A Student's Introduction to English Grammar

§ 1.7 Predicative complements and predicative adjuncts^119

example, requires a PP complement with on (or upon); and conversant cannot

occur at all without a complement.

The kind of subordinate clause likewise depends on the adjective: we couldn't

have *glad what to do, *busy to make lunch, and so on.

(b) Modifiers

The most common type of modifier is an adverb (or AdvP), as underlined in [21i],
but other categories are also found: determinatives (underlined in [2I ii]), PPs (as in
[2l iii]), and in a very limited range of cases, NPs (as in [21iv]):

[21] extremely hot morally wrong � usefu l almost completely watertight

11 this young that old no different much better illll'. smaller old enough

iii cautious to excess dangerous in the extreme an [in some respects good] idea

iv five years old two hours long a great deal smaller a bit overpowering

PPs generally follow the head, but in attributive AdjPs they normally precede, as in
the last example of [iii], where we have put brackets round the whole AdjP.

1.7 Predicative complements and predicative adjuncts

In their predicative use, adjectives (or AdjPs) generally function as com­
plement in clause structure. As we saw in Ch. 4, §5, predicative complements occur
in complex-intransitive and complex-transitive clauses:

[22] COMPLEX-INTRANSITIVE CLAUSE

a. Th e suggestion I is I ridiculous.

S P PC

COMPLEX-TRANSITIVE CLAUSE

b. II I consider I the suggestion I ridiculous. I

s P o PC

The adjective is related to a predicand (the suggestion), which is subject in the
complex-intransitive construction, and object in the complex-transitive con­
struction.
In addition to being complements, licensed by the head, predicative AdjPs can be
adjuncts. Compare, for example:

[23] PREDICATIVE COMPLEMENT

11 PREDICATIVE ADJUNCT

Max was unwilling to accept these terms.

Unwilling to accept these terms. Max resigned.

In [i] the AdjP is a complement licensed by the verb (be), but in [ii] it is an adjunct,
with no such licensing - it is, more specifically, a supplement, detached by intona­
tion or punctuation from the rest of the clause. It is nevertheless still predicative, in
that it is related to a predicand. We understand in [ii], no less than in [i], that the
unwillingness to accept these terms applies to Max.