Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Today inshallah we are
going to discuss just a new subject that is
adjectives in English and Arabic. We are going to
see the different types of adjectives in English
the attributive and the predicative adjectives and
their types in English, their order in English.
You know, we have a specific order for the
adjectives in English. You have to follow it once
you translate it from Arabic to English or when
you
just write English. You have to follow a specific
system just in using the adjectives. Sometimes the
adjective can modify one noun which is always, you
know, the adjectives modify a noun or pronoun, but
you have one adjective modifying a noun, sometimes
you have two adjectives modifying a noun, or more
than two adjectives. How could you deal with these
adjectives? How could you order them in the
sentence? Okay, this is what we are going to
discuss today. And we are going to see Arabic. Do
we have a specific system for ordering the
adjectives in Arabic? Is there a specific system
or not? There's no specific system in Arabic. The
specific system is available in English. Arabic is
more liberal in the order of adjectives than
English. So this causes what's called negative
interference. Once you translate from Arabic to
English, you commit serious errors in the order of
the adjectives. These may be interlingual errors
or interlingual errors. We are going to see the
subject today in detail to come out with the
results and to clarify the areas of difficulties
in using adjectives.
First of all, let's see the definition of
adjectives.
It can be modified. I mean, the adjective can be
modified as a word that modifies or qualifies a
noun or pronoun.
In one of three forms, either comparative degree,
positive degree, or superlative degree. We have
three types of comparison in English. The positive
degree as strong as comparative degree stronger
than the superlative degree the strongest.
So the main syntactic rule of adjectives is to
modify a noun or pronoun.
Here we see the
adjectives and the modifying objects, I mean the
nouns. Large towers could be seen from long
distance. Long distance. Long is an adjective.
It modifies the noun distance. This is called
attributive adjective. Once the adjective precedes
the noun or the pronoun, it is called attributive
adjective. And once it follows or post modifies
the noun, it is called predicative adjective.
The fish-shaped balloon floated over the treetops.
Fish-shaped balloon. Fish-shaped is an adjective
modifying or demodifying balloon. Okay, in this
sentence. The back room was filled with large
yellow rain boats. We have two adjectives
describing one noun or demodifying one noun, rain
boats. Two adjectives. Once you have two
adjectives, you separate between them by using a
comma. Okay? Large yellow. These are called also
attributive adjectives. The cool minds are dark
and dank. The girls are happy. Okay? We have here
the cool minds, which is the noun. to be modified
in the sentence as you see the cool minds are dark
and dank the girls are happy now all the
adjectives dark dank happy are attribute are
predicative adjectives because they post modify
the noun okay so once the adjective comes after
the noun it is called predicative adjective and
once it precedes the noun it is called attributive
adjective.
Now we have also another type of adjective this is
morphological type I mean The adjective which can
be formed of two or more words combined by the use
of hyphens. Once we explained compounding to you
previously, we spoke about hyphenated compounding,
space compounding, and solid compounding. You
still recall that? Okay. The three-year-old child.
Three-year-old, this is an adjective. It modifies
a noun, which is, where is the noun here? Child.
Is it called predicative or attributive?
Attributive. Okay. A $60 sweater.
Okay. So we have a $60 as attributive adjective,
modifying the noun sweater. A two-week journey.
We have journey modified by the adjective two
-week. These are called attributive adjectives.
Yes, here once you have a number preceding a noun
this noun remains in its base generated position
in its sorry in its base position in its stem
position cannot accept any inflection so you can't
for example say sixty dollars sweeter it's wrong
three years old child it's wrong you have to say
three three year sixty dollar two week okay
once the noun is preceded by a number written
number as you see then there must be no plural at
all the noun remains in its singular status it
stands as an adjective as
we mentioned we have the adjectives appear in two
main types either attributive modifying a noun
or predicative post modifying the noun you see
okay the new secretary is a bsc holder the new
secretary new It's an adjective. Is it attributive
or predicative? Attributive. The tall men are
basketball players.
