- •Lecture 5 topic: the adjective. The adverb. Points for discussion:
- •Is the adjective always dependent on the nouns?
- •Which grammatical categories can the adjective have in the English language?
- •Which syntactical functions can this part of speech have in a sentence
- •5.1.1. General characteristics of the adjective as a part of speech (slide )
- •5.1.2. Adjectival classifications: the main approaches to the problem
- •Some points to clarify:
- •Where lies the fallacy of semantical classifications 2 and 3?
- •Where lies the fallacy of structural classifications?
- •What principals are the adjectival classifications based on?
- •5.2. The problem of the degree of comparison. The syntactical and analytical forms. The problems of the category.
- •The main forms of the degrees of comparison
- •Some points to clarify:
- •What are the main grounds for existing the analytical forms of degrees of comparison?
- •2. Do syntactical and analytical forms of the degrees of comparison correspond to each other?
- •3. How many degrees of comparison are distinguished?
- •4. Which principals are the models of comparison based on?
- •Some points to clarify:
- •5.3. Statives as grammatical notion. The problem of statives.
- •Grounds for seeing statives as separate parts of speech
- •5.4. The main adjectival oppositions.
- •3. 6. The noun: its syntactical properties
- •Closed form
- •Hyphenated form
- •Open form
- •The ways of expressing ‘the absolute singular’
- •1. Composition
- •2. Affixation
Some points to clarify:
Where lies the fallacy of the semantical classification 1?
Such classification doesn’t take into account the evaluative function of the adjective which may be seen only in the grammatical sense.As the result there are some qualitative adjectives that cant have the degree of comparison (for instance extinct, immobile, deaf, final, fixed, etc) and some relative adjectives that on the contrary have the latter.
Cf.: a mediaeval approach—rather a mediaeval approach — a far more mediaeval approach; of a military design — of a less military design — of a more military design; a grammatical topic ~ a purely grammatical topic — the most grammatical of the suggested topics.
Where lies the fallacy of semantical classifications 2 and 3?
The fallacy of this classification is connected with the fact that they allow to distinguish very small share of adjectives in their total volume.
E.g.I don't want a yellow balloon, let me have the green one over there.
Where lies the fallacy of structural classifications?
The semantical contents of the properties presented are ignored. As the result the obtained groups can contain semantically homogenous adjectives.
What principals are the adjectival classifications based on?
a) the type of nomination; b) the form of presentation; c) structural and positional determination; d) degree of personalization; e) evaluative quality;
5.2. The problem of the degree of comparison. The syntactical and analytical forms. The problems of the category.
The category of adjectival comparison expresses the quantitative characteristic of the quality of a nounal referent. The category is ‘constituted by the opposition of the three forms known under the heading of degrees of comparison; the basic form (positive degree), having no features of comparison; the comparative degree form, having the feature of restricted superiority the superlative degree form, having the feature of unrestricted superiority. The whole of the double oppositional unity, considered from the semantic angle, constitutes a gradual ternary opposition.
The main forms of the degrees of comparison
FORMS |
PURELY COMPARATIVE |
ELATIVE |
Syntactical |
-Er; -est |
Bad-worse-the worst Good-better –the best, etc
|
Analytical |
More /the most (direct comparison)
less / the least (reverse comparison) |
A most, most |
.
Some points to clarify:
What are the main grounds for existing the analytical forms of degrees of comparison?
GROUND 1The analytical forms of comparison perform a double function. On the one hand, they are used with the evaluative adjectives that, due to their phonemic structure (two-syllable words with the stress on the first syllable ending in other grapho-phonemic complexes than -er, -y, -le, -ow or words of more than two-syllable composition) cannot normally take the synthetical forms of comparison.
GROUND 2 On the other hand, the analytical forms of comparison, as different from the synthetical forms, are used to express emphasis, thus complementing the synthetical forms in the sphere of this important stylistic connotation. Cf.: The audience became more and more noisy, and soon the speaker's words were drowned in the general hum of voices.