INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH PHRASES 20151 1 ATTRIBUTIVE Premodifying nouns The beautiful painting His main argument M y former friend These are all examples of noun phrases ID: 721053
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Slide1
Syntactic Functions of Adjectives
INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH PHRASES
2015.1Slide2
(1) ATTRIBUTIVE (Pre-modifying nouns)
The
beautiful
painting.
His
main
argument.
M
y
former
friend.
These
are all examples of
noun phrases
that include an
adjective phrase
. In these cases, the adjective phrases are only the adjectives themselves, for the words that come in front of them are
not
adverbs.
Slide3
(2) PREDICATIVE
(They come after a linking verb “be”, “become”, etc
.–in the predicative
function: complement of the subject or of the object)
E.g.:
[I] feel
awfu
l. (complement of the subject)
I consider [him]
foolish
. (complement of the object)
[That he needs it] is
obvious
. (complement of the subject, in this case, a subject clause)Slide4
(
3) POST-MODIFIER
E.g.:
The people (who were)
involved
were reported to the police.
(Post-modifier: Reduced
wh-
clause)
The men (who were)
present
were his supporters.
(Post-modifier: Reduced
wh- clause
)
Anyone
intelligent
can do it.
I want to try something
larger
.
(Adjectives
after
indefinite pronouns)
Slide5
(4) HEAD OF A NOUN PHRASE
(Adjectives as nouns of a noun phrase. Often adjectives denoting nationalities or with abstract references)
The
rich
will help the
poo
r
.
He’s acceptable to both
old
and
young
.
You
British
and you
French
ought to be allies.Slide6
(5) VERBLESS ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
(It generally refers to the subject)
E.g
.:
Nervous
, the man opened the letter
.
The man, (who was)
nervous
, opened the letter
.Slide7
(6) EXCLAMATORY ADJECTIVE SENTENCE
E.g.:
How good of you!
How wonderful!
Excellent!