The adjective phrase

Abstract

Besides adjectives proper, participles also function syntactically as adjectives. Adjectives used as predicate complements have an external argument which may raise to become the subject of a copula or the object of a transitive verb. Adjectives may take complements, although mostly they occur without one. A few adjectives take a nominal complement, but mostly the complement is a PP. The complement may also be an infinitival relative, which is the derivational basis of ‘tough’ constructions. An adjective may be preceded by a modifying degree phrase (DegP), expressing degree or comparison. The comparative and the superlative are expressed by modifiers ‘more’ and ‘most’, or by a suffix which is checked against an abstract degree element in DegP. DegP may be followed by a comparative phrase which is extraposed to the right of the adjective.