| ENGLISH GRAMMAR for Spanish Speakers |
4. QUALIFYING ADJECTIVES
1. Introduction
*
Adjectives ·
Determiners
·
Qualifiers
2. Attributives and Predicatives
*
Attributives: when they are placed before the noun
* Predicatives: when they are placed after the noun
3. The position of Qualifying Adjectives
*
Attributively: in front of the noun that they are qualifying
* If there is more than one adjective
·
Coordinating relation > separated by comma: A tall thin boy
> joined by and: A tall and thin boy
·
Subordinating relation > one the adjective forms part of the noun: A kind old man
> the other adjective qualifies both elements: A large black cat
*
Order: the material from which something is made will be placed immediately in front of the noun, preceded by its
colour which in turn will be preceded by its size, etc.: A small brown leather purse [colour, made of, size]
*
Exception of placement of attribute adjectives
1.
Two adjectives joined by the conjunction and are sometimes placed after the noun being qualified:
A
man good and honest
2. In a few set expressions, which are loan translation from French:
Court martial (consejo de guerra)
3. In compound with thing, one and body
ŕ something new
4. If the adjective is modified by another word or phrase, it is usual to place it after the noun:
A
man conscious of his importance.
5. If the adjective is preceded by too, as or rather,
both constructions are possible:
Too
difficult a thing to do = A thing too difficult to do
6. Sometimes the change of position involves a change of meaning: The
present members/the members present
4. Predicative Adjectives
* Adjectives used predicatively are placed after the link or copula
5. Adjectives which are usually only used Attributively or Predicatively
Attributively |
Predicatively |
|
former |
content |
6. Adjectives which change their meaning according to whether they are used Attributively or Predicatively
Attributive |
Predicative |
|
glad (alegre) |
(contento) |
7. Other words which can function as adjectives
* Participles ending in –in and passive participles can also function as adjectives: an amusing story / a broken bottle
8. The nominalization of adjectives
*
Adjectives can operate as nouns preceded by the
1. Generic plural ŕ
the blind / the poor (los ciegos / los pobres)
2. Neuter singular (rare) ŕ
the unknown (lo desconocido)
Sometimes superlatives can have this value ŕ
I only by the best
9. The formation of adjectives
*
Primary words (not derived from any other words) ŕ hot, long...
*
Derived from other words
1. From nouns: hope -> hopeful
2. From other adjectives: full -> fulsome / comic -> comical
3. From verbs: ease -> easeless (incesante)
4. From adverbs: in -> inner
Compound adjectives
*
They can be formed in various ways:
1. Noun + adjective: sky-blue; snow-white
2. Noun + particle: crest-fallen (cabizbajo)
3. Noun + form in -ing: water-drinking (que bebe agua)
4.
Adjective + adjective ŕ
red-hot (al rojo vivo)
5. Adjective + past participle: high-born (de alta cuna)
6. Adjective / adverb + noun + ending -ed: blue-eyed (de ojos azules)
7. Adjective + form in -ing: dirty-looking (de aspecto sucio)
8. Adverb + past participle: so-colled (llamado)
9. Adverb + form in -ing: hard-working (trabajador)
10. Comparison of adjectives
1. Degrees of Comparison
|
1. Absolute |
quality at its simplest level |
||
|
2. Comparative |
quality in a higher degree, comparing two things |
||
|
3. Superlative |
quality in its highest degree, comparing several things |
||
|
making a comparison |
He`s the best man in the world / The best of his books It's most interesting / He's a very good man. |
||
2. Types of Comparison
1. Equality: by inserting the absolute form of the adjective in the structure as
... as / not as ... as / not so ... as
* After athe secons as, the
following forms are acceptable:
1. the subject pronoun ŕ
He is as tall as she
2. the object pronoun ŕ
He is as tall as her
3. the subject pronoun with the auxiliary verb ŕ He is as tall as she is
* Without nouns: - as much ... as, for uncountable
- as many ... as, for countable
2. Inferiority: by inserting the absolute form of the adjective in the structure less ... than
3. Superiority: with the comparative degree of the adjective followed by than
3. Formation of the comparatives and superlatives of adjectives
* Two ways
|
1. by adding the suffix |
- er (for
comparatives) |
|
2. by placing in front of the absolute form |
- more (comparatives) |
* When they use either or both methods
a) With suffix -er / -est
1. Monosyllables: tall --> taller
Except: *real,
right, wrong
* for
stylistic reasons
2. Words of two syllables ending in -y, -er, -le, -ow:
happy --> happier
Except: *
eager, subtle, fragile, docile
3. Words of two syllables having the stress in the first syllable: polite --> politer
4. Other two syllable words with the stress in the first syllable: quit, handsome
* In fact, the use of more and most is becoming more and more common.
b) All adjectives not included in the previous section and all
polysyllabic words
4. Changes in Spelling
1. Adjectives ending in -e, only +r / +st: nice -->
nicier / niciest
2. Adjectives ending in -y * consonant + y ŕ -ier
/ -iest: easy -->
easier / easiest
*
vowel + y ŕ -yer / -yst ŕ grey
ŕ greyer / greyest
Exceptions: shy, sly, spry, wry (the two possibilities): shy
--> shyer / shyest (also shier /shiest)
3. Adjectives ending in a single short vowel + single consonant, double the consonant: big
-->
bigger
5. Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
* The following adjectives are irregular
|
good |
better |
best |
|
bad |
worse |
worst |
|
little |
lesslesser (literary) |
least |
|
much (count) |
more |
most |
|
many (uncount) |
more |
most |
* The next three have two comparatives and two superlatives
|
late |
later |
latest (más tarde / el más reciente) |
|
old |
older |
oldest (más viejo / el más viejo) |
|
far |
farther |
farthest (más lejos in space and time / el / lo más lejanofurthest (also used in the sense of additional) |
6. Idiomatic constructions with the comparatives
1. Two consecutive comparatives joined by and are translated by cada vez más:
smaller and smaller
2. Two consecutive comparatives preceded by the are translated by cuanto más ... más:
the sooner the better
7. Adjectives which have no comparative form
a) time: annual, monthly
b) materials: wooden
c) shape: square, round
d) qualities in the highest degree: perfect, eternal
There is no grammatical reason, only semantic
11. Functions of the adjectives
1.
It can qualify the noun attributively or predicatively: a white horse / the horse is white
Predicatively * as the complement of the subject: the horse is white
* as the complement of the direct object: he put the cloth straight
2.
It can act as a noun: the poor
3.
It can be used in absolute constructions: Nervous, the man opened the door
4.
It can be a complete exclamative sentence ŕ
Excellent!