Lecture 11 Adjectives and Adverbs

1.Classification of adjectives

2.Adjectives and participles

3. Uses of adjectives

4. Classification of adverbs

5. Uses of adverbs

6. Comparison and Comparative Constructions

Adjectives: giving more information about the nouns.

Four features: Attributive function Predicative function Premodification by the intensifier very Comparative or superlative forms

1.Classification of adjectives

In terms of word-formation: one-word adjectives and compound adjectives

In terms of lexical meaning: dynamic or stative adjectives

In terms of lexical meaning: gradable and non-gradable adjectives

Compound adjectives: Sea-sick, ice-cold, duty-free, world-wide, dust-proof Iron-willed, honey-mouthed, chicken-hearted Law-abiding, peace-loving, man-eating Weather-beaten, heart-felt, poverty-stricken Long-distance high-speed second-hand Good-natured, cool-headed, loose-tongued Easy-going, young-looking, sweet-smiling New-built, ready-made, foreign-born Well-known, over-fed, ill-printed Red-hot, bitter-sweet, deaf-mute

dynamic or stative adjectives Stative adjectives describe the static

characteristics of animate or inanimate objects. Dynamic adjectives describe the dynamic properties of people or things.

Be gentle! Be careful! ?Be beautiful! Be short! ?The house is being big. He is being foolish. He is being hard on me. Don’t be so hard on me.

Gradable and non-gradable adjectives Most adjectives are gradable adjectives

Big, bigger, biggest The few non-gradable ones include some

denominative adjectives that denote classification, and adjectives which is extreme or absolute.

woolen coat scientific facts Chinese carpet English teacher ?More excellent ?most extreme

2.Adjectives and participles

Participles can sometimes be used as modifiers in the noun phrase like adjectives.

adjectives derived from-ing participles: boring, convincing, disappointing, encouraging, fascinating

Adjectives derived from –ed participles: bored conceited, distinguished, educated, fascinated , hurried, interested, limited

-ing participle VS. –ed participle -ing participial adjectives usually have active

meanings. –ed forms have passive meanings. boiling water boiled water

a charming girl a charmed girla pleasing voice a pleased look

I always seem to play for the losing team. She found the lost ring under the sofa. I felt frightened when I watched that frightening

film.

Premodifying and postmodifying adjectives

Ordering of Premodifying adjectives

1. Two or more adjectives on the same level It was a rainy, windy, freezing day. (in the normal order

of shorter members preceding the longer)

2. On different levels

an interesting little red French oil painting ((determiner) -the speaker's evaluation-size, shape, age- colour- nationality, origin, material-use or purpose ( classifier)-noun head ) “DOSACOMU”

Exercise:

一张珍贵的古老的法国写字桌。

所有十个年轻力壮的中国男学生。

头三幢漂亮的大的旧的英国的红石头房子。

a valuable old French writing desk

All the ten strong young Chinese boy students

The first three fine big old red English stone houses

Predicative adjectives

1.adjectives denoting health conditions, such as well, ill

2.adjectives with a- as prefix. The animals are alive. They are living animals. 3. adjectives with postmodifiers The ship is bound for China. ?the bound ship for China

Attention:

1. imaginative imaginary imaginable 2. respectable respectful respective 3. worth worthy worthwhile

5.Classification of adverbs

In terms of word formation: simple adverbs and derivative adverbs.

Semantically: adverbs of manner adverbs of degree, adverbs of time, adverbs of frequency, adverbs of place relative adverbs conjunctive adverbs

6. Uses of adverbs

As modifier: They are smoking very heavily. I sort of thought you may say that. They entirely agree with her. It is a fairly cold day. The nail went right through the wall.

Adverb phrases as adverbial in clauses or sentences as adjuncts, disjuncts, and conjuncts. When used as an adjunct, the ad-verb phrase describes the

time, place or manner. Generally speaking, time adjuncts may occur at all the three

positions. Recently they had an accident. They recently had an accident.

They had an accident recently.

By contrast, manner adjuncts appear more often at the end position:

They live frugally. He always drives carefully.. Place adjuncts normally appear at the end of

the sentence, The porter will take your luggage upstairs. I couldn't find it though I had looked

everywhere.

The functions of adverb phrases as disjunct and conjunct in some examples:

Frankly, I can do nothing about it. Briefly, she didn't want to speak to him. Hopefully, we will set up more prestigious

universities.

Do it now. Otherwise, it will be too late. Tom hasn't arrived yet. He may, however,

come later.

修饰句子，反映说话人的观点和看法，如 actually, certainly, clearly, definitely, evidently, fortunately, frankly, honestly, luckily, obviously, perhaps, possibly, probably, surely, undoubtedly, unexpectedly 等。

Obviously he can’t tell the difference between them. I arrived late but luckily the meeting had been delayed. Compare: Clearly he didn’t say so. He didn’t say so clearly. Frankly, you are wrong. He spoke frankly about his past life.

2008, 59. What does "He wisely refused to spend his money" mean?A. It was wise of him to refuse to spend his money.B. He refused to spend his money in a wise manner.

C. He was short of money and didn't want to buy anything.D. He refused, in a wise manner, to spend his money.

2009, 63. Which of the following adverbs can NOT be used to complete " _____ everybody came"?A. Nearly B. Quite C. Practically D. Almost

Adverbs with or without -ly Some adverbs have two forms: with –ly or without -ly 1. clear and clearly The prisoner got clear away. Can you see clearly from here? 2. dead and deadly He was dead tired.

