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INTRODUCTION
adjectives and adverbs belong to lexical words
common in all registers (academic, fiction, conversational, media, scientific)
adjectives more common in prose than in conversation
adverbs more common in conversation and fiction
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ADJECTIVES
Definition:
Adjectives are words that modify nouns and pronouns, i.e. provide additional information
about the qualities of things, people and abstractions
ADJECTIVES: MEANINGS
Descriptors
Classifiers
additional, chief,
entire, final, various,
top, primary, similar...
affiliative (national or
social group)
American, Chinese,
Christian, United...
judgement/emotions/
emphasis
topical
miscellaneous
chemical, industrial,
commercial, phonetic,
medical
color
size/quantity/extent
chronology/age/
frequency
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Predicative
Claires car seems new.
The night was dark.
This coffee tastes good.
Examples
The very/particular/same/exact
man I was seeking
the main/prime/principal/chief
concern
the lawful/rightful/legal/true
heir
a medical doctor
an atomic physicist
a reserve officer
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Examples
The boy is asleep.
The float is adrift.
Mary feels faint.
She is not well.
Jane is fine.
Hes bound for China.
Debbie seems inclined to agree.
He seems upset.
I am so sorry.
Were very glad to have you here.
- health adjectives
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John is an old friend of mine. (=Ive known him for a long time)
My friend, John, is very old. (= belonging to a group of elderly citizens)
Example 2:
5. exclamations in conversation:
Excellent! Oh dear!
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ADJECTIVES: CHARACTERISTICS
Certain characteristics are typical of adjectives, but not all adjectives have
them
central adjectives have all the characteristics listed below
peripheral adjectives have some, but not all of those characteristics
Defining characteristics:
morphological inflections for comparative (-er) and superlative (-est) degree
syntactic attributive (preceding a noun) and predicative (following a linking/copular
verb) syntactic roles
semantic central adjectives are descriptive (characterize the referent of the nominal
expression) and gradable (show different degrees of a quality)
ADJECTIVE FORMATION
1. derivational affixes
2. adjectival compounds
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emotion:
Interested people can sign up for the class. (= The people feel interest in the subject)
We were amused by Toms story.
a present participle modifies a noun that is the source (agent or cause) of the feeling or
emotion:
Interesting people will speak during the class. (= People cause others to feel interest)
Tom told us an amusing story.
Opinion
those
beautiful
Physical description
Size Age
Lees
several
Shape Color
houses
long
delicious
her
Religion
new
my
a
Origin
blue
silk
evening gown
oak
writing
French
big
old
meal
English
oldfashioned
Catholic
little
round
desk
teacher
marble
coffee
tables
in general, the modifier closest to the noun has the closest association with the noun:
two excellent public tennis courts the word tennis is closely associated with courts, whereas excellent
does not have such a clear connection with courts
the ordering rules are not absolute, and the order can sometimes be different
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if two adjectives are used predicatively, they must be separated with and:
He is always bright and cheerful.
if there are more than two adjectives, the last two adjectives are separated with
and, and the preceding adjectives with a comma:
The new teacher is committed, enthusiastic and hard-working.
ADVERBS
Definition:
Adverbs are words that add meaning to verbs, adjectives and other adverbs
most common use of adverbs is verb modification - adding information about the
circumstances in which the action/state expressed by the verb takes place
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ADVERBS: MEANINGS
Category
Expresses:
Example:
place
time
manner
Expresses:
Example:
degree
amplifiers/intensifiers:
Our dentist is very good.
Shes helped me so generously when I needed it
the most.
Jen is a totally different person now.
downtoners/diminishers:
My glass is almost empty.
The movie was somewhat boring.
Im slightly disappointed with how it turned out.
focusing
additive:
Oh, hes a great guy, too.
It also illustrates the need for...
restrictive:
Only those who are here get a plus.
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Expresses:
Example:
stance
linking
surprisingly, unfortunately...
sincerely, frankly, honestly, simply...
Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and
permanent, in the ideas of living.
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To tell John what I really think about his parents was strangely pleasing.
Strangely, Martha didnt react to the news at all.
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Its importance has often been recognized since then. Im seeing all this from above.
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ADVERB FORMATION
1. simple not derived from other words: too, well, quite, soon
often the same form can be used as a different part of speech: fast (adv./adj.), down
(adv./prep.)
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SOURCES
Biber, D. , Conrad, S. & Leech, G. (2002). Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written
English. Pearson Education Limited: Harlow, Essex, UK
Greenbaum, S. & Quirk, R. (2000). A Students Grammar of the English Language. Pearson
Education Limited: Harlow, Essex, UK
Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (2013). A communicative grammar of English. Routledge.
Walker, E. & Elsworth, S. (2000). Grammar Practice for Upper Intermediate Students. Pearson
Education Limited: Harlow, Essex, UK
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