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ADJECTIVES, Definition, Compound adjectives, Formations, Attributive and…
ADJECTIVES
Type
Attributive Adj
Used before N
Ex: a good book, many excellent meals,...
Many N used as attributive adjectives
Ex: a paper cup,...
Predicative Adj
Used after Verbs (linking verb)
Ex: the book is very good.
Gradable Adj
Having certain property to a greater or lesser degree
Modified by very, enough, too
Having comparative and superlative forms
Ex: nicer, the nicest
Non-gradable Adj
Not having certain property to a greater or lesser degree
not modified by very, enough, too
Not having comparative and superlative forms
Words
Modifying Nouns
Expressing physical and other qualities
Express writer's opinion attitude
N + adjective: tax-free
Determiner + Adj: all-American
Number + N: four-wheel
Adv + participle:well-balance
Adv + Adv: well-off
Simple adjectives
Most frequently used
Often mono-syllabic and bi-syllabic words: ill, pretty
No distinctive form to mark as adjectives
Ex: Good, bad, fine, short,...
Derived from N, other adj or V by adding certain suffixes
Some of native origin: Greenish, hopeful, handy,...
Of foreign bases: apparent, secondary, marvelous,...
Derived from adj by adding prefixes to adj
Ex: unhappy, insecure,...
Derived from V or adj by adding prefix - a
Ex: alone, asleep,...
Derived adjectives
Positions
An adj can go before a N (attributive position)
or
as complement after linking verb (predicative position)
Ex: It is a large stadium
The stadium is large
Attributive only
Chief, elder, eldest, eventualy, former, indoor, inner, latter, main, mere, only, outdoor, outer, principal, sheer, ole, upper, utter.
Little is mostly attributive: a little cottage
Same can not be predicative without the
Ex: Yes, I have the same experience.
A N as modifier can only be attributive: a tennis club
N saying what something is made of can go in either position:
Ex: It's a metal pipe
Predicative only
Some words with the prefix a-: awake, ashamed, alike,..
Many of these can be attributive if modified by an adv: the wide awake children.
Some words to do with health: well, fine, ill, unwell.
Some words expressing feeling: content, glad, pleased, upset
Pleased, glad, upset can be attributive when not referring directly to people: a pleased expression, the glad news,..
Different meanings in different positions
Ex: The late president (=dead)
The bus was late ( = not on time)
After N and pronouns
After Nouns
Sometime adj can go after nouns
Ex: He has a face thin and worn, but eager and resolute
Adj + prepositional phrase cannot go before the N
Ex: He is a man greedy for money
Sometimes the position depends in the meaning.
Ex: The amount of money involved is quite small. (= relavant)
It's rather involved story (=complicated)
After pronouns
Adj comes affter indefinite pronouns
Ex: You must not do anything silly
opinion: nice, wonderful,...
Size: Large, small, long,...
Quality: clear, busy, important,..
Age: Old, new
Shape: Fat, thing, square,...
Color: red, black,...
participle form: broken, running,..
Origin: British, American,..
Material: Brick, wooden
Type: human, chemical,...
Purpose: alarm, working,..
When 2 adj have similar meaning, the shorter often come first
Sometimes 2 orders are possible
And or , can be put between 2 adj
And is not used between adj with different meaning.
But is use when the adj refer to 2 qualities in contrast.
Opinion +type +purpose. Sometimes can change.
Old and young refering to people often come next to the N
In general, the adj closet to the N has the closest meaning with the N and expresses what is most permanent about it.
-ing adj
-ed adj
To prefer to some groups of people in the society
Ex: the poor, the rich,...
A few adj can come after a/an to mean a specific person
There are a few adj that can be used as N
For a whole people
the + adj of nationality
Abstract qualities:
To refer to things in general
having an abstract quality
Ex: the new, the old,...
Definition
Compound adjectives
Formations
Attributive and predicative positions
Participles as adj
The + adj
The order of attributive adj
Social groups