University of Babylon

College of Education for Human Science

Department of English

Adjective Phrase in Arabic and English

A Presentation in Contrastive
Linguistics

Part Two

Presented by

Sarah Mohammad Abbas

Supervised by

Dr. Qasim A. Dhayef

Section One
1. Introduction

1
 Adjectives are words or phrases that characterize the object
denoted by a noun. They are one of the traditional eight parts of
speech. They can be formed from two or more words that are
hyphenated as in the three-year-old child and a two-week journey.

An adjective phrase is a group of words, the head of which is an

adjective. Adjectives in English are used attributively to pre-modify a
noun head. In this position, they are placed between the determiner
and the noun head (These green walls). However, a few adjectives
follow the noun head (post-modify the noun), e.g., China proper.

English adjectives are used predicatively after a copula. In this, it

functions as subject complement (That chair is comfortable), or as object
complement (They made her happy). The class of adjectives comprises
words which enter into two main types of relationship with the class of
nouns: predication (1) and modification (2)
(1) The manager was wise. ‫كان المدير حکیما‬
The house is big. ‫البيت كبير‬
These colours are dark. ‫هذه االلوان داكنة‬
(2) The wise manager was pleased. ‫المدير الحكيم رأض‬
The big house is not far from here. ‫البيت الكبير ليس بعيدا‬
The dark colours suit you better. ‫األلوان الداكنة تالئمك اكثر من غيرها‬
In English, adjectives are distinguished from nouns in that
(a) They have no number contrast (cf. boy: boys, big:-).
(b) They have no case inflection (e.g. the boy's box: the big boy's box),
(c) they are used attributively (the big house) and predicatively (the house
is big),
(d) they have a comparative and a superlative form (bigger, more careful;
biggest, most careful), and finally, they can be pre-modified by 'very (very
careful). Not all adjectives have all these characteristics, but the majority
of them have several of these features.
In Arabic, the class of adjectives has always been considered a
subclass of the class nouns. The Arab grammarians call these two classes (
‫ اسم غير الصفة‬a noun which is not adjective) and ‫( اسم الصفة‬a noun which is
adjective) There is a good justification for this division of the class nouns
into adjectives nouns and non-adjective nouns since there are few

2
distinctions that can be drawn between adjectives and nouns in Arabic. For
example,
‫ عادل‬may be a noun proper (the just one) or an adjective (just) Similarity
between the two classes is greater than difference. Both nouns and
adjectives take the definite article ‫ العادل‬, ‫ الرجل‬, ‫رجل‬.
Both show number, gender and case contrasts (‫ة‬aaa‫ مدرس‬, ‫رجالن ذكيان‬
‫ ذكي‬, ‫ اذكياء‬, ‫ رجال‬,‫ رجل‬,‫مدرس ذكي‬, ‫ ) ذكية‬The main difference between these
two classes may be stated thus: the categories of definiteness, number,
gender and case are either selective (definiteness and case) or Inherent in
nouns (number and gender). In adjectives, they are part of what is known
as agreement or concord: adjectives are considered subordinate to the
noun they modify and have to agree with it in number, gender, case and
definiteness;
things
‫ المهندسان الذ كيان و المهندس الذكي‬: ‫المهندسين الذكيين‬

Adjectives in English are not normally used with articles or other

determiners (* a big, his careful). Some adjectives, however, are used
with the definite article as noun heads. These adjectives are partially
converted to nouns, but they don't accept the -'s of the plural or the
genitive -'s. Also, three types of adjectives acting the role of a noun
head may be recognized:
 Personal adjectives: The rich should help the poor.
 Non – personal adjectives: The good is often forgotten.
 Certain adjectives denoting nationalities: The French are
clever.

Arabic adjectives follow the noun they modify and agree with it in
gender, number, case, and definiteness. Arabic adjectives can occur as
heads of noun phrases. Consider the following example:

‫الفقراء اسعد من االغنياء‬

Arabic adjectives are similar to nouns in almost every aspect. In

3
(‫)تابع‬their syntactic function، however, they are said to be followers of
the noun head in that they agree with it in gender, number, case, and
definiteness.

