Grammatical dependents:

• There are 3 types:

4. Lexical dependents.

• They can occur as head in phrases that function as predicative complements. Predicative use of adjectives.

3.1 Adjectives with complementation:

• Type A: Adjectives which can premodify personal pronouns can be NP heads with plural reference, denoting categories, classes or types of people. It can be premodified or postmodified.

4.1 Semantic subclassification of adjectives.

Postposition requiered and no attributive possition.

1. Statative/dynamic

She seemed very intelligent.

friendly, faithful, calm.

• To -inf. Clause and PP

the impoverished are asking for higher salaries to the goverment.

• They can occur as head in phrases that function as pre-head modifier in NP structure: attribute use.

That's all folks!

2. Gradable/nongradable.

• Can be seen as a reduce relative clause (most common alone with the premodification).

rather hot, ugly

a very intelligent woman.

• Type B: some adjectives denoting nationalities. They are restricted to endings in -(i)sh and -ch. They cannot be modified by the adverbs.

3. Inherent/noninherent

• Distinction between restrictive and nonrestrictive postposed adjectives:

Czech, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch..

distant hills/distant relatives

• They can occur as head in phrases that function as post-head modifier in NP structures. Postpositive use, is much less frequent.

4.2 Dependents in AdjP structure: modifiers

someone very intelligent.

Students commonly lazy don't get good grades.

Students, commonly lazy, passed all tests.

• Some other can function as NP with abstract reference. Included superlatives, in which can insert a general noun in an abstract sense. It is restricted to fixed expresions.

• Occur with gradable adjectives, concerned with expression of degree.

• Complementation by an -ing participle clause

the supernatural, the exotic, the unreal.

Paul is occupied attending a lecture.

• Complementation by a to -inf. Clause

2.2 PARTICIPLES AND PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES.

Barbara is touched to hear from you

• Pre-head position: large number of de-adjectival adverbs in -ly: absolutely, definitely.

• Modification and inflection: Prototypical adjectives are "gradable" and take modifiers indicating degree, (quite, rather...), but can enter into the contrast of comparison.

Present and past participles of verb do grammatical functions, typical of those are realized by adjectives.

• Complementation by a than- clause.

• Other adverbs are morphologically simple: too, very.

2.2.1 Participial adjectives seldom used inVGs

He's quite a different man than he was before the accident.

Absolute, Comparative, Superlative.

• Complementation by a wh- clause.

• Adverbs modify adjectives, and other adverbs function as a determiner in NP structure.

bad, worse, worst.

• They are very infrequently used as part of a VG, as modifiers in in NGs or as complements (Cs/Co) in a clause.

It was undecided what she would do.

• Or can occur in the analytic and superlative constructions marked by more and most.

• Nouns and adjectives differ to the pre-head dependents they take.

-ing: fascinating, amusing, refreshing, stimulating.

-ed: bored, seasoned, cultivated, disillusioned.

• Complementation by a that- clause.

• Postpositive: something helpful

They were certain that Laura was home.

4.3 The degree of suffiency

2.2.2 Pseudo-participial adjectives.

• Complementation by a PP.

Adding -ing or -ed to nouns.

• 3 terms: 'excess', 'sufficiency', 'insufficiency'.

Attributive: helpful people

Predicative: These people are helpful.

Henry is free from his kidnapers.

• Realized by the adverbs too, enough,not enough.

-ing: enterprising, neighbouring.

-ed: talented, gifted.