GRAMMAR I

Semantic
Subclassification
of Adjectives
 STATIVE
As the name suggests, STATIVE adjectives denote a state or a condition,
which may generally be considered permanent. These states are fairly
fixed, they typically cannot be controlled, hence they cannot be used in
imperative structures.

● Be white!
● Be tall!
● Be rotund!
 STATIVE
Additionaly stative adjectives cannot be used with the progressive aspect.

● She is being short.

● The doctor was being tall.
● Are they being rotund?
 DYNAMIC
In contrast, dynamic adjectives denote attributes which are, to some extent
at least, under the control of the one who possesses them.

For example “brave” denotes an attribute which may not always be in

evidence.

All dynamic adjectives can be used in imperatives:

● Be careful
● Don´t be cruel
 DYNAMIC
Moreover, dynamic adjectives can be used in progressive constructions

● Your son is being disruptive in class.

● My parents are being foolish again.
● We’re being very patient with you.
Gradable and non-gradable adjectives
Many adjectives describe qualities that can be measured in degrees,such as size , beauty , age,
etc… These adjectives are often called gradable adjectives , because they can be used in
comparative or superlative forms, or with grading adverbs such as very or extremely ,to show
that a person or thing has more or less of a particular quality.

The folowing are some examples of commom gradable adjectives used with grading adverbs:
Don’t talk to Jenny,She’s very angry.
She has got a extremely expensive car.
I’m worried about Tom, he is really unhappy.
Non-gradable adjectives:
Some adjectives describe qualities that are completely present or completely absent They
don’t occur in comparative and superlatives forms, and can’t be used with adverbs sich as
very or extremely,because we don’t usually imagine degrees of more or less of the quality
being described. They are referred to as non-gradable adjectives. These adjectives do
sometimes occur with non-grading adverbs such as completely,absolutely,totally.
Examples: The questions were absolutely impossible.
I felt completely exhausted after the gym.
I think books about grammar are totally amazing.
Gradable. Non-gradable

Small. Tiny
good. Excellent
Warn/hot. Boiling
Big. Huge/enormous
Cold. Freezing
Bad. Terrible/awful
Angry. Furious
Old. Ancient
 Inherent and Non-inherent Adjectives

Most attributive adjectives denote some attribute of the noun which they modify.

For instance, the phrase a red car may be said to denote a car which is red. In fact most
adjective-noun sequences such as this can be loosely reformulated in a similar way:
 an m am h i d

di c qu on qu on h re di c
 This applies equally to postpositive adjectives:

something understood ~something which is understood

the people responsible ~the people who are responsible

In each case the adjective denotes an attribute or quality

of the noun, as the reformulations show. Adjectives of this
type are known as INHERENT adjectives. The attribute they
denote is, as it were, inherent in the noun which they
modify.
 NON-INHERENT adjectives.
Not de t ar at t e ni h ew .
For example,
the adjective small in a small businessman does not describe an attribute of the
businessman.
It cannot be reformulated as a businessman who is small. Instead, it refers to a
businessman whose business is small.

We refer to adjectives of this type as NON-INHERENT adjectives.

They refer less directly to an attribute of the noun than inherent adjectives do.
 The Ordering of Adjectives
In the premodification structure of the noun phrase,
adjectives are placed between the determinatives (
gg

including predeterminers, central determiners and

post determiners) and the head of the noun phrase.
● Precentral :
After the determinatives is where peripheral non gradable adjectives are placed in particular
intensifying adjectives.
Eg : certain, definite, sheer, complete, slight, etc…

● Central:
This zone is the place of the central adjectives
Eg: Hungry, ugly, funny, etc…

● Postcentral:
This zone includes participles and colours adjectives
Eg: retired, sleeping, black, white, etc…

● Prehead:
This zone includes denominal adjectives denoting nationality such as Argentinian, British, etc..
Also denominal adjectives with the meaning “ consisting of” “ involving “ “ relating to”
Eg: Experimental, statistical, political, etc..
I + II CERTAIN IMPORTANT
PEOPLE

II + III A FUNNY RED HAT

I + II + IV CERTAIN RICH
AMERICAN PRODUCERS
PATTERNS OF SEMANTIC SUBCLASSIFICATION
● Gradabe adjetives are either inherent, as in a black
coat, or noninherent, as in a new friend.
● Dynamic adjetives are generally inherent , though
there are execeptions e.g The actor is being wooden
is both dynamic and noninherent
GRADABLE INHERENT STATIVE

+ + +
That’s a big boat. She is a brave woman
(central adjetives)

+ +
She is being very brave (dynamic use
− Of central adjetives)

+ +
He is firm friend, He is a wooden actor (
− peripheral adjetives: noninherent)

+
The actor is being wooden tonigjt (dynamic
− − use of stative adjetives)

+
She is a medical student ( peripheral
− − adjetive: nongradabld and noninherent)
 Bibliography
● Greenbaum,S and R.Quirk: “A
student´s Grammar of the
English Language” Longman.
Quirk,
● Grennbaum, Leech and
Svartvik: “A Grammar of
Contemporary English”.