Premodifiers, Determiners, and Word Formation in English
Premodifier Types
1. Determiners
2. Numbers
3. Adjectives
Premodifiers: Possible Forms
Most Common Forms
Adjectives:
En– participle, -ing participle
Noun:
Less Common Forms
- NP
- Adverb
- Coordinated clauses
The Function of Premodifiers
Epithets
Descriptors are used to ascribe quality or property to a referent:
Descriptive: They indicate an object’s quality.
Evaluative: They indicate a subjective quality. They can have a pejorative or an appreciative value:
Appreciative: a good film, an intelligent remark
Pejorative: a horrible film, a foolish remark
Both descriptive and evaluative: Meaning is contextual.
Variation in Meaning
Epithets are usually attributive adjectives. Attributive adjectives may appear in pre- or post-modifier positions. There is a slight difference in meaning.
Classifiers
Sub-classify the noun referent (i.e., type).
The Determiner
A determiner is a function word that precedes and modifies the noun. Determiners are different from adjectives.
- Determiners don’t occur with adjective-forming derivational suffixes -able, -ly
- Determiners don’t have comparative/superlative forms.
- Determiners don’t fit in both slots of the adjective text frame sentence.
- Determiners always precede any adjective or noun modifiers of a noun.
Types of Determiners
Grounding function: The speaker connects the entity (noun) to something accessible.
- Articles: Definite and indefinite articles. A dog by the car.
- Demonstratives: This car is mine, but that bicycle is my sister’s.
- Possessives: My dog died two weeks ago.
- Quantifying function: Not only grounding in reality but also an indication of quantity.
- Indefinites: Not exact quantity. some, any, many, most, few
- Cardinal Numbers: one, two, three, four; first, second, third, fourth
- Distributors: all, both, either, neither, each, every
Traditional Views of Determiners: Forms and Basic Uses
Determinatives:
Modifiers:
Determinatives:
Articles: Definite vs. indefinite reference. the man/ a man
Demonstratives: Near or not near the speaker. This book / that book
Possessives: To whom the entity belongs. My book/ your books
Distributives: Each child/ every day/ both twins
Quantifiers: Exact or non-exact quantities. Twelve pencils / a lot of pens
Basic Uses of the Article
1. Definite Article: the
Use the to identify specific or definite nouns: nouns that represent things, places, ideas, or persons that can be identified specifically. Use the with both singular and plural definite nouns.
Use the to identify things, places, ideas, or persons that represent a specific or definite group or category.
Indefinite Article: a or an
Use a or an to identify nouns that are not definite and not specific. Think of a and an as meaning any or one among many. Use a or an only for singular nouns. Do not use an article for a plural, indefinite noun. Think of a plural, indefinite noun as meaning all.
When to Use a and When to Use an
Choose when to use a or an according to the sound of the noun that follows it.
- Use a before consonant sounds.
- Use a before a sounded h, a long u, and o with the sound of w.
- Use an when h is not sounded.
Demonstrative Determinatives
They particularize the NP, indicating whether it is near or not near the speaker. Distance can be in space, time, or psychology.
They could also have an introductory function.
Possessive Determinatives
Including possessive determinatives (my, your, etc.) and possessive form (‘s). Remember ‘s is added to the whole NP. They specify the NP. When the ‘s form is used, they could also function as classifiers.
WH- Determinatives
Which, whose: Specific selection among a known number.
What: Identity of something.
Whatever, whichever: Non-specific selection.
Quantifiers
Determiners which particularize a referent (entity) by referring to its quantity.
Exact Numeratives
Indicate exact quantity:
Cardinal numbers: Function as determinatives.
Ordinal numbers: Indicate order and function as semi-determinatives (they follow a determinative). The first time. A second attempt. Every fifth step.
Indefinite Quantifiers
1. Some:
With non-count nouns: Specifies a quantity: some money, some time.
With count nouns: Specifies a number above two: some friends, some details.
