Adjective

Adjective . Words that name or indicate qualities, traits, and properties of the names or nouns it accompanies.

As a general rule, in Spanish adjectives are placed after the noun , unlike other languages , such as English , in which they necessarily predict it, but this admits some exceptions in special cases.

Summary

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• 1 Classification
  • 1 Predicative adjectives
  • 2 Attributive or qualifying adjectives
  • 3 Gentile adjectives
  • 4 Specific adjectives
  • 5 Other classifications
• 2 Adjective agreement
  • 1 Special concordance situations
• 3 Degrees of the adjective
  • 1 Positive grade
  • 2 Comparative degree
  • 3 Superlative degree
• 4 Didactic treatment of the adjective
  • 1 The adjective in textual analysis
  • 2 The adjective in the syntax
  • 3 The adjective in the semantics of the text
  • 4 The adjective in textual construction
• 5 Sources

Classification

Adjectives are classified according to the way they affect the noun to which they are applied, in the following types:

Predicative adjectives

They affect the meaning of the noun indirectly, because they are part of a predicate applied to the noun, in which the presence of a verb is essential . Examples:

• The car is modern.
• The movie is interesting.

Attributive or qualifying adjectives

They directly qualify the noun, giving it an attribute. Examples:

• The red car.
• The terrifying movie.

A special type of these adjectives are epithets , which indicate inherent qualities of the meaning of the noun, which we want to highlight; and that are often prepended to the noun, especially for emphasis, poetic twists, or the like. Examples:

• The blue sky.
• The White snow.

Gentile adjectives

They qualify the place of origin or birth, in relation to a country , region , state , city , etc. Examples:

• Brazilian automobile.
• Italian passport.

Specific adjectives

They express a quality that can be considered objective, typical of the concept to which the noun alludes, which give it an additional specificity that disappears if the adjective is deleted. They have the particularity that they do not refer to the universality of the concept expressed by the noun, so that if the adjective is applied to the noun in a plural form, it does not affect the whole of its species , but rather a part of it. Examples:

• The green apple.
• Green apples.

Other classifications

The adjective is classified as:

• Qualifying adjective: determines the noun and indicates a quality of it; that is, it says what the noun is like.

Examples: good, long, blue, pretty, malleable, dangerous, useful, scary, subtle, etc.

• Demonstrative adjective: determines the noun indicating distance or proximity in relation to the people who speak; that is, it indicates spatial location.

Examples: this, that, that, that, these, those, those, etc.

• Possessive adjective: indicates possession or belonging.

Examples: my, you, yours, his, his, his, our, yours, yours, his, his, yours, etc.

• Numeral adjectives: indicate a specific number.

The numerals can be:

• • Cardinal numeral adjective: indicates a fixed number.

Examples: one, three, thousand, five hundred, etc. Three thousand soldiers fought. Its value was five hundred pesos.

• • Ordinal numeral adjective: indicates order.

Examples: first, second, fifth, twentieth, etc. In the race, Pedro finished third. I was second in the tournament.

• • Multiple numeral adjective: add the idea of ​​times to the noun.

Examples: double, triple, quintuple, etc. The house was twice the size of the others. It was a triple birth.

• • Partitive numeral adjective: add to the noun the idea of ​​part of a unit.

Examples: half, half, twentieth, tenth, etc. It only took up a tenth of the room. They ate half of the cake.

• Indefinite adjective: it does not indicate a fixed amount, they are vague words.

Examples: many, few, some, others, no one, etc.

Adjective agreement

The adjective always agrees in gender and number with the name it accompanies, whether it is in front or behind. Example: Showy flower with bright colors.

If an adjective comes before several nouns, it agrees in gender and number with the first name. If it is about people, the adjective must be plural. Examples:

• The long journey and arrival were exhausting.
• The shy Pedro and Ana blushed.

If the adjective is placed after several nouns, agree in the plural with them, respecting their gender. Examples:

• An exhausting day and journey.
• A lasting joy and friendship.

If the adjective goes after the names, but they are of a different gender, the adjective will go in the plural and in the masculine, even if some of the names are feminine. Examples:

• A long day and a long night.
• A comfortable chair and sofa.

