Adjectives that describe vs. distinguish their referents Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)Adjectives that do not have predicative positionWhich adjectives can describe verbs?Adjectives that can used with certain nounsAdjectives to describe the word “questions”Adjectives that describe the general shape of fishesAdjectives that Imply NounsWhat category of adjectives is this? i.e. adjectives entirely unlike their nounsAdjectives that describe the language used in a literary textCan “this”, “that” and their plurals be used as substantive adjectives in formal writing?Adjectives to describe dismissive or disrespectful behaviour?
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Adjectives that describe vs. distinguish their referents
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)Adjectives that do not have predicative positionWhich adjectives can describe verbs?Adjectives that can used with certain nounsAdjectives to describe the word “questions”Adjectives that describe the general shape of fishesAdjectives that Imply NounsWhat category of adjectives is this? i.e. adjectives entirely unlike their nounsAdjectives that describe the language used in a literary textCan “this”, “that” and their plurals be used as substantive adjectives in formal writing?Adjectives to describe dismissive or disrespectful behaviour?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
Sometimes an adjective describes its referent: “My wonderful brother” means I think my brother is wonderful.
Sometimes an adjective distinguishes its referent from others like it: “My younger brother” picks out which of my brothers I’m talking about.
Sometimes people (jokingly or seriously) confuse these uses; I might say “My wonderful brother” to talk about one of them, and the other might joke “What, as opposed to your awful one?”
Does this make sense? Is there formal linguistics vocabulary for talking about this distinction?
adjectives linguistics
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
add a comment |
Sometimes an adjective describes its referent: “My wonderful brother” means I think my brother is wonderful.
Sometimes an adjective distinguishes its referent from others like it: “My younger brother” picks out which of my brothers I’m talking about.
Sometimes people (jokingly or seriously) confuse these uses; I might say “My wonderful brother” to talk about one of them, and the other might joke “What, as opposed to your awful one?”
Does this make sense? Is there formal linguistics vocabulary for talking about this distinction?
adjectives linguistics
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
add a comment |
Sometimes an adjective describes its referent: “My wonderful brother” means I think my brother is wonderful.
Sometimes an adjective distinguishes its referent from others like it: “My younger brother” picks out which of my brothers I’m talking about.
Sometimes people (jokingly or seriously) confuse these uses; I might say “My wonderful brother” to talk about one of them, and the other might joke “What, as opposed to your awful one?”
Does this make sense? Is there formal linguistics vocabulary for talking about this distinction?
adjectives linguistics
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
Sometimes an adjective describes its referent: “My wonderful brother” means I think my brother is wonderful.
Sometimes an adjective distinguishes its referent from others like it: “My younger brother” picks out which of my brothers I’m talking about.
Sometimes people (jokingly or seriously) confuse these uses; I might say “My wonderful brother” to talk about one of them, and the other might joke “What, as opposed to your awful one?”
Does this make sense? Is there formal linguistics vocabulary for talking about this distinction?
adjectives linguistics
adjectives linguistics
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
asked 2 hours ago
TophToph
1624
1624
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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votes
According to this page, adjectives can be descriptive or classifying. Descriptive adjectives are also called qualitative (see here).
In:
my wonderful brother
"wonderful" is a descriptive adjective.
In:
my younger brother
"younger" is classifying.
Depending on the context and the intention of the speaker, typically descriptive adjectives can be used to classify (as in the joke you mentioned: "my wonderful brother" as oppossed to "my awful brother").
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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According to this page, adjectives can be descriptive or classifying. Descriptive adjectives are also called qualitative (see here).
In:
my wonderful brother
"wonderful" is a descriptive adjective.
In:
my younger brother
"younger" is classifying.
Depending on the context and the intention of the speaker, typically descriptive adjectives can be used to classify (as in the joke you mentioned: "my wonderful brother" as oppossed to "my awful brother").
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
add a comment |
According to this page, adjectives can be descriptive or classifying. Descriptive adjectives are also called qualitative (see here).
In:
my wonderful brother
"wonderful" is a descriptive adjective.
In:
my younger brother
"younger" is classifying.
Depending on the context and the intention of the speaker, typically descriptive adjectives can be used to classify (as in the joke you mentioned: "my wonderful brother" as oppossed to "my awful brother").
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
add a comment |
According to this page, adjectives can be descriptive or classifying. Descriptive adjectives are also called qualitative (see here).
In:
my wonderful brother
"wonderful" is a descriptive adjective.
In:
my younger brother
"younger" is classifying.
Depending on the context and the intention of the speaker, typically descriptive adjectives can be used to classify (as in the joke you mentioned: "my wonderful brother" as oppossed to "my awful brother").
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
According to this page, adjectives can be descriptive or classifying. Descriptive adjectives are also called qualitative (see here).
In:
my wonderful brother
"wonderful" is a descriptive adjective.
In:
my younger brother
"younger" is classifying.
Depending on the context and the intention of the speaker, typically descriptive adjectives can be used to classify (as in the joke you mentioned: "my wonderful brother" as oppossed to "my awful brother").
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
answered 1 hour ago
GustavsonGustavson
2,2961613
2,2961613
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
Thank you! This is exactly it.
– Toph
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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