Basketball players. So we have tall men. What do
you call tall? Attributive adjective. We have
predicative adjectives. When the adjective Post
modifies the noun which when it comes after the
noun okay this is when an adjective used after the
verbs be seen look become and other link verbs and
is a part of the predicate it's it's said to be
predicative adjective she is afraid of ghosts what
does afraid as an adjective modify it modifies she,
this is the pronoun. Does it come after or before?
After. So this is called predicative adjective.
The address is new, isn't it? Okay, new is an
adjective. Post modifying the address. Okay, so it
is predicative adjective. She looks rich. I feel
unhappy. What about rich and unhappy? They are
adjectives. The first one, rich, post-modifies the
pronoun she. It is called predicative. And unhappy
also is predicative. It post-modifies the pronoun
I.
We have some fixed phrases where the adjective
comes after the noun. We say, for example,
secretary-general. The United Nations secretary
-general.
Attorney-general.
President-elect. Court martial.
God Almighty, poet laureate, attorney general. So
you have these nouns are always post modified by
predicative adjective. Okay, we say for example,
Mudir Aam. How could we translate it?
General director? It's wrong. Director general.
Okay.
Yes, it is the same as secretary general. Yeah.
Most of the adjectives ending in A-P-L-E or I-P-L
-E come after the noun. They post modify the noun.
Most of them appear as a form of predicative
adjectives. Okay? Send all the tickets available
we
say available tickets but here tickets available
both and they alternate either pre-modifying or
post-modifying once they end with ABLE or IBLE
it's the only solution possible or possible
solution okay
Now we have adjectives come directly after the
universal and partitive pronouns, something,
everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere,
and similar words. You have, once we say everyone,
anyone, everybody, these are called universal
pronouns. Somebody, someone, these are called
partitive pronouns, okay? Anywhere, etc. So once
you have these pronouns,
we have the adjectives come after them. Have you
read anything interesting? We cannot say, have you
read interesting things? Anything interesting
lately? Let's go somewhere quiet. Let's go
somewhere quiet. We cannot say let's go some
quiet, okay? Somewhere quiet somewhere. It's
wrong. Let's go somewhere quiet.
Okay, once you have we have another sentence. Have
you ever read anything interesting lately? So we
have interesting as an adjective. What do you call
it predicative or attributive? Predicative why?
Because it is preceded by the pronoun anything
Let's go somewhere quiet as you see Okay we have
Adjectives
called present proper.
Which they refer to, which refer to time. They
mean here or there.
The present members, when I say the present
members, those who are members now. Those who are
actually members now. The members present,
the students present, the students who are present
now a moment in the class. The present students,
okay, we speak about the students registered in
the course.
So once you have the word present followed by a
noun, it can be attributive, it can be
predicative, but the meaning differs. Once you
translate, the meaning must be different. You have
to take care of that. Absent.
As I mentioned,
the present members and members present. We have
adjectives preceding the noun, such as proper,
means real or genuine. Once it comes after the
noun, it refers to the central or main part of
something. Olive mountain, جبل الزيتون is a proper
mountain, not a hill. Proper comes before. This is
an attributive adjective. Olive Mountain is a
proper mountain, not a hill. After two days
crossing the foothills, they reached the mountain
proper. So we have proper preceding the noun and
proper following the noun. And the two sentences
are completely different in meaning. Okay? Olive
Mountain is a proper mountain, not a hill. After 201 00:16
derived originally from a noun. We have what is
called attributive adjectives. We agree that the
attributive adjectives precede or follow the noun.
Precede the noun. Heavy rain is expected in the
island. Heavy. What do you call heavy? Attributive
adjective, mainly because it precedes the noun. We
saw savage animals on the zoo. Savage. Again,
attributive because it precedes and pre-modifies
the noun animals.
Now, we have different types of attributive
adjectives. We have adjectives of quality. They
refer to a quality of the subject. Once we say,
for example, Egypt is a beautiful country. Where's
the adjective? It's beautiful. Does it post-modify
or pre-modify the noun? Pre-modify the noun. This
is why it is called attributive. She's a tall
girl. Tall. The same. So we have adjectives of
quality. which they qualify or they refer to the
quality of the subject. We have adjectives of
quantity or quantitative adjectives.