Special matching situations

• In the case of adjectives of several nouns at the same time, the adjective must be plural.

Example: My father and my brother are dark .

• In the case of adjectives of masculine and feminine nouns at the same time, the adjective must be in masculine.

Example: My father and my sister are dark.

• In case of adjectives preceding two nouns of different gender, the adjective must agree with the closest one.

Examples: The enormous dedication and effort they put in. The enormous effort and dedication they used.

Degrees of the adjective

They are designated as degrees of the adjective, the different intensities with which it indicates the possession by the noun of the quality with which it adjectives. In a similar way to what happens with the noun with respect to augmentatives and diminutives, the adjective has the following gradations:

Positive grade

An adjective is in a positive degree when it expresses a quality without giving an idea of ​​intensity. Vicente is agile and Pedro is strong.

Comparative grade

It expresses the quality in a comparative way with one or more others of the adjective noun; or also with the same quality in other nouns that have it. The comparative degree has several possibilities:

• Equality: indicates that the two qualities compared have the same intensity of presence in the qualified noun.

Example: It expresses itself in ways that are as cute as it is sympathetic.

• Superiority: indicates that one of the qualities compared has a greater intensity of presence in the qualified noun.

Example: It is expressed in more beautiful than sympathetic ways.

• Inferiority: indicates that one of the two qualities compared has a lower intensity of presence in the qualified noun.

Example: He expresses himself in less cute than sympathetic ways.

Superlative level

It expresses that the degree of possession of the quality is the maximum, or at least, far exceeds that of the other qualities compared. The superlative degree can be:

• Relative: when the comparison is made explicitly with all, some or some of the remaining qualities of the qualified noun; and of the other subjects of the same category.

Example: Enrique is the fastest of all the players.

• Absolute: when the adjectival quality is assigned to a high degree, without making an explicit comparison with other qualities.

Examples: Enrique is a very fast player. Enrique is a very fast player.

Didactic treatment of the adjective

For any grammatical analysis with a functional approach in the textual field, a sufficiently solid knowledge of idiomatic morphosyntax is required, in addition to knowledge of the other planes and levels of the language. It is not only about the grammatical relationships of the adjective, its structure and functions, it is necessary to have a more complete and systematic vision of the adjective due to its recurring presence in other lexical-semantic structures.

The adjective in textual analysis

Connections established by the adjective with other concepts:

• The description.

As an elocutive form, it is characterized by having the noun and the adjective as its dominant lexical categories, therefore it allows to systematize and work the adjective.

• The personification.

The adjective in personification is of utmost importance. It is unquestionable that this resource can be expressed through various forms or morphosyntactic structures, but the adjective can be used to work on identification and interpretation skills when this category carries in a general line a human quality or that of another living being that is added to a substantive concept inanimate, and thus the process of personification works perfectly, for example: brave rivers, laborious day, fierce wind, merciless sea. In some examples, the adjective has been prepended to the noun, but the position may change. In both cases, integrated into a context, it is necessary to analyze the semantic-stylistic effects produced by the order of placement.

• The epithet.

In grammar, the value of the adjective epithet is purely aesthetic, since it does not add any quality to the noun that is not inherent to it (white snow, soft breeze, etc); but in literature this form coincides with the metonymic epithet in which a real relationship is established (old iron), while the metaphorical epithet expresses a relationship by similarity (weeping willow), of course, both forms are updated in context. It is not always expressed with an adjective, a noun phrase is also used (Achilles, that of light feet).

• The metaphor.

The metaphor offers ample possibilities to systematize the adjective and promote a more complete interpretive work, for example: green hope, cheerful roses, fox eyes, solicitous bees, volcanic kisses, fiery words, clear ideas.

• The simile.

The comparison established by the simile is expressed on many occasions having the adjective as the semantic nucleus, an aspect that can and should be used to systematize the recognition and semantic analysis of the adjective: he is quick as an arrow, that man was strong like Hercules, his visit it was disastrous like a volcano.

• Characterization of characters.

