Section 13.12 Chapter Summary
This chapter introduced the distinction between adjective (a form—a part of speech) and adjectival (a function—the role of modifying a noun). Six structural forms serve the adjectival function in English:
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Adjective phrases: the prototypical adjectival, appearing before or after the noun (the tall man, someone proud of her work)
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Noun adjuncts: nouns modifying other nouns, always pre-nominal (the coffee table)
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Prepositional phrases: the most common post-modifier (the book on the shelf)
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Participial phrases: compact modifiers built on present or past participles (the woman talking on the phone, the report written by the committee)
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Infinitive phrases: post-modifiers especially common with abstract nouns and indefinite pronouns (a book to read, the decision to leave)
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Relative clauses: the most structurally complex adjectival, containing a full clause embedded in an NP (the student who won the prize)
Adjectivals occupy three positional slots: pre-modification (before the noun), post-modification (after the noun), and predicative position (after a linking verb). Single adjectives and noun adjectivals precede the noun; phrases and clauses follow it. When multiple pre-modifiers stack, they follow a conventional order (opinion → size → age → shape → color → origin → material → purpose → NOUN).
The restrictive/non-restrictive distinction determines whether a modifier identifies the referent (restrictive—no commas, essential) or merely adds supplementary information (non-restrictive—set off with commas, removable). This distinction affects all adjectival types, not just relative clauses. In American English, restrictive relative clauses prefer that while non-restrictive clauses use which.
