Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives & Adverbs

Similar but different

Descriptive Functions

Adjectives describe characteristics or properties of nouns.

Adverbs perform a similar function in modifying verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

Characteristics of Adjectives

• They may describe inherent properties of the entity (colour, size, weight, age or quality)

• They may also describe properties that classify or define the entity in relatin to others (e.g. environmental in the phrase [environmental factors] defines the factors as related to the environment)

• They follow an order when two or more are used in a phrase (1. subjective judgement or evaluation -ugly/good; 2. measurement -old; 3. colour -yellow; 4. a noun acting as an adjective describing the material -tin [an ugly, old, yellow tin bucket]. Changing this order produces phrases not acepted by native speakers

Gradability of Adjectives

It shows different degrees of a property (comparative and superlative forms).

Negative gradability (i.e. describing diminishing degrees of a property) is indicated by placing less and least before adejctives to create the comparative and superlative forms:

The result was less successful than anticipated.

His third campaign was the least successful of all his attempts.

Gradability of Absolute Adjectives

Adjectives such as: absolute, complete, correct, esssential, impossible, perfect, pregnant, ultimate, unique are called non-gradabale adjectives since their meanings express a quality that cannot be increased or decreased

Position of Adjectives

• Attributive adjectives: modifying the head noun in a NP [a big car]

• Predicative adjectives: appearing after a verb and not in a NP, they may describe the subject or the object [She is insane.] [You have your priorities wrong.]

• There are some adjectives that are purely used attributively and others that are used purely predicatively.