Substantivization of adjectives

It is common knowledge that adjectives can, under certain circumstances be substantivized, i.e. become nouns. This is a phenomenon found in many languages.

In Modern English substantivized adjectives are:

1. wholly substantivized (converted into nouns). They acquire all the characteristics of nouns.

Let’s recollect the characteristic features of noun in modern English. The features are:

1. ability to form a plural,

2. ability to have a form in –‘s if a living being is denoted,

3. ability to be modified by an adjective and to have any attribute,

4. ability to perform the functions of subject or object in a sentence,

5. ability to be used with the definite and indefinite article,

1. partially substantivized, that is, they take only the definite article.

Wholly substantivized adjectives

1. A native, a relative, a criminal, a black, a white, a liberal, a European, a stupid. E.g. I’m a stupid.

2. To the same group belong adjectives denoting nationality: a Russian, an American, a Greek, a Chinese, a Swiss.

Note: Names of nations ending in –ss, -se have one form for both numbers: a Chinese – two Chinese; a Swiss – two Swiss

The names of languages Russian, English, etc. also belong to wholly substantivized adjectives and they are wed without any article.

3. To the same group belong some substantivized participles II which are the singular and the plural, but have one form for both numbers: The accused are…The accused is…

Partially substantivized adjectives

1. Partially substantivized adjectives denote all the persons possessing the above mentioned by the adjectives as a group, but not separate individuals: The rich were his enemies. If separate individuals are meant, some nouns (man, person, people) must be added: A rich man, rich people. The same applied to substantivized adjectives denoting nations and endings are –sh,-ch. Used with the definite article, they denote the whole nations: The English and the French were in arms against each other. But we say “Englishmen, English people” if separate members of the nation are meant.

2. Some participles can be partially substantivized: the unemployed.

3. Abstract notions are partially substantivized: the picturesque, the agreeable, the sentimental, the cold, etc. e.g. He lost his direction in the dark.

4. Substantivized adjectives are used with a singular meaning in the following prepositional phrases: in the negative, in the open, on the whole, in the main, in short.

5. A comparative is substantivized in the phrases: to get the better of something, a change for the better.

6. A superlative is substantivized in the following expressions: in the least, at the best, at one’s best.

Test questions:

1. What is the definition of an adjective?

2. What are according to Khaimovich B.S. the typical features of an adjective?

3. How many types of an adjective do you know? What are they? Give their definitions.

4. What are grammatical characteristics of qualitative adjectives?

5. What are grammatical characteristics of relative adjectives?

6. What ways are the degrees of comparison of adjectives built? Explain.

7. What is substantivization?

8. What are two types of substantivized adjectives? Explain.

9. What type of adjective is limited in English?

Exercise 1: Comment on the underlined adjectives.

1. She was his oldest child. 2. “Come and shake hands with Mr. Carey, Sally.” He turned to Philip. “Isn’t she enormous? She is my eldest. How old are you, Sally?” “Fifteen, father, come next June.” 3. Marie climbed hastily into the nearest compartment and was lost to sight. 4. Next morning Mildred was silky and taciturn. 5. No further news had come. 6. In the further corner sat Philbric, talking in Welsh to a shady-looking old man. 7. The last laugh died away. 8. The latest news was very important. 9. The wooden bridge was nearly three quarters of a mile across. 10. His wooden face creased into a smile and then returned to its former unexpressiveness. 11. She sent him a gold cigarette case. 12. The sand was golden yellow as if the sun struck through the water all the way to the bottom of the sea.

Exercise 2: Fill in appropriate articles before substantivized adjectives where necessary. Tell whether an adjective wholly-substantivized or partially-substantivized.

1. She was twenty-four. Her skin was pale with a touch of … green. 2. She had dressed carefully – the dress matching the tone of her skin seemed to emphasize … green of her eyes. 3. Fanny Price coloured. The blood under her unhealthy skin seemed to be … strange purple. 4. The sky was … light, radiant blue, but, although it was only early afternoon, a mist was creeping on the brilliant grass. 5. His eyes were large and blue, but … blue was pale, and they looked rather tired already. 6. I have nice hair. It is black - … real black, not … dark brown. 7. The sun in the west was a drop of … burning gold that slid nearer and nearer the sill of the world. 8. I enjoyed the sensation of sitting quietly beside her and looking at … pale gold of her hair and … pale gold of her skin. 9. Ralph ignored Jack’s question. He pointed to the touch of … yellow above the sea. 10. There was a scent of honey from the lime trees in flower, and in the sky … blue was beautiful, with a few white clouds which looked and perhaps tasted like lemon ice. 11. He himself had always liked … French, feeling at home with their wit, their taste, their cooking. 12. He’s … Swiss, I believe. 13. I thought he was … Turkey as he spoke … fluent Turkish. 14. You can’t be a captain because you don’t know … Italian well enough. 15. I only write about what a beautiful place we live in and how brave … Italians are. 16. … Swiss are a very intelligent race and keenly alive to architectural beauty. 17. At dinner I ate very quickly and left for the villa where … British had their hospital. 18. I was obviously … German in Italian uniform. 19. You don’t understand … German, do you? She wasn’t Swede, like her husband. 20. It would be better to be in the study hall than out in … cold. 21. You are too brave. Nothing ever happens to … brave. The coward dies a thousand deaths, … brave but one. 22. It was always your ambition to be a nurse and help … sick ever since you were a little child, wasn’t it? 23. Philip learned how little there was in common between … poor and classes above them. 24. Old Jolyon sighed; he had an insatiable appetite for … young. 25. We’ll be getting to Twelve Oaks in a little bit, and every man there, … old and … young, wanting to know about the horses.

Exercise 3. Translate into English, using the adjective, underline it and comment on its use.

1. Прекрасное всегда радует глаз. 2. Он внезапно вышел из комнаты. 3. Небо было ярко-голубое. 4. Чёрный был определённо не её цвет. 5. Не стойте на холоде. Вы хотите заболеть? 6. Это были люди, которые посвятили себя изучению неизвестного. 7. У неё были тёмно-золотистые волосы, тёмно-коричневые глаза, а кожа бледно-золотистая. 8. Старые не всегда и даже большую часть времени не чувствуют себя старыми. 9. Элиза была прекрасна в чёрном и белом. 10. Мне нравится ваша седина на висках. 11. Они просили его о невозможном. 12. У неё были тёмно-голубые глаза. 13. Я полагаю, вы правы, всё идёт к лучшему. 14. Он принял неизбежное. 15. Большинство раненых были спокойны, но некоторые очень шумели. 16. Когда мы вместе работали, я делал вам много хорошего. 17. Он, бывало, вознаграждал добрых и наказывал жестоких. 18. У неё были необыкновенные способности смешивать главное с второстепенным. 19. Её мысли были заняты будущим. 20. Джейн была высокая, смуглая и красивая. Она была одета в белое, а в её чёрных волосах сияли бриллианты. 21. Они русские. Русские – прекрасный народ. 22. Говорят, он не швед, а болгарин. 23. Он хорошо говорил по-немецки и гораздо хуже по-английски. 24. Я думал, что вы сказали, что он француз, так как он хорошо говорит по-французски. 25. “Не может быть, что вы англичанин, так как вы недостаточно хорошо знаете английский. Вы даже и не итальянец”. “Я чех, но я был в Италии, - сказал я, - и говорил по-итальянски”.

Unit 2