Topic 8
grammar
grammar
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Flashcards
Adjctive Phrase
- Semantic: add extra information, express property/attribute of a noun
- Morphological:
- Suffixes: -al, -ous, -ic,…
- Adverb formation with –ly
- Comparative/superlative: -er/more, -est/most
- Syntactic:
- head of an AdjP can be modified (gradable) à very careful
- Attributive use:
This sensual fragrance is for men.
- Predicative use (adj. linked to noun):
This food is/tastes/smells good. I feel ill. The transaction sounds legal.
- use of copular verbs
- Postpositive use (fixed lexical expressions):
The people present voted against the Chairman.
Structure of the Adjective Phrase
- consists of an adjective alone or an adjective accompanied by one or more dependents
- 2 types of dependents complements and modifiers
-> complements: controlled by the head word, normally not omissible, e.g.: afraid of the dark, keen on skiing
-> modifiers: always optional, Adjp modifiers express degree, Post or pre- head modifiers
The Adverb Phrase
- Semantic: manner (clumsily, neatly), place (here, outside), direction (aside, away, home), time (never, once, then), etc.
- Morphological: clumsily, Northwards, clockwise,…
- Syntactic:
- Circumstantial Adverb: modify verb
He walked clumsily. - Degree Adverbs: modify adjective/adverb
He walked quite steadily. (adv)
The train is terribly slow. (adj)
- Sentence Adverbs( Peripheral dependents): modify entire sentences, express modality
- Fortunately, everything was okay.
- However, we will ignore the matter for now.
Structure of Adverb Phrase
- Headed by adverbs
- premodifiers and postmodifiers possible
- complements very rare, always pp
Prepositions
- Semantic
-> Expresses relationship between two different objects/spaces
-> temporal preositions
- Morphological
-> simple= one word
-> complex: more words
- Syntactic
-> Functions as heads in PPs
-> Normally in front of NP
Preposition vs. Adverb
He came across the bridge. à Preposition
He came across. à Adverb, but not central since cannot modify Adj. Or Adv.
Preposition vs. Particle (sub-class of Adverb à Phrasal Verb: make up, turn on):
- Intransitive Phrasal Verb: Mary came to.
- Transitive Phrasal Verb: He turned off the light.
Compare: He turned off the main road. = Preposition
Distinction tests:
Re-ordering -> J Particle
Fronting -> J Preposition
Preposition vs. Subordinators
Preposition:
You have to register before May. After 10 o’clock. It’s been lovely since Easter.
-> introduces a NP
Subordinator:
You have to register before they print it. After I went to bed, they went out. It’s been lovely since Mary was born.
->introduces entire clause
Gradience of word classes
“very good” members of a word class = can be used in all of the possible categories for
Main (lexical) Verb vs. Modal Verb
ing form: Present Participle vs. Gerund:
Present Participle: They have been shopping all day. (Verb)
I can’t find my shopping bag. (Adj)
This is an interesting problem. (Adj)
We are interesting them in the problem. (Verb)
She is calculating. (Adj./Verb)
Gerund: Shopping ca be quite addictive. (Noun)
She abhors killing. (Verb? Noun? à indeterminate!!)
She abhors the killing of animals. (N)
She thinks the killings must stop. (N)
-en form: Past Participle
The vase was broken by Tim. (verbal passive)
The vase was already broken. (adjectival passive)
The vase was broken. (ambiguous: verbal/adjectival passive)