Ⅰ就其詞形結(jié)構(gòu)而言,形容詞可分為單字形容詞和復(fù)合形容詞.單字形容詞有
不帶詞綴的如big, small, good, hard,有帶前綴或后綴的如：
dislogal,impossible,unkind;beautiful,voiceless,bloody;unthinkab
le,monolingual等.復(fù)合形容詞的構(gòu)成是多種多樣的,如：
形容詞＋形容詞：bitter－sweet,deaf－mute;
形容詞／副詞＋ing分詞：good－looking,easy－going;
形容詞／副詞＋ed分詞：newly－built,well－meant;
名詞＋形容詞：grassgreen dutyfree；
名詞＋ing分詞：law－abiding,mouth－watering;
名詞＋ed分詞：hand－made,sun－burnt；
形容詞＋名詞＋ed：king－h(huán)earted,absent－minded；
Ⅱ就其句法功能而言,形容詞可分為中心形容詞(Central Adjective)和外
圍形容詞(Peripheral Adjective).例如：
Green apples are sour./Pillar－boxs are green/They have painted
the windows green.(這三個(gè)句子中“Green”分別充當(dāng)修飾語,主補(bǔ)和賓補(bǔ),為
中心形容詞,而在This is utter nonsense中,utter只能做修飾語,不能做
主補(bǔ),即不能說※The nonsense in utter;在This child is asleep中,asleep
只能做主補(bǔ),不能做修飾語,即不能說※This is an asleep child.
Ⅲ就其詞匯意義而言,形容詞可分為靜態(tài)形容詞(Stative Adj.如tall,big
short,small,shallow,deep,ugly,beautiful等)和動(dòng)態(tài)形容詞(Dynamic
Adj.,如witty,patient,generous等)兩者有以下區(qū)別意義：
1動(dòng)態(tài)形容詞可與系動(dòng)詞be的進(jìn)行體搭配作補(bǔ)語,而靜態(tài)形容詞不可.說She is being witty；而不可以說※She is being beautiful.
2動(dòng)態(tài)形容詞可用于以動(dòng)詞be開首的祈使句,而靜態(tài)形容詞不可.如可以說Be patient!Be careful!不可以說※Be tall! small!
3動(dòng)態(tài)形容詞可用于使役結(jié)構(gòu),而靜態(tài)形容詞不可.如可以說I persuaded her to be generous,但不可以說※I persuaded her to be beautiful.