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 Sun Oct 22, 2006 18:10 pm Gradable and ungradable adjectives |
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Hi Quoc
Why aren't other moderators permitted to answer your questions? 
Tom |
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Tom
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| Sun Oct 22, 2006 18:48 pm Gradable and ungradable adjectives |
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Why don't you give it a try yourself, Tom? 
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Amy
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Yankee
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| Sun Oct 22, 2006 20:37 pm Questions |
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Hi Tom,
Personally I prefer to answer questions from contributors who are seeking help about/explanations of particular language points that interest or worry them rather than be, as it were, summoned to answer a scatter gun array of points.
Alan
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| Sun Oct 22, 2006 21:28 pm Gradable and ungradable adjectives |
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| Amy wrote: | | Why don't you give it a try yourself, Tom? |
OK, Amy, I will have a bash at it. 
First of all, for reason unknown, I am not comfortable with the word "great" in the first series of sentences. I think it could simply read as:
1- The financial and political situation /conditions of the country at that time...
Maybe:
2- The country was facing great political and financial problems at that point of time.
In the second series, I think, number 10 is correct.
1- I can't read that boring and depressing English novel.
Maybe:
1- I can't read that boring, depressing English novel.
Tom
PS Do we agree, Amy? |
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Tom
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 30 May 2006
Posts: 1986
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| Sun Oct 22, 2006 22:06 pm Gradable and ungradable adjectives |
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Thank you, Tom. You've done quite admirably. 
| Quote: | | First of all, for reason unknown, I am not comfortable with the word "great" in the first series of sentences. |
The word 'great' could be used to mean 'wonderful'.
| Quote: | | 1- The financial and political situation /conditions of the country at that time... |
With this structure, you are referring to both the financial situation/conditions and the political situation/conditions equally.
| Quote: | Maybe:
2- The country was facing great political and financial problems at that point of time. |
Here the word 'great' means 'large' and refers to both the political problems as well as the financial problems.
| Quote: | In the second series, I think, number 10 is correct.
1- I can't read that boring and depressing English novel.
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OK
| Quote: | Maybe:
1- I can't read that boring, depressing English novel. |
OK
| Quote: | | PS Do we agree, Amy? |
Well done. 
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
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| Sun Oct 22, 2006 22:09 pm Gradable and ungradable adjectives |
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Wow! Tom, BRAVO! |
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 Pamela
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| Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:50 am Gradable and ungradable adjectives |
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| tung quoc wrote: | 1. The great financial political conditions. C This may be "mechanically" correct, but this grouping of words is nonsense. Therefore, I consider it to be incorrect.
2. The great financial, political conditions. I
3. The great, financial and political conditions. I
4. The great, financial, political conditions. I
5. The boring depressing English novel. C
6. The boring, depressing, English novel. I
7. The boring, depressing and English novel. I
8. The boring depressing and English novel. I
9.The boring and depressing and English novel.I
10.The boring and depressing English novel. C
Thanks
Q
PS: I only know:
1/Gradable adjectives can be used with adberbs such as really, extremely...to say that a thing or person has more or less of a particular quality.
Ungraduable adjectives themselves imply "to a large degree" and are seldom used with these adverbs.
2/ When 2 gradable adjectives come before the noun, we can put either a comma or and btw them.
Ex: An attractive big garden
= An attractive and big garden.
2 ungradable adjectives have and btw them if they are from the same class.
Ex: financial and political conditions.
This indicates two separate sets of conditions: (1) the financial conditions and (2) the political conditions. It is not one set of conditions.
Please take the time to read what Tom wrote along with my comments there.
So, what happen with more than 2 gradable adj and more than 2 ungradable adj, I don't know.
My purpose is not only to find the most correct sentences but to find all correct sentences. So, please share with me all your opinions.
Here is the same list that I posted in one of your other threads. This gives you a good rule of thumb for the order of adjectives. It's not an "absolute rule" but it works most of the time:
Number (two)
Opinion or judgment (strange)
Size (big)
Age (old)
Shape (round)
Color (green)
Nationality (Canadian)
Material (glass)
Purpose or Qualifier (financial)
Example:
two Canadian financial advisors (= two financial advisors who are both from Canada)
Yankee, as from tomorrow (24-10), what I'll post here, I won't post them in any forums.Do you like that?
Are you expecting me to be tickled pink?
Anyway,sorry and thanks very much for your answers.
You're welcome. |
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Yankee
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| As from VERSUS as of | Sentence: As from now, what I have posted here, I won't... |
