Determiners and Adjectivals

Ed McCorduckEnglish 402--GrammarSUNY Cortland http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

basic structure of all noun phrases (NPs):

Det (ADJpr1)(ADJpr2)…(ADJprn) N (ADJps1)(ADJps2)…(ADJpsn)

Det – determiner

( ) - optional element (not required to be expressed)

ADJpr – prenoun adjectival/modifier

1, 2 … n – from one to an infinite number

N – noun as headword

ADJps – postnoun adjectival/modifier

slide 2: basic rule for the structure of all NPs

English 402: Grammar

an ADJpr can be

•a member of the word class adjective

•a member of the word class noun

•a verb in the –en form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture)

•a verb in the –ing form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture)

slide 3: prenominal adjectives

English 402: Grammar

an ADJps can be

•a verb in the –en form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture)

•a verb in the –ing form (see the chapter 3 “Form Classes” lecture)

•a prepositional phrase (PP)

•a relative clause

slide 4: postnominal adjectivals

English 402: Grammar

exx

NP: a ghost Det N

NP: the friendly ghost Det ADJ N

NP: this friendly smiling ghost

Det ADJ ADJ N

NP: those intrepid lion tamers

Det ADJ ADJ N

NP: our fools on parade Det N ADJ

NP: each contaminated pizza in the fridge that I ate

Det ADJ N ADJ ADJ

NP: Osborne’s dim-witted claptrap

Det ADJ N

slide 5: examples of NPs with various Dets and ADJs

English 402: Grammar

determiners

•articles

o definite article

the

o indefinite article

a / an

slide 6: types of determiners: articles

English 402: Grammar

General rule: the indefinite article is used for the first mention of a noun (phrase) and the definite article is used for all subsequent mentions of it.

exx

I saw a shooting star. The shooting star was blood-red. I took the shooting star as an ill omen.

slide 7: articles with first and subsequent mention

English 402: Grammar

Articles can have specific or nonspecific reference.

exx

I saw a shooting star. indefinite article specific reference

A shooting star can portend disaster. indefinite article nonspecific (general) reference

slide 8: specific and nonspecific reference of articles

English 402: Grammar

A revolt started in the mailroom. The leaders of the revolt indefinite article definite articlespecific reference specific reference

demanded more milk-and-cookie breaks.

A revolt is an act of treason. Those who lead the revolt indefinite article definite article nonspecific reference nonspecific reference

desire only bloodshed, chaos and strife.

slide 9: first and subsquent mention and specific and nonspecific reference

English 402: Grammar

determiners

•articles

o zero article (no explicit article used)

with (many) proper names

slide 10: the “zero” article

English 402: Grammar

with the first mention of plural countable nouns (alongside the determiner some only when the reference is specific)

exx

Lay (some) lilies on my grave.

*Some lilies/Lilies are symbols of resurrection.

slide 11: use of the “zero” article with plural count nouns with specific reference

English 402: Grammar

with noncount nouns (alongside the determiner some only when the reference is specific)

exx

*Some quicksand/Quicksand kills. For sure, quicksand is one bad-ass mother.

We ran right into (some) quicksand. The quicksand took most of our hiking party.

slide 12: use of the “zero” article with uncountable nouns

English 402: Grammar

• possessives

exx

my

your

our

his

her

its

their

slide 13: types of determiners: possessives

English 402: Grammar

Antonio’s

the undertaker’s

• demonstratives

exx

this

that

slide 14: types of determiners: demonstratives

English 402: Grammar

these

those

• quantifiers

exx

each

every

all

several

slide 15: types of determiners: quantifiers

English 402: Grammar

many

much