Test study

Question 1

Adjectives

Answer 1

• Function of adjectives:
– Function as heads of adjective phrases and can therefore be modified by adverb phrases, like very or much.
• Functions of adjective phrases:
– Modify nouns (the attributive function)
– Function as predicative (the predicative function)
• Most adjectives satisfy all three criteria:
– His daughter is very beautiful. (modified by adverb phrase)
– His beautiful daughter… (attributive)
– His daughter is beautiful. (predicative)

Question 2

Attributive-only adjectives

Answer 2

• Some adjectives only occur in attributive function

– mere

– former

– main

Our picture becomes a mere organization of color masses.

*This organization of color masses is mere.

We met with the former President.

*The President was former.

Question 3

Predicative-only adjectives

Answer 3

• Some adjectives only occur in predicative function:

– afraid

– asleep

– alone

– …and many others in a- (which used to be a preposition,

an ’in, on’, in Middle English)

Bill is afraid of snakes.

*The afraid boy stayed with his father.

Bill is asleep.

*The asleep boy had to be carried to his bed.

Question 4

Adjective or Verb?

Answer 4

Test 1
• Modification by very is only possible with adjectives:

some very disturbing news *a very sleeping child
The news was very disturbing. *The child was very sleeping.
his very worried parents *this very heard symphony
His parents were very worried. *The symphony was very heard.
• Verbs take much as a degree modifier:
– I was very annoyed at her behavior. (Adjective)
– His art was much admired for its colouring. (Verb)

Test 2

• Adjectives can function as predicative complement.
• The linking verb be is no good as a test, since it may be followed by verbal participles, as well as adjectives. Luckily, there are other verbs that take predicatives, e.g. seem, make, become:
– The news seemed disturbing.
– *The child seemed sleeping.
– His parents seemed (very) worried.
– *The symphony seemed rarely heard.
– The news made me worried. (Object predicative)
– *The ad campaign made the concert much heard.

Question 5

Adjectives vs adverbs

Answer 5

• Old news:
– Adjectives (APs, really) modify nouns and function as (predicative) complement

– Adverbs (AdvPs, really) modify:
• adjectives
• adverbs
• PPs
• NPs
• …
• or function as adverbials (”modify verbs” – but that’s not always what adverbials do)

Examples:

_Adjectives _

• He’s a close friend.
• This is hard work.
• the right answer
• the wrong answer
• the daily newspaper
• This poison is deadly.
• The wound is deep.

Adverbs

Don’t stand so close.

He works hard.

Do it right now/away!

right under his nose

You guessed wrong.

It arrives daily.

It’s deadly poisounous.

He dug deep.

It cut deep into my heart.