They answer the question, how much? He's a little
stupid. I had some tea. So they answer the
question, how much?
We've seen the adjectives of quality, the
adjectives of quantity, and now the adjectives of
number.
The adjectives of number are attributive and they
always denote numbers. They can be definitive
numeral adjectives, which they denote exact
number. Give me five pencils. Five pencils. Five
is an adjective. This is a numerical adjective
standing as attributive adjectives. Five pencils.
I have one pencil with me. One. Okay? So it is
definite because it is known. We have still
indefinite numeral adjectives.
They do not denote specific number. Give me some
pins. Where's the adjective? Some. Okay. Several
students attended the meeting. Where's the
adjective? Several. So they are generic. They do
not refer to a specific number. We have what is
called distributive adjective. Distributive
numeral adjectives.
These refer to each one of a number. Words like
each, every, either, neither fall in this
category. Okay? So distributive numeral adjectives
refer to words like each, every, either, neither.
Each of the students is to pay a fine. Each of the
students. Where's the adjective? Each. It is still
attributive. Our country expects every man to do
his duty. Where's the adjective? Every. Each
student must take his turn. Each. Every boy, girl,
man and woman was enjoying the fun with him.
Every. Neither side was secured. Muhammad wanted
everyone to do his duty honestly and efficiently.
Everyone. Either reference will meet my need.
Either.
We still have demonstrative adjectives which they
refer to attributive adjectives. This boy is my
brother. This, that. Those, these. Okay, these
fruits are spoiled. So this boy, what is the
adjective here? The demonstrative pronoun stands
as an adjective, attributive adjective. This,
these fruits, these. Originally it is
demonstrative adjective, it's a determiner, but it
stands as an adjective. We have what is called
interrogative adjectives.
Okay?
These refer to words like what, which, whose, etc.
They are used with nouns to ask questions. Whose
car is this? Where's the adjective here? Whose car
is this? Whose is an adjective. What do you call
it? Attributive or predicative? Attributive
because it remodifies the noun car okay it is
called demonstrative adjectives because it is
originally a demonstrative pronoun. We have
possessive adjectives like myself, my, your, his,
her, it our it's our their okay possessive
pronouns i mean possessive pronouns okay what's
your aim where's the adjective here in the
sentence your okay it stands as possessive
adjective
This means that the possessive pronouns are called
possessive adjectives. They are always
attributive, as you see. The interrogative
adjectives, I mean the pronoun, the interrogative,
the which questions, which, whose, what, etc.
These are called attributive adjectives. The
demonstrative adjectives are originally
demonstrative pronouns. This, that, these, those,
etc.
Still, we have the types of attributive
adjectives.
Now, once you have multiple adjectives which they
modify only one subject, we use commas to separate
between these adjectives. The white hangry cat ate
the cheese. The white hangry. We have two
adjectives. They are separated by A comma. The
bike is red, slow and very old. Bike is red, slow.
The third one is simulated by or connected by and.
Okay?
If you have... Second example. The bike is red,
slow and very old. This is attributable. The bike
is red, slow and very old. It is not attributive,
it's predicative. We mentioned that once the
adjective follows the noun, it is predicative.
Once it follows, but once it precedes the noun, it
is attributive so we have post modification and
pre modification post modification is related to
predicative adjectives and pre modification is
related to attributive adjectives now
if you have two adjectives we speak about the
predicative If you have two adjectives both
modifying the noun, then they are connected to
each other by using and without a comma. Mary is
silly and annoying.
Alistair is cool, funny, intelligent, and smart.
Okay, so you have the first two adjectives
separated by a comma, okay? And the last two
adjectives are joined by N without comma, okay? If
you have two adjectives post modifying a noun,
they are connected with and without commas.
We have what is called participial adjective. The
one which has the form of a participle. An amusing
story. What do you call this? Amusing. Adjective,
yes. But what do you call it? Redicutive or
attributive? Attributive. Attributive. A lying
divination. A lying still attributive. We have
compound adjectives.