Also has evaluative force: That really was some meal!/ I haven’t seen you for some time.
Any:
Specification of an indeterminate amount or number of something. With non-count and count nouns. In non-affirmative clauses: Have you got any change/coins? No. I haven’t any change/coins.
With the meaning of “no matter which or what”. In affirmative clauses. (Similar to everything/either): You can choose any of the main courses on the menu.
No:
Negation. With count, non-count, singular and plural nouns: There is no need to worry. No changes will be made.
Related pronoun: None: Have you got any change? No, I have none.
Much, little, a little, many, few, a few:
With definitive reference (known entity) = Partitive reference (a part of rather than the whole). Followed by “of”.
With indefinite reference (unknown entity) = Non-partitive reference. Followed by a noun.
Much/ Little= + non-count nouns: much food; little time.
Many/ few= + count nouns: many pubs; few seats.
A few= + non-count, plural noun: a few people.
Much and Many: In negative and interrogative sentences: Is there much food? There weren’t many choices.
Speech and dialogue: Much = a lot; little = not very much; a few = not many.
Quantifiers Followed by “Of Phrases”
With singular non-count plural count nouns: a lot of, plenty of, lots of
With singular non-count nouns: a great deal of
With plural count nouns: a number of
Other informal combinations: a lot/ lots of, heaps of, masses of
They could have partitive and non-partitive uses.
Distributors
All: Referring to a totality. With non-count nouns; plural nouns (generic sense). When non-generic, followed by “of phrase”:
Both: Referring to two entities together: both children/ both of the children had measles at the same time.
Either/Neither: Referring to two entities as alternatives: He can write with either hand / with either of his hands.
Every/Each: Referring to one of a group or series: Each= individual emphasized; every: collectivity emphasized: Each player was given a premium / Every known criminal of New York was there.
Word Formation
The term “word formation” refers to the processes through which new words are created.
Word Formation Processes
Compounding
It means creating a word by adding up two or more different words. Compound words have a new meaning, which is obviously related to the meanings of the other words. For example:
book + case = bookcase
sign + post = signpost
watch + man = watchman
Not all compound words are written together. Sometimes they can by hyphenated or separate, such as “traffic lights” or “ice-cream”. Some, such as “ice-cream” can be written with or without a hyphen.
Derivation: Prefixes and Suffixes
This process is normally done through suffixation or prefixation, that is to say, adding a suffix or a prefix. For instance:
urgent (adjective) + -cy = urgency (noun)
ir- + responsible (adjective) + -y = irresponsibly (adverb)
national (adjective) + -ise = nationalise
Conversion
Conversion happens when a word changes from one word class to another. For instance, the verb to google is formed from the noun Google; or the noun read (as in a good read) is formed from the verb to read. For example:
I emailed this document to John. (emailed is a verb formed from the noun email)
He was bullied at school as a child. (bullied is a verb formed from the noun bully)
Blending
This involves taking a part of two different words to make a new word, like merging two words based on the sounds of these words. This is extremely popular in the English language, and it produces hundreds of new words every year whose meanings are a mixture of the meanings of the original words. In some cases, these are informal, but there are many that have become a natural part of standard English. Let’s see some examples:
channel + tunnel = chunnel
motor + hotel = motel
work + alcoholic = workaholic
Abbreviation
When we abbreviate a word, we form another word by shortening it or simply by using only part of the word:
Perambulator -> pram
Veterinary -> vet
In general, we can talk about two types of abbreviation: clipping and acronyms.
Clipping
This means literally clipping the word, which means “cutting” the word to make it shorter. This normally makes the word more informal and/or appealing. Some examples are:
advertisement = ad
hamburger = burger
demonstration = demo
Acronyms
Acronyms, which are a form of abbreviation, are words formed by using only the first letter(s) of the words. By creating an acronym, we are reducing the meaning of a whole phrase or sentence to a single word. Let’s see some popular examples:
laughing out loud = LOL
United Nations = UN
radio detection and ranging = radar