Semantic features. The adjective expresses the property of an entity.
Typically, adjectives denote states, usually permanent states, although there are
also adjectives which can denote temporary states. Adjectives are characteristically
stative, but many of them can be seen as dynamic. The stative property of an entity
is a property that cannot be conceived as a developing process, and the dynamic
property of an entity is a property that is conceived as active, or as a developing
process.
eg. John is very tall. vs.*John is being very tall today
John is very careful today (unemphatic). vs. John is being careful today
(emphatic).
Morphological features. Derivationally, adjectives are related either to
nouns or verbs. Suffixes changing nouns to adjectives are: - (i)al, -ar, -ary or –ery,
-ed, -en, -esque, -ful, -ic(al), -ish, -istic, -less, -like, -ly, -ous, -ward, -wide, -y.
Suffixes changing verbs to adjectives are: -able or –ible, -ent or –ant, -ed, -ing, -
ive, -(at)ory.
Syntactic features. In the sentence, the adjective performs the functions of
an attribute (an adjunct) and a predicative. Of the two, the more typical function is
that of an attribute since the function of a predicative can also be performed by
other parts of speech. 59
Adjectives can sometimes be postpositive, that is, they can sometimes
follow the item they modify.
Adjectives can often function as heads of noun phrases. As such, they do not
inflect for number and for the genitive case and must take a definite determiner.
An adjective can function as a verbless clause (eg. Anxious, he dialed the
number).