Semantics categories

Descriptors Classifiers

Descriptors

• Describe color, size and weight, chronology and age, emotion and other characteristics– Color : black, white etc.– Size / quantity : big, deep, long, large etc.– Time : annual, daily, early, late etc.– Emotive : bad, beautiful, best, fine, good etc– Other characteristics : cold, complex, dead,

empty etc.

Classifiers

• Limit or restrict noun’s referent– Relational / classificational / restrictive :

average, chief, complete, direct, top etc.– Affiliative classifier : American, English, etc.– Topical / other : medical, mental, oral etc.

• Mostly non gradable example, we cannot say : “very medical”, “more additional”.

Adjective semantics categories

• Some adjective can serve as both depending on their context of use.

• Example : “an old radio” vs. “poor old rusty”, “we’re very poor” vs. “the poor evil”.

Adjectives in combination

• Repeated comparative adjectives : sometimes join by and to denote an ever-increasing degree of adjective

• Ex : “see the branches get smaller and smaller”, “I get more and more popular”

• Occur after resulting copular verbs : ‘get’

Adjectives in combination

• The intensifier ‘good and’ and ‘nice and’ : in order to intensify the meaning of the adjective.

• Ex : “..when I’m good and ready”, “make your teeth nice and strong”, “There are many good and prosperous people here”

Attributive Adjective

• Modify common nouns– Ex : “Yes, it’s a bad attitude”

“It had been his favorite toy”

• Modify proper place nouns– Ex : “old fashion Episcopalian”

“ancient Mesopotamia”

Attributive Adjective

• Modify the name of a person– Ex : “little Laura Davies”

“the late John C. Drennan

• Modify personal pronouns, occur especially in exclamations.– Ex : “Lucky you!”

“Not like poor me”

Attributes adjective in conversation and academic prose

• Descriptors are common in both registers but classifiers are common in academic prose

• Descriptors in conversation are simple one syllable words. Several attributive adjective in conversation are contrasting pairs.

• Academic prose much used of classifiers especially relational and topical adjectives.

• These adjective specify the reference of noun phrases and to express judgment important, unusual and etc.

Attributes adjective in conversation and academic prose

Descriptors Conversation Academic Prose

Size/amount Big,little,long Long,low,great

Time New,old New,old,young

color Black,white NIL

evaluative Good,bad,best Good,best,right

relational Same,whole NIL

Classifiers Conversation Academic Prose

relational NIL Basic,common,total

Topical NIL Local,oral,normal