SYNTAX 2

(textbook: English Syntax by Lynn Berk)

Chapter 4: MODIFICATION

Modification of the noun (pp165-173)

This chapter is not very well organized, so it would be easier to understand the new
information by following the presentation of the material below.

Noun (nominal) modification in English is typically performed by adjectives but other word
categories can also perform the same function- they modify the noun. Since they typically
stand before the N they are premodifiers.

Premodifiers can be: (1) adjectives, (2) present participles, past participle and (3) nouns

Recommended video

Pre-modifiers and post-modifiers in English

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME_AlDAzCfM

1. Premodifiers

1.1. Premodifying adjectives - denote a property of an entity

a) semantics

According to the type of property they can be inherent and non-inherent (this is not well
explained in the book, p.171)

Inherent adjectives encode a specific constant and objective property such as color, shape,
material, origin etc. These adjectives cannot be graded or modified by degree adjectives
(*very Chinese, more wooden, *very green but greenish or too green)

Non-inherent adjectives – the property is given by the speaker. These adjectives are gradable
and can be modified by degree adverbs (size included - very long, longer etc; or some
attributive property: good, better, etc; fantastic, more fantastic, etc but not *very fantastic
because it already denotes a high degree of that property. Also terrible, awful, wonderful…

These intensifying (degree) adjectives (p177) express a high/low degree of quality, not a
property: a real mess, a complete idiot, a total failure, an absolute disaster. They cannot be
graded.

Gradability of (non-inherent) adjectives (pp176-177)

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They have 4 degrees: equality (X as tall as Y), comparative (X taller than Y), superlative (X
is the tallest of all), absolute (X is a tallest guy on the squad)

From the morphological point of view, comparison in English is both synthetic and analytic.
It is synthetic with short adjectives (bound morpheme -er, -est, but analytic with long
adjectives with the help of free morphemes: more, most.

b) function (p.172)

Adjectives can be used attributively, to modify a noun (a smart girl) or predicatively as part
of the predicate (subject complement) to predicate smth about the entity (She is smart). It
means that in predicative use they are not modifiers but predicates.

English has a very small group of adjectives that always follow the N. These postmodifiers
are those starting in a- (ablaze, asleep, afraid) and historically were part participles.
Therefore they denote a resultant state and cannot be graded and cannot be stacked one
behind the other (*the child asleep, afraid).

They can also be used predicatively in object complement position (I consider her smart. I
found the child asleep) - p.173

c) structure, morphology

adjectives are heads of adjective phrases (AP- very strong, too stupid) in which they can be
premodified by a degree adverb (very, rather, too, etc)

- they can be derived from nouns (monthly periodical, serial killer, beautiful flower) by
derivational suffixes.

- some do not have any suffixes (hard, fast), some have -ly suffix as the adverb (early,
weekly, etc): a fast runner - to run fast; an early bird - to rise early.

Recommended videos:
Common Mistakes with Adjectives & Adverbs - English Grammar Lesson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd_BOav7TRE

Adverbs that modify Adjectives (rather basic, but useful)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaRAUtBS6gI

d) syntax

-several premodifying adjectives can be combined in a string (this is known as stacking)

forming a complex AP within a NP (a red round wooden Indian small table). The order of
adjectives is rather fixed situated on the semantic continuum from inherent to non inherent,
from less to more objective property (those close to the head noun).

Recommended video
Adjective Order in English - English Grammar Lesson

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcOfYlMfDz0

Other types of premodifiers:

1.2. Denominal premodifiers (pp 167 – a short paragraph, pp169-170)

(in the book they are called “prenominal adjectives”, but this is wrong because they are nouns
used as adjectives)

The premodifier is a noun whose function is not really to modify, but classify the entity
encoded by the noun (e.g. park) into a specific class within the same set of entities (parks).
For instance a city park, classified the park as “belonging” to the city, as opposed to village
park or neighborhood park. Or a brick wall is a kind of wall vs. other kinds: glass wall, stone
wall, country jail, etc. Denominal premodifiers cannot be graded and be used predicatively:
a civil engineer > *more civil…, *the engineer is civil, or a paper hat > *the hat is paper.

1.3. Participial premodifiers (p166)

- present participle (crying child, running water), some are collocations: mitigating
circumstances, blithering idiots.

- past participle (broken window, tired man)

The difference is aspectual: falling leaves (activity in progress) vs. fallen leaves (resultant
state.

They cannot be graded but can be used predicatively (as predicates the child is crying)

Recommended video

Advanced English Vocabulary: Compound Adjectives

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDbykAINm4

1.4. Premodifying complex expressions (p.170)

- can be phrases or short sentences: He is an-early-to-bed guy, My daughter is in I-can’t

stand-aduts phase.