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Adjectives, Adverbs, PrepositionsHuddleston 8-10

Makk Zsófi

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AdjectivesAdjectives

Two major functions of adjectives:Attributive:

a HOT daysome NEW DVDsthis EXCELLENT playLONELY people

Predicative:

It’s HOT.These look NEW.I found it EXCELLENT.They seem LONELY.

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Restricted to some functions:

Attributive-only:

the MAIN speakera MERE childthe ONLY problemmy OWN car

Never-attributive:

I’m AFRAID.She’s ASLEEP.He looks CONTENT.It’s LIABLE to flood.

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Gradability and grade

The most central adjectives are gradable:

- Modification by adverbs of degree:

V…RY good…U…TE hot…AT…ER youngT…O oldI…CR…DI…LY bad

Degree modification

Inflection for comparative and superlative grade:

? ?? ?? ?

Inflection for grade

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Non-gradable adjectives

Non-gradable:

ALPHABETICAL orderthe CHIEF difficultythe FEDERAL governmenther RIGHT eyeTHIRD place

In two different senses:

Gradable:You should be more

OPEN with us.

Non-gradable:The door is OPEN.

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The Adjective Phrase (structure)Adjective Phrase Head (adjective) + Dependents

Dependents

Complements: good AT CHESSgrateful FOR YOUR HELPeager TO HELP

ModifiersVERY badcautious TO EXCESSA BIT old

?MUCH betterglad THAT YOU LIKED ITTWO DAYS longunsure WHAT HAD HAPPENED

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Adjectives and word order

Certain adjectives mean completely different things with two different word orders:

PROPER1. Suitable for the purpose or situationONLY BEFORE NOUN:You have to have the PROPER tools for the job.That’s not the PROPER way to do it!The problem was they didn’t have a PROPER place to rehearse.

2. Understood in its most exact meaningNEVER BEFORE NOUN:Does he live in Swansea PROPER or in the suburbs?

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AdverbsAdverbsAdverbs in relation to adjectives

The majority of adverbs are derived from adjectives By adding the suffix – ly: common - ?

rare - ?

Being replaceble by ones with the –ly suffix: It’s VERY good. It’s E…TRE…ELY good.She …LW…YS wins. She FREQUENTLY wins.It’ll be over S...ON. It’ll be over SHORTLY:

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Major difference between adverbs and adjectives

FUNCTION!( Remember: adjectives can function attributively or

predicatively)

Adverbs function as Modifier.

Verb: She SPOKE clearly.Adjective: It’s a remarkably GOOD play.Adverb: He spoke virtually INAUDIBLY. Determinative: Nearly ALL copies were sold.Prep phrase: She is completely IN CONTROL.Rest of clause: Surprisingly EVERYONE AGREED.

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The adverb phrase (structure)

- Complements:

Luckily for me, it rained.We handled it similarly to the

others.

- Modifiers:

She sang very well.It won’t end that soon.We left a bit late.

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PrepositionsPrepositionsMeanings concerned with relations in TIME and SPACE

AFTER lunchAT schoolBEFORE the endIN the gardenON the deskOFF the bridge

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Function of prepositions

Prepositions function as HEAD in preposition phrases.

Preposition phrases function as DEPENDENT (Complement or Modifier) to any of the four major parts of speech:

Preposition phrase dependent on:

Verb: She WENT to London. – They ARE in the garden.

Noun: He’s a MAN of principle. – It’s on the WAY to Paris.

Adjective: She’s INTERESTED in politics. – I’m RESPONSIBLE for them.

Adverb: LUCKILY for me, no-one knew. – I saw her LATER in the day.

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Complements of prepositions

Preposition phrase:He emerged [from under the bed].

I’ll stay [until after lunch].

Adjective phrase:That strikes me [as unfair].

I took him [for dead].

Adverb phrase:I didn’t know [until recently].

I can’t stay [for long].

Clause:It depends [on what she says].

I told her [before she left].

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Preposition stranding- Characteristic of relatively INFORMAL style- Grammatically CORRECT

What are you looking at?

It’s something [which I can do without].

This is the book [I was referring to].

He went to the same school as [I went to].

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„Pied Piping”• Named after the Pied Piper of Hamelin-More formal register-Most visible in cases of WH-fronting of information questions and relative clauses-A given focused expression takes an entire phrase with it when it’s „moved”

She bought the red house. Which house did she buy?

She is ten years old. How old is she?

John left the scene very slowly. ?

Fred spoke with Susan. ?

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Thank you for your kind attention!Have a nice rest of the Friday evening! (: