Determiners and Adjectivals

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Determiners and Adjectivals

• Ed McCorduck
• English 402--Grammar
• SUNY Cortland
• http//mccorduck.cortland.edu

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slide 2 basic rule for the structure of all NPs

• 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

English 402 Grammar
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slide 3 prenominal adjectives

• 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)

English 402 Grammar
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slide 4 postnominal adjectivals

• 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

English 402 Grammar
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slide 5 examples of NPs with various Dets and
ADJs

• 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 Osbornes dim-witted claptrap
• Det ADJ
  N

English 402 Grammar
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slide 6 types of determiners articles

• determiners
• articles
• definite article
• the
• indefinite article
• a / an

English 402 Grammar
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slide 7 articles with first and subsequent
mention

• 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.

English 402 Grammar
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slide 8 specific and nonspecific reference of
articles

• 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

English 402 Grammar
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slide 9 first and subsquent mention and
specific and nonspecific reference

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

English 402 Grammar
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slide 10 the zero article

• determiners
• articles
• zero article (no explicit article used)
• with (many) proper names

English 402 Grammar
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slide 11 use of the zero article with plural
count nouns with specific reference

• 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.

English 402 Grammar
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slide 12 use of the zero article with
uncountable nouns

• 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.

English 402 Grammar
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slide 13 types of determiners possessives

• possessives
• exx
• my
• your
• our
• his
• her
• its
• their

Antonios the undertakers
English 402 Grammar
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slide 14 types of determiners demonstratives

• demonstratives
• exx
• this
• that

these those
English 402 Grammar
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slide 15 types of determiners quantifiers

• quantifiers
• exx
• each
• every
• all
• several

many much
English 402 Grammar