1.2 General features of English Adjectives

English adjectives modify nouns and noun phrases.
 Some adjectives end in –ly: friendly, manly, lonely.
 Some adjectives begin with a-: awake alone. The baby is
awake.
 Adjectives are either simple (happy), derived (hopeful), or
participle (worried, worrying)
 English has some adjective compounds: good – looking
 They can be pre-modified by the adverb "very": it's very hot.
 They can take comparative and superlative inflectional suffixes
–er and –est respectively: hot, hotter, hottest.

 They are gradable. They can be preceded by degree modifiers

such as very, quite, so, rather.
 Adjectives may occur as heads of NPs.For
example, The innocent need our help.
I usually confuse the Japanese and the Chinese.
The unemployed must be helped by the
government.

1.3 Syntactic Functions of Arabic and English languages

English adjectives have three syntactic positions:
attributive, predictive and postpositive.

 Attributive: They pre-modify the head of a noun phrase. For

example, She bought a blue dress.

4
 Many adjectives are used exclusively in attributive position:
complete, only, medical, lawful, main, former, latter. For
example,
He is a complete
food. He is the
only nominee.
 Predicative: They function as subject or object complements.
For example,
The dress is blue.
They seem happy.
A few adjectives are used in exclusively predicative position:
ill, aware, asleep, afraid, alight, alive. For example,
He felt ill.
The child is asleep.
 Postpositive: They usually follow indefinite pronouns or
nouns. For example,
Anyone intelligent can do it .
I consider her smart .
Arabic adjectives are used attributively and predicatively.

1. Attributive adjectives post-modify the noun head with which

they agree in definiteness, gender, case, and number:

‫ البنت ذكية‬, ‫ اوالد اذكياء‬, ‫ الولدان ذكيان‬, ‫الولد ذكي‬

Syntactically, these adjectives modify the head directly. There is,
however, another construction in which the adjective is related indirectly
to the preceding head and directly with the following

noun, e.g.,
‫جاء رجل طويل القامة‬
The adjective ‫ طويل‬is indirectly connected with ‫ الرجل‬but indirectly with
‫القامة‬.In this construction, the adjective agrees with the preceding noun

5
indefiniteness and case only. The number of the adjective is usually
singular .
2. Predicative adjectives function as predicates in nominal sentences
(often no copula, verbal or otherwise is required): e.g. ‫ الولد ذكي‬. The
relation between the two parts of the nominal sentence is Intensive.
A verbal copula is used to indicate past time ‫ كان الولد صبورا‬, or
future time ‫ سيكون الطفل قويا‬.
Arab grammarians call the two parts of the sentence ‫(المبتدأ‬subject or
theme) and ‫( الخبر‬Predicate). In such sentences, the adjective
realizes the role of 'predicate).
The adjective may as well as the subject be definite, in which case a
separable pronoun is inserted between the two parts of the sentence
to indicate that the relation holding between the two is predication,
no modification. ‫زيد هو الصادق‬

A pronominal copula is used when both parts of the nominal sentence are
definite.e.g ‫الرجل الواقف هو المدير‬

1.4 Adjective comparison

The comparison of English adjectives is realized by either adding
the comparison (-er) and superlative (-est) inflectional suffixes or
using the periphrastic forms more and most. The choice between the
inflectional and periphrastic forms more and most. The choice between
the inflectional and periphrastic forms depends on the number the
morphological properties of the stem.
 Monosyllabic words: These normally take the inflected forms -er, -
est
Tall – taller – tallest
Small – smaller –
smallest
(Past participial adjectives are exceptions: more, most bored)
 Disyllabic words: some adjectives take the inflected forms,
e.g., happier, happiest. Some others take only more and most,

6
 e.g., awake, worried careful, frequent, public private. Some
others take either the inflected forms or more and most, e.g.,
gentler, gentler; narrower, more narrow.

 Trisyllabic words: These always take more and most only, e.g.,
beautiful, practical.
Participial adjectives take the periphrastic form
(more/most interesting)
Some adjectives do not have comparative and superlative
forms, e.g., awake, male, unique. Other adjectives take irregular
inflection, e.g., old-elder-eldest.

