Download Adjectives and Adjective Phrases

ADJECTIVES AND ADJECTIVE PHRASES
Adjectives are modifiers. They can be formed into
phrases – called adjective phrases – that modify nouns.
Remember that the definition of a noun phrase is a noun
and its modifiers – so an adjective phrase can
definitely be part of a noun phrase!
FORM OF ADJECTIVES
*Many adjectives in English end in easily identifiable
suffixes that help us to know that the word is an
adjective. However, please note that these same
suffixes can also be the endings of nouns in many
cases! Thus, the form of an adjective is not a failproof test for an adjective.
*** -ive
extensive(adj)
selective(adj)
(BUT ALSO:
directive (noun))
*** -en
woolen (adj)
wooden (adj)
(BUT ALSO:
garden (noun))
***-ic
heroic (adj)
poetic (adj)
***-al
financial (adj)
manual (adj)
(BUT ALSO:
recessional (noun))
***-able
portable (adj)
pleasurable (adj)
(BUT ALSO:
table (noun))
***-y
hairy (adj)
rainy (adj)
(BUT ALSO:
lady (noun))
***- (o)us
mysterious (adj)
ridiculous (adj)
****-ful
hopeful (adj)
beautiful (adj)
*** -less
powerless (adj)
homeless(adj)
NOTE: IT IS A SERIOUS MISTAKE TO RELY EXCLUSIVELY ON
THE FORM OF THE WORD TO TELL YOU IF IT IS AN ADJECTIVE.
POSITION AND FUNCTION ARE FAR MORE USEFUL IN
DETERMINING WHETHER A WORD IS AN ADJECTIVE.
Marine turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles that
inhabit tropical and subtropical seas throughout the
world.
Their shells consist of an upper carapace and a lower
plastron.
Hard scales cover all but the leatherback.
The number and arrangement of these scales can be used
to determine the species.
Marine turtles do not have teeth, but their jaws have
modified "beaks" suited to their particular diet.
They do not have visible ears but have eardrums with
skin.
They hear at low frequencies, and their sense of smell
is excellent.
Their vision underwater is good, but they are
nearsighted when they are on land.
Their streamlined bodies and large flippers make them
remarkably adapted to life at sea.
However, marine turtles maintain close ties to land.
Pregnant females must come ashore to lay their eggs in
the sand.
Therefore, all marine turtles begin their lives as tiny
hatchlings on land.
Research on marine turtles has uncovered many facts
about these ancient creatures.
Most of this research has been focused on nesting
females and hatchlings.
Thousands of marine turtles around the world have been
tagged to help collect information about their growth,
reproductive cycles and routes.
ABOUT ADJECTIVES
One way of talking about adjectives is to describe
their position. MOST adjectives are attributive. That
means they come BEFORE the noun they modify.
Example: Male marine turtles do not return to shore
once they hatch.
But some adjectives are postpositive – which means
they come AFTER the nouns they modify.
Example: The president elect has made marine
turtles a major part of his agenda.
And when the head of the noun phrase is an indefinite
pronoun (example: everybody), the adjectives move
to the post-modifying position.
Example: The coordinator told everybody new to
move to the center of the room.
ABOUT ADJECTIVES AND THE PREDICATE
Very important definition: A predicate is a verb
phrase and all its modifiers, complements, and
objects.
Adjective phrases often appear as complements.
There are two major types of complements –
Subject complements and Object complements.
A subject complement happens when the adjective
phrase follows a “linking” verb. The adjective phrase
modifies the subject of that verb. There aren’t many
linking verbs in English: be, appear, become, stay,
look, feel, grow (meaning become), remain, sound,
and taste are the more common ones.
Examples: The food is tasty. The food appears tasty. The
food became tasty. The food stayed tasty. The food looked
tasty. The food tasted tasty. The woman felt tired. The
woman grew tired. The woman remained tired. The
woman sounded tired. The woman sounded tired.
An object complement is an adjective phrase that
describes/qualifies the direct object.
Example: The pollution made the turtle ill.
ABOUT ADJECTIVES WITH COMPLEMENTS
Some adjectives (like some verbs) “trigger” complements
that are then followed by objects.
Examples:
afraid of
interested in
aware of
serious about
If an adjective is used with a complement, it can not be
attributive.
Thus, you can say:
The interested man answered my ad.
The man appeared interested in my ad.
The man interested in my ad called me for more
information.
BUT NOT:
The interested in my ad man called me.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE QUESTION
Their vision underwater is good.
1. What type of word is “underwater” in this sentence?