ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

ADJECTIVES (ADJ): Adjective means added to. An adjective is a word that modifies or
qualifies a noun or noun phrase or pronoun, in one of three forms of comparative degree:
positive (strong), comparative (stronger) or superlative (strongest).
SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS OF ADJECTIVES
I. Attributive adjectives appear between the determiner and the head of a noun phrase. e.g.
the old man, the blue sea etc
II. Predicative adjectives do not occur immediately after the noun; instead, they come after
a verb. e.g. The man is old. The sea is blue. etc Predicative adjectives can function as
i. Subject Complement e.g. Your daughter is pretty.
ii. Object complement e.g. He made her happy.
iii. Complement to a Subject Clause e.g. whether he will resign is uncertain.
iv. Complement to Object Clause e.g. I consider what she did improper.
III. Post Positive adjectives follow the noun (indefinite pronoun) it modifies. e.g. something
useful, every one present etc In many institutionalised expressions (title and legal terms),
the adjective is post positioned. e.g. the Governor General, the President Elect, the
Princess Royal etc Postpositive adjectives are commonly found together with superlative
attributive adjectives. e.g. the shortest route possible, the worst condition imaginable, the
best hotel available etc
IV. Adjective as Head of a Noun Phrase: When adjectives function as head of a noun
phrase, they do not inflect for number or for genitive case and they take a determiner (the)
e.g. the poor, the rich etc
SYNTACTIC SUB CLASSIFICATION OF ADJECTIVES
I. Inherent Adjectives characterize the referent of the noun directly. e.g. a wooden table.
Inherent can be both attribute as well as Inherent Non-inherent
predicative adjectives. Distant hills Distant relatives
II. Non-inherent Adjectives do not characterize A complete chapter A complete idiot
the referent of the noun directly. e.g. a wooden A heavy burden A heavy smoker
actor etc. Non-inherent can be either attributive
only or predicative only adjectives.
SEMANTIC SUB CLASSIFICATION OF ADJECTIVES
I. Stative Adjectives denote a state or condition, which may generally be considered
permanent such as big, red etc. Stative adjective cannot be used in imperative
construction. e.g. He is being tall.
II. Dynamic adjectives denote attributes, or actions that are under the control of the one
who possess them. They can be used in imperative constructions. e.g. He is being foolish,
Don’t be foolish, Some other dynamic adjectives are: Brave, calm, good, greedy, rude etc.
Gradable/non-gradable: Most adjectives are gradable as they can be modified by adverbs
which convey the degree of intensity of the adjectives. e.g. Very simple, So sad, Extremely
harmful
All dynamic adjectives are gradable. Most stative adjectives (tall, old) are gradable, but some
are non-gradable such as technical adjectives. e.g. atomic, scientific, mechanical engineer.
Gradability includes comparison there are three degrees of comparison.
Positive or absolute e.g. (tall), comparative, e.g.(taller), superlative, e.g. (tallest).

ADVERB (ADV): An adverb is a word that modifies a verb (He walked slowly.), an adjective (a very good
book), or another adverb (He walked very slowly.). Adverbs may indicate place or direction (where,
whence), time (ever, immediately), degree (very, almost), manner (thus, and words ending in –ly, such as
wisely), and belief or doubt (perhaps, no). Like adjectives, they too may be comparative (wisely, more
wisely, most wisely).

1
 SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS OF ADVERB: An adverb may have following two syntactic functions.
I. Adverbial: An adverb may function as adverbial i.e. one of the five basic elements [S,V,C,O,A]. There
are three classes of adverbials;
i. Adjuncts are integrated within the structure of the clause. e.g. She arrived late., We shall now
change it.
ii. Semantically, Disjuncts express an evaluation of what is being said with respect to its form or
content. e.g. Certainly you are wrong., Unfortunately everyone was absent.
iii. Conjuncts have connective function by indicating the connection between what is being said and
what was said before. e.g. He is poor, yet he is honest
II. Adverb as Modifier
Modifier of adjective: Mostly intensifies or pre-modifies adjectives. e.g. I am so sorry., etc. However, the
adverb enough post-modifies the adjective. e.g. The hill is high enough to climb.
Modifier of adverb: As modifier of another adverb, it functions as intensifier. e.g. She was informed well
in time. Adverb enough is again a post-modifier. She pretended cleverly enough.
Modifier of prepositional phrase: A few adverbs pre-modify prepositions or prepositional phrases. e.g.
The bullet went right enough through the head.
Modifier of determiner: Intensifying adverbs can pre-modify indefinite pronouns, pre-determiners and
cardinal numbers. e.g. Nearly everyone attended the function., I waited about a month for your letter., I paid
over five hundred rupees. etc
Modifier of noun phrase: A few intensifiers like quite, rather and exclamatory what can premodify noun-
phrases. e.g. She was quite a genius., What a beautiful flower it is!
SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION OF ADVERB
Semantically adverbs may be divided into following classes:
Adverbs of time: Signify when e.g. I heart my knee yesterday., Wasted time never returns.
Adverbs of frequency: Signify how often e.g. He always speaks the truth., She often comes to see me.
Adverbs of place: Show where e.g. Look here., Come in
Adverb of manner: Show how or in what manner. e.g. She writers neatly., The boy ran fast
Adverbs of degree or quantity: Show how much or in what degree or to what extent. e.g. She is too
careless., These apples are almost rotten., We are fully prepared.
Adverbs of affirmation and negation: e.g. Surely you are confused. I do not know her.
Adverbs of reason: e.g. He therefore left his home.
COMPARISON OF ADVERBS: Some adverbs like adjective have three degrees of comparison and are
generally compared like adjectives.
Positive or absolute: When no comparison is made e.g. Fast, kindly
Comparative: For comparison between two e.g. Faster/ more kindly
Superlative: For comparison of more than two e.g. Fastest/ most kindly
Inflection of Adverbs for Comparison: If the adverb is of one syllable the comparison is formed by adding
-er and superlative by adding -est to the positive; as hard-harder-hardest; soon-sooner-soonest
Adverbs ending in -ly form comparative and superlative by pre-modifying it with more and most
respectively. e.g. swiftly, more swiftly, most swiftly etc