Spring 2001 * English 110J * Tanaka 

E/M QUESTIONS FROM GROUP DISCUSSION

Chapter 5 ADJECTIVES 

 

1. 4/8: This is the best novel in the library. Why isn't BEST a predicate adjective? 

ANSWER: <BEST> IS AN ADJECTIVE THAT MODIFIES THE NOUN, <NOVEL>. THE NOUN IS THE PREDICATE COMPLEMENT. COMPARE 4/8 TO THE FOLLOWING: 

This novel is <THE BEST>. 

EM WILL CALL <BEST> A PREDICATE ADJECTIVE. BECAUSE <BEST> IS A COMPARATIVE, EVEN HERE IT MEANS 

This novel is <THE BEST NOVEL OF THE GROUP>. 

IN THE FOLLOWING, <GOOD> IS A PREDICATE ADJECTIVE. 

This novel is GOOD. 

 

2. 101/7/5: Those WITH SUBSTANTIAL INTERESTS are happiest ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET. I can understand why the prepositional phrase <WITH SUBSTANTIAL INTERESTS> is an adjective, but why is the second one an adjective phrase?  

ANSWER: IT IS NOT. THE BOOK IS WRONG. <ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET> MODIFIES THE ADJECTIVE <HAPPIEST> SO IT IS AN ADVERBIAL PHRASE. 

THE ADJECTIVE PHRASE THAT ACTS AS THE PREDICATE COMPLEMENT IS THE ENTIRE PHRASE: <HAPPIEST ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET> BUT THE BOOK IS ONLY DISCUSSING THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. 

 

3. 101/7/6: Gardens BETWEEN HOUSES are well tended IN MY TOWN. Same question as (2). I can't see how IN MY TOWN is an adjective phrase. What noun does it modify? 

ANSWER: THE BOOK IS WRONG. <IN MY TOWN> IS CLEARLY ADVERBIAL. IT ANSWERS THE WHERE. 

IF IT WERE ADJECTIVAL, IT WOULD HAVE TO READ: 

GARDENS <BETWEEN THE HOUSES IN MY TOWN> ARE WELL-   TENDED. 

ADJECTIVAL PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES ARE ALWAYS NEXT TO THE NOUNS THEY MODIFY. HOWEVER, NOT ALL PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES NEXT TO NOUNS ARE ADJECTIVAL. 

ALL ADJECTIVE PHRASES APPEAR IN THIS CONTEXT: 

N + PREP N 

I SAW A CRATER ON THE MOON. 

 

BUT NOT ALL PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES IN THIS CONTEXT ARE  ADJECTIVAL. 

 

I SAW THE CRATER WITH MY TELESCOPE ON MONDAY 

IN THIS CASE, <WITH MY TELESCOPE> IS AN ADVERBIAL

MODIFYING <SAW>. ADVERB OF INSTRUMENT. 

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU SEE A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW A NOUN, YOU CAN BE PRETTY SURE IT IS ADVERBIAL. 

 

ON MONDAY, I SAW THE CRATER. 

I RAN TO THE STORE AFTER SWIMMING IN THE LAKE. 

ALL OF THESE PHRASES ARE ADVERBIAL. 

 

 

4. Page 109. Example to Set 9: APPLE TREES, WHICH ARE BOTH BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE, LIVE FOREVER. Why is the clause non-restrictive? 

ANSWER: THE PUNCTUATION INDICATES THAT THE CLAUSE CAN BE DELETED WITHOUT CHANGING THE REFERENCE OF THE NOUN, <APPLE TREES>. 

 

 

5. Page 111. The examples to Participles as Adjectives. I don't understand how some of these modify the nouns indicated by the book. I used the definition of adjective. 

Watching carefully, he saw everything the men did. 

The brisket, barbecuing slowly, gave off tantalizing odors. 

The detective, alertly pursuing every clue, finally decided the butler had  not committed the crime. 

ANSWER: NONE OF THESE EXAMPLES ARE REALLY ADJECTIVAL MODIFIERS, THOUGH EM IS FOLLOWING TRADITIONAL PRACTICE IN LABELING THEM AS SUCH. 

IF YOU LOOK IN CHAPTER 6 AT THE LIST ADVERBIAL FUNCTIONS, THE QUESTIONS ADVERBS ANSWER, YOU WILL SEE THAT EACH OF THESE PARTICIPLES ANSWERS AN ADVERBIAL QUESTION. 

THEY CAN'T BE SIMPLE ADJECTIVES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT IDENTIFY OR MODIFY THE NOUN. 

THE BOOK IS NOT WRONG. THIS CASE, TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR HAS A PROBLEM. 

IN OUR REVISED KEY THAT THE ANALYSIS GROUP WILL BE USING, A PARTICIPLE IS DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: 

<THE -ED OR -ING FORM OF A VERB USED AS A MODIFIER, I.E., AS AN ADJECTIVE OR AS AN ADVERBIAL. MOST BUT NOT ALL PARTICIPLES THAT DO NOT COME IN FRONT OF A NOUN ARE ADVERBIAL.> 

 

 

6. 13/7. She finally abandoned the project, finding it dull and unrewarding. I don't see how finding and unrewarding can be participles. Is unrewarding even a verbal? What is the verb? To unreward?? Is this a misplaced modifier? 

ANSWER: THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PROBLEM DISCUSSED ABOVE. <FINDING> IS NOT AN ADJECTIVAL MODIFIER, ALTHOUGH THE BOOK MUST CALL IT THAT. 

ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU ARE RIGHT. <UNREWARDING> IS NOT A PARTICIPLE. IT IS AN ADJECTIVE. THE BOOK IS SIMPLY WRONG HERE. 

 

 

7. 13/10. Once achieved, a college education can be regarded with some affection. I don't understand how ACHIEVED can modify EDUCATION. 

ANSWER: YOU ARE RIGHT. (SEE 5-6 ABOVE) THIS IS A PAST PARTICIPLE. IT IS AN ADVERB OF CONDITION. THE FULL SENTENCE GOES LIKE THIS. 

THE SENTENCE IS IN THE PASSIVE. 

[ONCE A COLLEGE EDUCATION HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, A COLLEGE EDUCATION CAN BE REGARDED WITH SOME AFFECTION.] 

THE UNDERLINED CLAUSE IS CLEARLY NOT ADJECTIVAL. 

 

 

8. Page 113. Example for infinitives as adjectives.  

The general ordered his army into action to defeat the rebel force. 

I don't understand how <TO DEFEAT> modifies <ACTION>. 

 

ANSWER: EVEN THOUGH WE ARE DEALING WITH INFINITIVES INSTEAD OF PARTICIPLES, THE PROBLEM IS SIMILAR TO THAT ABOVE. MOST OF EM'S EXAMPLES OF ADJECTIVAL INFINITIVES ARE OK, BUT THIS ONE IS CLEARLY WRONG.  

THE SENTENCE GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS: 

THE GENERAL ORDERED HIS ARMY INTO ACTION <IN ORDER THAT > HE DEFEAT THE REBEL FORCE. 

THE <IN ORDER THAT> CLAUSE IS AN ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF PURPOSE OR RESULT. IT IS NOT ADJECTIVAL. 

THE FOLLOWING INFINITIVE IS ADJECTIVAL. ADJECTIVAL INFINITIVES LIKE ADJECTIVAL PHRASES ALWAYS FOLLOW THE NOUNS THEY MODIFY. 

 

THIS IS AN IDEA TO CONSIDER. 

THIS IS AN IDEA [THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER] 

THESE ADJECTIVAL INFINITIVES ARE REDUCED FORMS OF RELATIVE CLAUSES