This type of concept and ability included, can not be developed outside the adjective. Sometimes through direct characterization, the authors use precise and effective adjectives in shaping and confirming the performance of the characters, therefore this constitutes another opportune element for the systematization of the adjective concept, but the most important thing in this sense is The work with the ability of inference, since from the dialogues and the actions of the characters qualities that are expressed through the adjective as a lexical category can be inferred, this can be an exercise of high estimation.

The adjective is of extraordinary importance in textual analysis. There are multiple associations and semantic and communicative values ​​that they transmit when harmoniously integrated into the entire textual structure.

The adjective in the syntax

• Order of placement.

It is generally understood that the preposition of the adjective to the noun makes the receiver focus on the quality of the referent, so it can, without a doubt, constitute an intention on the part of the issuer. In general terms, at this level it is possible to ask: Where does the author place the adjective ?: Before or after the noun? At a distance or by contact? Is it attribute or predicative? At the beginning of the verse or at the end? What intention will it have? Why?

This field, which is less rich for stylistics, nevertheless offers some possibilities, especially for derogatory and diminutives. You can also appreciate the use of the degree and the different possibilities offered by the changes and varied uses of the degree within the text.

The adjective in the semantics of the text

The adjective is an individualizing and semanticizing element, so questions can be asked for the understanding of texts in which the adjective is a predominant type of word, and in which its analysis is necessary for its deep understanding: Are adjectives frequently used? ? What sensory sphere do they refer to: visual, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, auditory? What type of attribute do they refer to? Does it refer to the external or the internal human? Are they restrictive or not restrictive? Are they ordered gradually? Do many adjectives accumulate? What effects do they cause? Are they keywords? Why? What relationship do they have with characters, theme or title of the text? Are they related to antonymy, synonymy, paronymy with other kinds of words in the text? Are they epithets? What meaning do they reinforce? Do they have symbolic values? Which ones do they suggest? Do they form a semantic network or amalgam? Do they have a contrast, identity or other relationship? What meanings are repeated through the use of adjectives? What relationship do these meanings have with other classes? of words?

Text analysis should be graded according to understanding other texts in different functional styles , so in each case the adjective fulfills certain functions and assumes specific characteristics.

In the advertising style , journalistic genres such as news and reporting, whose functions are to inform, require more precision and impersonality and the use of the adjective is less, in the editorial and the article as genres of opinion and assessment, their use is more significant, as well as the chronicle that is a genre that participates in opinion and information.

The subjective nature of the colloquial style allows the very intense use of adjectives, in hyperbolic, metaphoric relationships, with great emotional nuance. Comparisons are also widely used, see the following examples: I will go faster than an arrow, he has a sad donkey face, he put it like an old shoe, he is better than bread.

In the scientific style, the adjective tends to be used in a more rational and precise way and technicalities abound.

The adjective in textual construction

There are many possibilities to work the writing with the use of the adjective. Here are some examples:

• Transform a prepositional group into an adjective or vice versa to appreciate similar functionalities and different nuances, as long as the structures allow it from the semantic point of view, and integrate it into a composition: fiery embrace for embrace of fire, words of thorn for thorny words, language of a knife for a sharp tongue.
• Transform descriptive texts and their semantic effects and intentions by changing adjectives.
• Incorporate adjectives into a text that lacks them and assess their stylistic-semantic effects.
• Creation of similes that have adjectives as their nucleus.
• Selection of adjectives to express more expressiveness in their meaning than the other, that is more artistic than the other, that is more dialect than the other, that is more technical than the other.
• Creation of dialogues in which adjectives and nouns are used that characterize the social origin of the interlocutors.
• Creation of dialogues in which people from different social and cultural origins intervene and cause confusion and contradictions.
• Writing of texts on some aspect of interest to the students in which adjectives with ironic or hyperbolic values ​​are used.
• Writing descriptive texts based on specific communicative situations given.

The generalization of the adjective concept is only achieved when the individual is able to determine their substantial indications and establish the existing conceptual relationships with other concepts, for which their study is necessary both at the level of language and at the level of speech. This in turn will allow to develop communicative competence.