Seminar 4

Theoretical questions to be discussed

1. The adjective. General characteristics.

Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns and pronouns by providing additional information about their qualities, characteristics, or attributes. They can denote qualities such as size, color, shape, age, origin, material, or condition. Adjectives can be placed before or after the noun they modify, depending on the language and context. In English, the typical order of adjectives before a noun is opinion/quality, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, and purpose. Adjectives can also be used predicatively, following linking verbs, to describe the subject of the sentence.

2. Substantivization of adjectives. Adjectivization of nouns

Substantivization of adjectives refers to the process of turning an adjective into a noun, typically to denote a person or thing possessing the quality described by the adjective. This is often achieved by adding an article or another determiner before the adjective, turning it into a noun phrase. For example, "the poor" refers to impoverished people. Adjectivization of nouns, on the other hand, involves using a noun as an adjective to modify another noun. This process often occurs to specify the type or origin of the noun being modified. For instance, "a city bus" indicates a bus that operates within a city.

3. The adverb. General characteristics.

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or entire clauses by providing additional information about time, manner, place, degree, frequency, or certainty. They answer questions such as how, when, where, how much, or to what extent. Adverbs can be single words or phrases, and they can appear before or after the word they modify. In English, adverbs are often formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to adjectives, although many adverbs do not follow this pattern.

4. Degrees of comparison (adjectives, adverbs).

Degrees of comparison refer to the different forms of adjectives and adverbs used to indicate varying levels of a quality or attribute. Adjectives and adverbs have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive degree is the basic form of the adjective or adverb, used to simply describe a quality without making a comparison. The comparative degree is used to compare two things or people, indicating that one has more or less of a quality than the other. The superlative degree is used to compare three or more things or people, indicating that one has the highest or lowest degree of a quality among all others.

5. The problem of statives.

Statives are verbs that express a state or condition rather than an action. They describe situations, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, or states of being rather than dynamic actions. Statives are often used to convey mental or emotional states, possession, senses, or states of existence. The problem with statives arises in certain contexts where they may be used incorrectly or awkwardly, particularly in progressive or continuous forms. Some statives are not typically used in progressive forms due to their inherent nature as states rather than ongoing actions. This can lead to confusion or ambiguity in communication if the wrong form is used.