25/2/2016 UEfAP Grammar: Introduction Adjectives UEfAP Grammar: Introduction Adjectives Grammar in EAP Adjectives & Adjectival Groups Adjectives are words such as “beautiful”, “ugly”, “new” or “old”. They usually denote qualities or have a descriptive meaning. The most typical position for an adjective is between a determiner and a noun. Typical forms of adjective endings are: “able/ible”, “ish/like”, “ful/less”, “ous” or “y” Adjectives may display inflection for degree: “er” & “est”. They have two main functions: as modifiers of nouns in nominal groups, and as head of an adjectival group An adjectival group is typically a group with an adjective as its Head. That adjective is likely to be modified either before the adjective (premodification) or after the adjective (postmodification or qualification) or both. Premodifier are always adverbs "e.g. extremely, rather, too, very". Post modifiers are often adverbs, prepositional phrases or certain types of clause. For example, in the adjectival group “very difficult indeed”, “difficult” is an adjective in the head position. It is premodified by “very” and postmodified or qualified by “indeed” Adjectives and adjectival groups are commonly used in academic texts (Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad & Finegan, 1999, p. 506) Exercise Try this exercise in identifying adjectives: Grammar: Adjectives Exercise Adjectives or adjectival groups can be used either attributively (e.g. the big house) or predicatively/as complements (e.g. the house is big) Adjectival groups are commonly used attributively as pre or postmodifiers of nouns in nominal groups For example: as premodifier the constitutional aspects as postmodifier – varieties common in India, the festival proper, something different See: Attributive adjectives: Grammar: Attributive Adjectives Complex adjectival groups used as complements are common in academic writing See: Adjectival groups as complements: Grammar: Adjectival Groups as Complements Exercise http://www.uefap.net/188grammar/800grammarintroductionadjectives 1/2 25/2/2016 UEfAP Grammar: Introduction Adjectives Adverb Typical adverbs are words such as "hopefully" or "recently". However, other words, such as "now", "then", "always", "often" are also classified as adverbs. Many adverbs have the "ly" ending There are three main positions for adverbs: before the subject of the sentence, between the subject and the predicator, at the end of theclause Traditionally adverbs are divided into 5 main categories: 1. circumstantial adverbs (of time, place, manner etc) ("tomorrow, then, sooner, later, , here, there, outside, down, through, near, far, , carefully, quietly, academically, "), 2. stance adverbs ("certainly, apparently, wisely, hopefully, thankfully, ") , 3. degree adverbs ("most, least, quietly, fairly, roughly, more or less, enough, too, ", 4. focussing adverbs "just, hardly, only, even, "), 5. connective adverbs ("first, furthermore, altogether, otherwise, or rather, " Adverbs are relatively common in academic texts. According to Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad & Finegan, (1999, p. 65), approximately 10% of lexical words in academic texts are adverbs, 55% are nouns, 20% are adjectives, and 15% are verbs Adverbial Group An adverbial group is typically a group with an adverb as its head. That adverb is likely to be modified either before the adverb (premodification) or after the adverb (post modification or qualification) or both. For example, in the adjverbial group "more fluently than before", "fluently" is an adverb in the head position. It is premodified by "more" and post modified or qualified by "than before" Exercise Adjectives and adverbs are often confused: See Adjective/Adverbs: Grammar: Adjective/Adverb http://www.uefap.net/188grammar/800grammarintroductionadjectives 2/2