Grammatical characteristics of qualitative adjectives
1. They have no certain typical suffixes.
2. They form adverbs with the suffix –ly (dangerous-dangerously). Some qualitative adjectives are homonymous in form with the adverbs (fast).
3. Most qualitative adjectives have degrees of comparison (big-bigger-the biggest, careless-more careless-the most careless). Some qualitative adjectives such as greenish, chief, principal, -incurable don’t have degrees of comparison.
4. Most qualitative adjectives can be used as attributes and predicatives.
- The young man was introduced (attribute)
- He was rich (predicative)
Grammatical characteristics of relative adjectives
1. They have certain typical suffixes, such as –en, -ist, -an, -to, -cal: Italian, socialist, synthetic, analytical.
2. They do not form adverbs with the suffix –ly.
3. They have no degrees of comparison.
4. They are chiefly used as attributes, though can be used as predicatives.
- A monthly group meeting (attribute)
- The morning was windy (predicative)
In English the number of relative adjectives is limited.
A few relative adjectives are formed from nouns by means of the suffix –en (wooden); some relative adjectives are formed from nouns by the suffix –ly (daily); some relative adjectives are converted from nouns (silk, gold). Adjectivized nouns are used with the meaning of relative adjectives: a summer day, the Hanoi’s theatres.
It must be pointed out that no hard and fast line of demarcation exists between relative and qualitative adjectives.
A relative adjective may acquire the meaning of a qualitative one.
- A silver watch (relative). A silver stream (qualitative).
Note the use of the forms in –en when the relative adjectives gold, flax, wax acquire qualitative meanings:
A gold chain (relative)
Golden hair (qualitative)
A wax candle (relative)
Waxen cheeks (qualitative)
A silk dress (relative)
Silken hair (qualitative)
Degrees of comparison
The category of the degrees of comparison of adjectives is the system of opposemes (long-longer-longest) showing quantitative distinction of qualities.
1. Positive degree (is not marked, we may speak of a zero morpheme).
2. Comparative degree.
3. Superlative degree.
Practically most grammarians believe that there are two degrees of comparison: the comparative and the superlative, in contrast to which the adjective expressing the simple quality without comparison is said to be in the positive degree.
The last two degrees are built up either synthetically (by the inflexions –er,
-est ) or analytically(by adding more and most).
The forms of the superlative degree are usually used with the definite article. The phrase “most adjective”, on the other hand, may be used with the indefinite article. In that case it expresses a very high degree of quality of a property without implying any comparison.
-It is the mostinteresting book I have ever read (a part of the analytical form of the superlative degree of the adjective “interesting”).
-It is a mostinteresting book (an adverbial modifier of degree to the attribute “interesting”, a most interesting = very interesting).
The basic meaning of the superlative is that of a degree of a property surpassing all the other objects mentioned or implied. However, there are cases when the meaning is different and merely a very high degree of a property is meant without any comparison with other objects possessing the property.
-It is withthe greatest pleasurethat…
Here the thing is not compared but is regarded as possessing a certain quality in a very high degree. In such cases the definite article is sometimes omitted.
This meaning of the form is usually described as the elative. It seems to have a peculiar stylistic colouring, being essentially uncolloqual.