He looks deadly pale. 3. firm and firmly Fix the post firmly in the ground.

Always hold firm to your beliefs. 4. sharp and sharply We arrived at one o’clock sharp. At the crossroads we turned sharp to the left. 5. hard and hardly He works hard. He hardly does anything these days.

Exercises: I ___ recommend it. He can jump really ___. (high) I haven’t been to the theater much ___.

(late) I can’t read this. It’s ___ dull. (dead) I ___ believe it. (firm) My friends are ___ teachers. Which part o the concert did you like ___ ?

(most)

2010. 71. The team has been working overtime on the research project ____.

A. lately B. just now C. late D. long ago

Comparison and Comparative Constructions

most adjectives and adverbs are gradable and can be used in comparative clauses.

forms of comparison: three degrees : positive / absolute degree(base

form), comparative degree and superlative degree.

Regular comparison:

comparative degree –er

superlative -est

Or by their equivalents with more or most

Irregular:

It is wise to think of a thing well, it’s wiser to plan it better, and it’s wisest and best to accomplish it.

Money is valuable, life is more valuable, and time is the most valuable.

The sea is vastest on the earth. The sky is vaster than the sea. A human mind is the most among the three.

Comparative constructions three types of comparative construction ： 1. "as ＋ adjective ／ adverb ＋ as" construction John is as bright as Bob. John is not as/so bright as Bob. (negative) She is as witty as she is pretty. The swimming pool isn't twice as wide as that one

is long. You can take as much butter as you need.

Compare: George is as efficient a worker as Jack. George is a worker as efficient as Jack.

There is no mistake so great as that of being always right.

2.more ... than construction : comparative degree + than-clause This parcel is heavier than that one. Negative form: less … than John is a more efficient worker than Jack. = John is a worker more efficient than Jack. the + comparative + of-phrase John is the brighter of the two boys.

3.The + superlative adjective /adverb + of The Sahara is the largest desert in the world.

This is the most interesting book I late ever read. George did more work than anyone else.

＝ George did the most work ．Nothing in my life shook me so deep as my first visit to China ．=My first visit to China moved me the deepest ．

Better than the best.

New love is brightest, and long love is greatest; but revived love is the tenderest thing known upon the earth.

The gull sees farthest who flies highest. The winner is not necessarily the one who runs

the fastest, but the one who holds on to the last.

他的园子是全村中最可爱的。His garden was the loveliest in the village.

In the village, there was no garden more lovely

than his.

In the village, no garden was so lovely as his.

Other uses of comparison construction 1. More…than The present crisis is much more a political than

an economic crisis. He is not more a writer than a painter. He is more shy than unsocial. She is more English than the English. Her eyes are more green than grey.

2. not so much … as It was not so much his appearance I liked as

his personality. James is not so much a writer as a painter. = less … than James is less a writer than a painter.

3. the more, the more and more and more The car was running faster and faster. The older I am, the happier I am. The older he is, the wiser he becomes.

4. Not more ／ -er…than vs no more／－ er…than

John is not better than Tom. John is no better than Tom. (= as bad as) Mr. Zhang is no wiser than Mr. Li. The fishburger is no more expensive than

the hamburger. The hot dog isn’t any cheaper than the

cheeseburger.

Exercises:

1.Grammar is as important as it is difficult for the students.

2.This room is no darker than that one.

3. I regard him less as my teacher than as my friend.

4. He is less a fool than I thought he was.

5. It was as much of a success as I had hoped.

Error correction

He is as a good worker as John. Mary is nicer of the two. The room is larger than that one three times. A whale is not any more a fish than a horse is. Paper tiger is not half fierce as it is painted.

2004 41.That trumpet player was certainly loud. But I wasn’t bothered by his loudness ____ by his lack of talent.A. so much as      B. rather than    C. as  D. than47.The less the surface of the ground yields to the weight of a fully-loaded truck, ____ to the truck.A. the greater stress is  B. greater is the stressC. the stress is greater  D. the greater the stress2005 59. Do you know Tim’s brother? He is _________ than Tim.A. much more sportsman             B. more of a sportsmanC. more of sportsman                   D. more a sportsman2006 64 It was __ we had hoped.A more a success than B a success more than

C as much of a success as D a success as much as

More of a … than

Are you more of a leader or of a follower? He is more of a scholar than a teacher. This is more of a sitting room than a kitchen

2007 51. There are as good fish in the sea _____ever came out of it .A. than B. like  C. as  D. so

61.The research requires more money than ________.A. have been put in  B. has been put in 

C. being put in  D. to be put in

62.Overpopulation poses a terrible threat to the human race. Yet it is probably ________a threat to the human race than environmental destruction.A. no more  B. not more  C. even more  D. much more

2008 60. They stood chatting together as easily and naturally as ____.　　 A. it could be B. could be C. it was D. was64. The square itself is five hundred yards wide, five times ____ the size of St. Peter's in Rome.　　 A. / B. that of C. which is D. of

2009 55. A new laptop costs about _____ of a second-hand one.A. the price of three times B. three times the priceC. as much as the three times price

D. three times more than the price

2011.57. It is not so much the language _____ the cultural background that makes the book difficult to understand.

A. as B. nor C. but D. like

no (none) other than : 正是

This is no other than the book we want to buy.

She is none other than my advisor.