Okay? I mean, the one that consists of two or more
words joined together. either by a hyphen or
solid, okay, like not brown, laughter-loving, four
-footed, threefold, lord-like, lovesick, okay. We
have here hyphenated adjectives and we have solid
adjectives. Still, all of them are compound
adjectives, okay.
We come to the most tricky area of adjectives now.
The order of these adjectives.
In most languages, adjectives are controlled or
bound by a specific order. Still, some other
languages like Arabic is very free, is liberal,
The order of adjectives is highly dynamic. There
is no rule for governing the adjectives in Arabic
except their importance. We classify the
adjectives in the Arabic sentence according to its
importance. The most important one, then the
important one, then the least important one, as we
are going to explain later. However, this is not
available in English. English has a specific and
very strict rule for ordering the adjective in the
sentence. This is very problematic for the Arab
learners of English because once they translate
from Arabic into English, they commit serious
errors. They just write the adjectives or
translate the adjectives very spontaneously. Okay,
completely like Arabic by this they commit
interlingual errors, you know Interlingual yes So
adjective pertaining size for example generally
precede adjective pertaining the age size Precedes
age. So we say for example little old Little old
Boy or child. Not old, little. Okay? So, size
precedes age.
These two precedes what is called color. We say,
for example, old, green. Not green, old. The age
precedes color.
So this order, I mean size, all, age, then color
is very systematic in English. However, it is not
like so in Arabic or other languages. So it is
more rigid. This means that the order is not like
so. The order of adjectives in Arabic is quite
elastic, quite free, liberal. It depends on their
importance in the sentence.
Now, the attributive adjectives and the
predicative adjectives may have the same order in
the sentence. This is in English. The package is
small and light. The weather is clear, cold, and
dry.
Okay, this is English. We cannot say the weather
is cold, clear, and dry. Or cold, dry, clear. It's
wrong. You have to start with clear, then cold,
then dry. We're going to give the exact rule for
that. The photo stool is round and black.
Now, in the first example, the adjective small
indicates size. It precedes the adjective light,
indicating weight. Light, the opposite is heavy.
Okay? In the second example, the general
descriptive adjective clear precedes the adjective
cold indicating temperature cold temperature clear
which precedes the adjective dry which indicating
humidity in the
third example, the adjective round indicating
shape precedes the adjective black indicating
color Okay? So shape precedes color.
Okay? Now, if you have, as I mentioned, if you
have more than one adjective, then you have to use
punctuations. Okay? You have to use punctuations.
If you have two adjectives, you separate between
them by using a comma if they are attributive. But
The frightened child. The sky is aglow. The
glowing sky. The animal is alive. The live animal.
The boy is asleep. The sleeping boy. Okay?
We have also the demonstrative pronoun stands
as predicative adjective as it stands as
attributive as we mentioned previously the
children are here the records were there I'm ready
ready works as completely like the demonstrative
pronoun in this regard it takes or it comes as
predicative adjective okay now the adjective
either attributive or predicative change the
meaning once the adjective once the adjective
comes after the noun it's predicative it changes
the meaning if it stands before okay so you have
what is called predicative adjectives and
attributive adjectives you have the same the same
adjective can take both both characteristics,
either predicative or attributive. But here, the
sentence completely changes. Okay? We have, the
treasurer was prisoned. The prison treasurer. I
need you to translate these sentences. Robin
Harris was late. The late Robin Harris. My friend
is poor. My poor friend. So what I need from you
is just to translate these sentences and to come
next time preparing the adjectives and their
punctuations. If you have two adjectives preceding
the noun, how could you order them? I need you to
prepare or to come to me next time understanding
or preparing the order of adjectives. We have
adjectives of descriptive adjectives. We have
size. We have color adjectives. We have
temperature adjectives. We have humidity
adjectives, age adjectives, shape adjectives. How
could you order them in the sentence we need you
to come next time with a timetable or an order of
these sentences systematic order of the sentence
and how to punctuate these adjectives okay next
time we are going to speak about the rest of the
adjectives and we are going to shift to Arabic
adjectives okay that's it for today thank you