SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS OF THE ADJECTIVAL GROUP
AdjGs can realize functions in both group and clause structures, as follows:
AdjGs in groups
• (pre-)modifier in a NG: a very good actor, heavy rain, an old friend
• (post-)modifier in a NG: something cheap, the person responsible
• head of a NG: the French, the sick, the most expensive
• complement of a preposition: at last, for good, in short
• modifier in an AdjG: bright red, pale blue, red hot
AdjGs in clauses
• Subject Complement: The acting was brilliant.
• Object Complement: I consider that offensive.
Peripheral AdjGs
• Stance Adjunct: Strange, I never suspected him.
• Detached predicative supplement: Angry and tearful, Susan walked out.
• Exclamation: Fine! Great! Right! Fantastic!
Among adjectives as modifiers, the type ‘a good actor’ constitutes a special use of certain adjectives, as in a slow reader, a hard worker, a big eater. This is sometimes called the process-oriented use, as the adjective doesn’t modify the noun directly, but rather the manner of performing the action. However, the manner of performing the action may become a characteristic feature of the entity: I’m a sound sleeper means, in effect, ‘I always sleep soundly’.
Stance Adjuncts make an evaluative comment on the content of the whole clause. In common use in this function are: odd, strange (Odd, I never noticed). Others such as More important still can also function as connectives between clauses.
Detached predicatives such as angry and tearful are a type of supplementive unit, that is, a unit used non-restrictively. They are common in certain written genres and generally absent from conversation.
Adjectives as exclamations as in Great! can be considered as ellipted copula clauses: That’s great! That was awesome (AmE)
