Syntactic Functions. The article. Property of substance, partial nominative value, страница 3

-  the analytical degrees of comparison, which are formed with the help of "more" and "most":

             One of the strongest argument for such an approach is that forms with "more" and "most" are in                                                                        :his

'gcomplementary distribution with the -er , -est forms. Yet this approach is not consistent due to the

       following considerations;                                                                                           i is

—1) "more" and "most" preserve their lexical meaning, in which they are contrasted to "less" and "least" that denote the weakening of quality. Shpuld they be also included into the category of degrees of cal

^ comparison? The answer is "no" beca»5s^ they do not have a grammatically expressed synthetic in parallel.    ve

2)  There exist the so-called "elative" "more" and "most" (express a great degree of quality): e.g. a most gimportant point. Following the line of reasoning in 1), we cannot include them into the category of degrees of comparison (otherwise we should consider including the combinations with "very", le "extremely", etc.). Besides, the adjectives that enter the m6rphological category of degrees of comparison can be used in elative structures, too: e.g. a most brave action.

3)  Syntactically, "more" and "most" preserve attributive relations with adjectives (e.g. more attractive less attractive, very attractive - rather attractive), while there are no syntactic relations between the )f elements of an analytical form.      n

Thus we are to conclude that only monosyllabic qualitative adjectives and some disyllabic ones enter e the morphological category of degrees of comparison.

5. Syntactic Functions

Combinability. Adjectives possess right-hand combinability with nouns and the noun substitute "one"; "^left-hand connections with link verbs and adverbs.

In a sentence adjectives perform attributive and predicative functions. According to this ability, '^adjectives in the present-day English language are divided into the following groups;

1)  only attributive: e.g. the main reason, a total stranger, a runaway horse, a daily newspaper, a constant companion;

There is a variety of the attributive position - the postposition. The adjectives that can be used only in postposition reveal a great similarity with predicative adjectives: e.g. the bishop designate, the president elect. Yet most of the English adjectives used attributively can appear both in pre- and postposition. Both perform a qualifying fijnction but in postposition the property denoted is temporally limited: e g the only river navigable - the only river that happens to be navigable at the moment; the only navigable river - the only river that is navigable in those parts, VVho are the guilty people (qualificative characterization, nontemporal) - Who are the people guilty (temporal characteristic), the visible stars - the stars visible.

2)  only predicative: e.g. asleep, afraid, afloat, ablaze;

3)  attributive and predicative: e.g. an arguable point - this point is arguable; a responsible man - this man is responsible,; a clever girl - this gir is clever