Introduction

The function of adjectives is, typically, to add extra information to a noun phrase, while adverbs, very generally, expand on the information conveyed in the verb phrase. These definitions are necessarily vague: this unit explores some of the features of these two important word classes.

Tasks

1 Adjectives

• a Identify the adjectives in this text:

• Developing the grammar of a foreign language is a long and complicated process; luckily, young learners have a long time ahead of them with the language. There is no need to rush into technical rules and labels that will confuse. For their ultimate success, it seems likely to be far better to give children a sound basis in using the language […]

• Young learners need to be surrounded by and participate in meaningful discourse in the foreign language, and it would not be conceptually appropriate for grammar to be explicitly taught as formal, explicit rules in young learner classrooms to children under the age of 8 or 9 years. […] As children get older, so they are increasingly able to learn from more formal instruction, but we should remember that grammar teaching can often destroy motivation and puzzle children rather than enlighten them. Good learning-centred grammar teaching will be meaningful and interesting, require active participation from learners, and will work with how children learn and what they are capable of learning.

• (Cameron 2001)

• b Can you identify any common adjectival suffixes in the above adjectives?

• c Find an example of a compound adjective.

• d Find at least two examples of adjectives in the comparative form.

• e Find an example of an adjective that is formed from a participle.

• f The position of adjectives is either attributive, i.e. it forms part of a noun phrase, as in young learners, or it is predicative, i.e. it comes after a verb, as in the learners are young. Find an example of another adjective that, in this text, is attributive, and one that is predicative.

• g Find an example of an adjective that is modified by an adverb.

• h Find an example of an ungradable adjective, i.e. one that is absolute in its meaning and cannot be modified with very, more, less, a bit, etc.

• i Find an example of an adjective phrase of the type adjective + preposition.