GRAMMATICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITATIVE ADJECTIVES

1) They have certain typical suffixes, such as -ful, -less,

-ous, -ent, -able, -y,-ish:careful, careless, dangerous, convenient, comfortable, silvery, shortish.

2) From most of them adverbs can be formed by the suffix-ly:gay – gaily, dangerous – dangerously.

Some qualitative adjectives are homonymous in form with the adverbs:

fast – fast.

3) Most qualitative adjectives have degrees of comparison:

big - bigger - (the) biggest, careless - more careless - (the) most careless.

Some qualitative adjectives such as greenish, chief, principal, incurable, have degrees of comparison.

4) Most qualitative adjectives can be used as attributes and predicatives.

- The young man was introduced (attribute)

- He was rich (predicative)

GRAMMATICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RELATIVE ADJECTIVES

1) They have certain typical suffixes, such as -en, -ist, -an, -to, -cal:wooden,Italian, socialist, synthetic, analytical.

2) They do not form adverbs with the suffix -ly.

3) They have no degrees of comparison.

4) They are chiefly used as attributes, though can be used as predicatives:

- A monthly group meeting (attribute);

- The morning was windy (predicative).

In English the number of relative adjectives is limited.

A few relative adjectives are formed from nouns by means of the suffix -en(wooden); some relative adjectives are formed from nouns by the suffix -ly(daily); many relative adjectives are converted from nouns (silk, gold). Adjectivized nouns are also used with the meaning of relative adjectives: a summer day, the Hanoi’s theatres.

It must be pointed out that no hard and fast line of demarcation exists between relative and qualitative adjectives.

A relative adjective may acquire the meaning of a qualitative one.

- A silver watch (relative). A silver stream (qualitative).

Note. – The use of the forms in –en:when the relative adjectives sold, flax, wax, silk acquire qualitative meanings:

A gold chain A wax candle A silk dress

(relative) (relative) (relative)

Golden hair Waxen cheeks Silken hair

(relative) (qualitative) (qualitative)

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
PART IV THE ADJECTIVE	\|	DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Не знайшли потрібну інформацію? Скористайтесь пошуком google:

Генерація сторінки за: 0.004 сек.