ADJECTIVES 1.

Types of premodifiers adjective phrases participles nouns or nominals noun phrases adverb phrases prepositional phrases sentences/clauses/word sequences forgetful parents a recently sold car London college, a childrens book an hours delay away match, far-away places an in-flight explosion I-dont-know-how-many people, his couldnt-care-less attitude the new [table and chairs] some[ [Egyptian cotton] shirts] (submodification)

Multiple heads and premodifiers [the new table] and [chairs] some [blue [cotton blankets] ] (stacked modification)

2. characteristics of adjectives: (a) attributive function (my forgetful parents) (b) predicative function (My parents are forgetful. They found my parents forgetful.) (c) premodification by very (very happy) gradability (d) comparative and superlative (happi er, more intelligent, happi est, most intelligent) gradability central adjectives satisfy criteria (a) and (b), peripheral adjectives satisfy only (a) or only (b) 3. adjective positions/functions: attributive: A + N predicative: V + (N) + A postpositive: N + A 4. adjectives and adverbs (see "Adverbs") 5. adjectives and nouns attributive (the bus station) predicative; premodification by very; comparison (*The station is bus; *a very bus station; *a busser station) BUT: a metal pipe the pipe is metal (material) the very rich, the old who resist change 6. (a) a dish cloth a cloth for dishes, the cupboard door the door of the cupboard, August weather weather (usual) in August (b) hot weather ? 7. premodification and postmodification compared: 7.1 the road to Lincoln the Lincoln road, action in case of fire ? fire action, a tree by a stream *a stream tree 7.2 the table in the corner the corner table, the man in the corner *the corner man 8. a three-hour exam, a shoe shop, a clothes shop 9. N + N, A + N: compound or noun phrase? 9.1 stress: hot 'house vs 'hothouse glass 'bottle vs 'heart attack BUT: deaf 'mute 9.2 spelling: black bird vs blackbird BUT: lamp post 9.3 coordination and modification: London and Oxford colleges vs *tear and raindrops south London colleges vs *crushed ice-cream cream made of crushed ice London theological colleges vs *ice-Italian cream 10. adjectives and participles (Note: features that cannot distinguish adjectives from participles are not shown in the table!) Adjective participle no corresponding verb a concerted effort, a forested hillside, a balding man, an unexpected result different meanings The children are very attached to their grandparents The gadget can be attached to any vertical surface I've had a trying day He's trying his best different forms sunken cheeks; (Her eyes were sunken) Since his last book five years ago, he seems to have sunk without (a) trace different complements Max was known to be an alcoholic; He was considered a liability; This was disturbing me; He spent the money given him by his uncle -ing + noun phrase You are frightening the children -ed + by + personal noun The man was offended by the policeman -ed + at/about etc I'm annoyed with you. very/too/so + -ing/ed You are too frightening; He was very offended

(very) much + -ing/ed He is (very) much loved/criticized seem/look/appear/remain It seems surprising; She appears delighted with the + -ing/ed present 11. the escaped prisoner, wilted leaves, departed friends ('dead'), a widely travelled/well-travelled man 12. (a) *a powered engine, a diesel-powered engine, *a haired child, a red-haired child (trivial vs nontrivial information) (b) *a two-carred man (alienable vs inalienable possession) 13. ambiguity: She was calculating. (adjective: 'scheming' or participle: 'working out the answer to a mathematical problem') 14. We were very pleased by his behaviour. BUT: *His views were very alarming the audience. 15. (a) The man was shocked/surprised. ?He was a shocked/surprised man. He greeted me with a very shocked/surprised expression. (b) I was wakened by a barking dog. ?The barking dog is my neighbour's. (c) *the arrived immigrant, the newly-arrived immigrant, *the found purse, a lost purse, *a sold car, a recently(-)sold car SYNTACTIC CLASSIFICATION tendencies: temporary predicative/postpositive, noninherent attributive attributive or predicative 16. (a) The cottage is too/so/as/this/that beautiful..., too/so/as/how/this/that beautiful a cottage, *too/so/as/how/this/that beautiful cottages/countryside (b) He is a bit/a little strange. *a bit/a little strange man (c) This actor is suitable for the part. *a suitable for the part actor BUT: Ministry of Defence official; a big enough room; the larger than expected profit; his hard as nails attitude 17. (a) a true scholar, *the scholar is true (intensifying adjective: emphasizer) (b) a complete victory, the victory was complete; a complete fool, *the fool is complete (intensifying adjective: amplifier) (c) a feeble joke, the joke is feeble (intensifying adjective: downtoner) (d) his chief excuse (restrictive adjective) (e) my former friend (adjective related to adverb) (f) a criminal lawyer (denominal adjective) (g) the bloody tax inspector (expletive) 18. (a) He felt ill/poorly/well. ("health" adjective) (b) My friends seem loath to interfere. (adjective + complement) (c) The child was asleep. (a-adjective) BUT: fast asleep children (d) Not for years had she felt more content; *a content girl vs a contented girl; the girl was contented attributive or postpositive 19. (a) Anyone intelligent can do it. There's nowhere nice round here. *something (that is) main (b) I know an actor suitable for the part. *I know a suitable for the part actor. The boys easiest to teach were in my class. *The easiest to teach boys... The easiest boys to teach were in my class. a good place for a holiday Note: Quirk 7.22 examples [8], [8a], [8b] and [9] (a) the usual word order with enough: It's a difficult enough problem to keep a whole team of scientists busy; (b) with too the construction is possible in other than subject/object complement positions but only with the indefinite article (not with zero!): They charge me at too high a rate. See also 16 (a) above and Quirk 15.73, 15.74 (c) the only etc suitable actor/the only etc actor suitable (d) director general (e) Through a proper understanding of this condition...('correct'); Autobiography proper implies a self-creation on the part of the author. ('in the strict sense of the term') 20. (a) The old who resist change can expect violence. We will nurse your sick. He is acceptable to both (the) young and (the) old; the wiser; the very poor; In this type of animal the young are born with fur and open eyes. (b) The industrious Dutch are admired by their neighbours. (c) The unthinkable has happened. See also the "Number" handout, the examples in 9 SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION 21. *He's being tall. *Be tall. (stative) vs He's being careful. (dynamic) 22. tall, very tall, taller (gradable) vs atomic scientist, *very/more atomic scientist (nongradable) 23. a firm handshake (inherent) vs a firm friend (noninherent) 24. restrictive vs non-restrictive (see the "Postmodification in noun phrases" handout, the examples in 3)

25. The man is ready; *the ready man (temporary) vs The man is timid; the timid man; the original version; *the version is original (permanent)