Arabic adjectives have two degrees of comparison:

1. The absolute degree has (beautiful) ‫جميل‬
2. Comparative degree (usually termed the elative form ‫صيغة التفضيل‬
which is used for comparing two or more persons or things. The
comparative degree usually has the form
‫ افعل‬e.g. ‫( اجمل‬more beautiful, the most beautiful), e.g. 5 u lu (This
place is more beautiful than that ‫هذا المكان اجمل من ذاك‬
This is the most beautiful place in town ‫هذا اجمل مكان في المدينة‬
The comparative (elative) form is derived from the triliteral root: , ‫قوي‬
‫( اقوى‬strong, stronger / strongest); (big, bigger/ biggest). The feminine
The elative form has dual and plural number ‫ فعلى‬.‫ اخرى صغری کبری‬form is
both in masculine and feminine، ‫اخرون‬, ‫ اخريات‬In the comparative
structure, however, the singular masculine form is used.
1. This boy is smaller (younger) than his sister. ‫ هذا الولد اصغر من اخته‬.
2. This girt is smaller (younger) than her brother. ‫هذه الفتاة اصغر من اخيها‬
3. These men are stronger than the others. ‫هؤالء الرجال اقوى من غيرهم‬

It is to be noted that the explicit basis of comparison is expressed by

means of the preposition ‫من‬often equivalent to 'than' when two persons or
things are involved, and to 'of when more than two are involved: ‫احلى من‬
(sweeter than). The genitive construction is also used where more than two
or three entities are concerned ‫ احلى االثنين‬the sweeter of the two

7
Cairo Is the largest city in Africa ‫القاهرة أكبر مدن افريقيا‬
No comparative form ‫افعل‬, is possible for adjectives derived from verbs
with passive sense, or for adjectives denoting colour or defect, since these
latter adjectives have the form ‫افعل‬in the absolute: ‫اعرج احمر‬. In such
cases an alternative, periphrastic construction is used, where the
comparison used with a noun ‫ اشد‬. ‫ احسن‬.‫ أقبح‬Is realized by means of such
words as derived from the adjective: ‫رة‬aa‫د حم‬aa‫اش‬. The following noun is
placed in the objective case.
1.5 Adjectives complementation in English language
Many adjectives in predicative position can be followed by any of
three types of complements.
 Prepositional phrase: He is keen on music.

 To infinitive: John is easy to please.

 Noun clause: I'm sure (that) they will attend the meeting.

Semantically, adjectives may be divided into three subclasses:

stative/dynamic, gradable /non-gradable, and inherent/non- inherent.
Stative adjectives cannot be used with progressive or imperative
verbs. Gradable adjectives have comparative and superlative forms
as in big/bigger/biggest. Inherent adjectives modify the head noun
directly.

Section Two
Contrast.2
The similartise 2.1
1. Both English and Arabic adjectives are used attributively and
predicatively.

8
 2. Both English and Arabic adjectives are used to describe a noun
and give more information about it.

3. In both English and Arabic, the adjective can occur as ahead in

the NP.

4. In both languages, the adjective can have a comparative and

superlative form.

5. In both languages, there are adjective complements: John is easy

to please.

6. In both languages, there are gradable and non-gradable adjectives.

7. In both languages, there are quality, quantity and number

adjective types.

8. Both English and Arabic adjectives are postmodifiers; he is

clever enough to do it .

The Differences 2.2

1. The majority of English adjectives precede the nouns they
modify, whereas the majority of the Arabic adjectives follow the
noun they modify.

9
2. Arabic adjectives are more explicit than the English ones
because they show agreement with the noun they modify in
number, gender, case and definiteness.

References
Aziz, Y. 1989. A Contrastive Grammar of English and Arabic.
Mosul: University of Mosul.

10
 Crystal (2003). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.5th
ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publisher LTD

Khalil, Aziz M. 1999. A contrastive grammar of English and

Arabic. Amman: Jordan Book Centre.

Quirk, Randolph, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, Jan Svartvik,

and David Crystal, eds. 1985. A comprehensive grammar of the English
language. London: Longman

11