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quite & predeterminers
Обсуждение вопросов, нюансов и тонкостей грамматики английского языка любого уровня.
Важно отметить в подтверждение ключевой роли синтаксиса:
Like determiners, predeterminers are functional elements of structure and not formal word classes.
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Есть и такой зверь - postdeterminer:
Note further that as a predeterminersuch only combines with the indefinite article, whereas as a postdeterminer it allows a wider range of combinations with other determiners.
Сначала нужно определиться, что такое determiner:
a word that is used before a noun or adjective to show which person or thing you are referring to. For example 'my' in 'my old car' and 'that' in 'that man' are determiners.
- то есть это "определяющее слово".
Потом становится понятно, что predeterminer стоит в позиции перед этим определяющим словом.
В Вашем примере quite, кроме того, что стоит в позиции перед определяющим словом, означает степень проявления признака,то есть это т.н. Degree Modifier.
In English grammar, a degree modifier is a word (such as very, rather, fairly, quite, somewhat, pretty, sort of, and kind of) that can precede adjectives and adverbs to indicate the degree or extent to which they apply. Also known as a degree adverb(ial) and a degree word.
The degree modifiers are adverbs that normally modify gradable words and answer the question "How?" "How far?" or "How much?"
Вот, на мой взгляд, очень интересное наблюдение касательно этого и подобных слов:
"Degree modifiers . . . give specifications of degree concerning the adjectives they modify. Adverbs such as very, extremely, absolutely scale adjectival properties 'upwards,' whereas other adverbs, such as slightly, a little, somewhat scale adjectival properties 'downwards.' Rather, quite, fairly, and pretty set the qualities that gradable adjectives denote to a moderate level. Along with moderately and relatively, these degree modifiers are known as 'moderators' (Paradis 1997).
"Like most degree modifiers, rather, quite, fairly, and pretty are typologically unstable because they do not always neatly fit in the functional categories that linguists have assigned them. For example, quite is likely to be interpreted as a maximizer when it modifies an extreme/absolutive adjective (this novel is quite excellent) or a telic/limit/liminal adjective (quite sufficient), but it is likely to be a moderator when it modifies a scalar adjective (quite big) (Paradis 1997:87). Past research has shown that context dependency between adverbs and adjectives is not always decisive. It is often impossible to decide whether quite is a maximizer or a moderator. For example, quite is ambiguous when it modifies the adjective different (Allerton 1987:25). . . . Similarly, rather, pretty, and fairly can scale upwards or downwards . . .."
То есть это слово может как уменьшать проявление признака, так и увеличивать!
За это сообщение автора Mermaid поблагодарили (всего 2):