- •Lecture 5 topic: the adjective. The adverb. Points for discussion:
- •Is the adjective always dependent on the nouns?
- •Which grammatical categories can the adjective have in the English language?
- •Which syntactical functions can this part of speech have in a sentence
- •5.1.1. General characteristics of the adjective as a part of speech (slide )
- •5.1.2. Adjectival classifications: the main approaches to the problem
- •Some points to clarify:
- •Where lies the fallacy of semantical classifications 2 and 3?
- •Where lies the fallacy of structural classifications?
- •What principals are the adjectival classifications based on?
- •5.2. The problem of the degree of comparison. The syntactical and analytical forms. The problems of the category.
- •The main forms of the degrees of comparison
- •Some points to clarify:
- •What are the main grounds for existing the analytical forms of degrees of comparison?
- •2. Do syntactical and analytical forms of the degrees of comparison correspond to each other?
- •3. How many degrees of comparison are distinguished?
- •4. Which principals are the models of comparison based on?
- •Some points to clarify:
- •5.3. Statives as grammatical notion. The problem of statives.
- •Grounds for seeing statives as separate parts of speech
- •5.4. The main adjectival oppositions.
- •3. 6. The noun: its syntactical properties
- •Closed form
- •Hyphenated form
- •Open form
- •The ways of expressing ‘the absolute singular’
- •1. Composition
- •2. Affixation
2. Do syntactical and analytical forms of the degrees of comparison correspond to each other?
Yes, they do. The analytical comparison forms are in categorial complementary distribution with the synthetical comparison forms.
3. How many degrees of comparison are distinguished?
The whole category includes not three, but five different forms, making up the two series — respectively, direct and reverse.
4. Which principals are the models of comparison based on?
The direct model of comparison based on the principle of addition of qualitative quantities than on the reverse model of comparison based on the principle of subtraction of qualitative quantities, since subtraction in general is a far more abstract process of mental activity than addition.
The problems connecting with the degrees of comparison
№ |
PHENOMENON |
PROBLEM |
ARGUMENTS CONTRA |
1. |
the basic form of the adjective (positive degree) |
It doesn’t include any index of comparison. The degrees oа comparison should be reduced to two forms comparative and superlative. |
|
2. |
«more/ the most + adjectives» |
are more free combinations than the degrees of comparison because
1) they have lexical meanings; 2) they have opposite word-combinations (less, the least+adj) which also (in this case!) can be seen as the degree of comparison . What will contradict the syntactical forms having no reducing meanings.
3) the most-combination, unlike the synthetic superlative, can take the indefinite article(a most ) expressing not the superlative, but the elative meaning (a lexical intensifier) If take this as analytical form, any combination adv+adj should be seen as analytical form as well. And the latters can be seen but free combinations. (e.g. a most important point, a very important point, an extremely important point.
4) combination more and more +adj where doubled more is used to increase the expressiveness of the phrase
5) they have syntactical significance: keeping the adverbial relations with the adjective e.g. more attractive (how?)
|
|
Some points to clarify:
What makes us see the positive degree as the basic form of degree of comparison ?
1) having no grammatical index the basic form creates the corresponding grammatical opposition.
2) the basic form does express this categorial idea semantically, being included in comparative syntactic constructions of equality ( to be as..as; not to be so…as)
Why more (the most) + adjectives should be seen as the analytical forms of the degree of comparison but not as free combinations?
from the grammatical point of view, the formula "opposite meaning" amounts to ascertaining the categorial equality of the forms compared. Thus, the less/least-combinations, similar to the more/most-combinations, constitute specific forms of comparison, which may be called forms of "reverse comparison".
the synthetical superlative degree, as is known, can be used in the elative function as well, the distinguishing feature of the latter being its exclusion from a comparison. (Unfortunately, our cooperation with Danny proved the worst experience for both of us) That was a last decision of his
combination the sooner, the better
happier(how?)