Adjectives: Participials
How participial adjectives are used in academic writing
Participial adjectives (-ed participials and -ing participials) are mainly derived from verbs. They serve as both attributive See the glossary definition and predicative See the glossary definition adjectives.
Starting about 65,000 to 50,000 years ago,
more advanced attributive comparative adjective (-ed participial) technology noun phrase head
started appearing [ ].
(Longrich 2020)
AI technologies are also a form of, but are
internet-based attributive, compound adjective (noun + -ed participial)
digital attributive adjective
technology noun phrase head
but are
more advanced predicative adjective (comparative, -ed participial). (Shivhare 2019)
In fact, all animals do it – with some
interesting attributive adjective (-ing participial)
variations noun phrase head.
(McMakin 2021)
While the complexity is
real predicative adjective
and
interesting predicative adjective (-ing participial), ultimately, how to brew is a personal choice.
(Beckett 2022)
Although there is a verb "to interest", the adjectives, interesting and interested, may be considered derivations from the noun. Often, where the adjective contains a prefix the derivation is more remote:
For now, these questions remain
unanswered predicative adjective (-ed participial). (Beaty 2018)
There is no verb "to unanswer"; it derives from the verb "to answer" with the negative prefix "un-". In fact, "answered" as an adjective is rare ("answered question" is one possibility) but unanswered has more collocates: unanswered posts, questions, messages, points, threads, prayers ...
Participial Adjectives also occur in adjectival compounds See the glossary definition:
Plant-eating compound adjective (noun + -ing participial)
animals noun phrase head
would have struggled to stay alive.
(Poropat 2020)
The compound in this example consists of a noun + participial adjective. Participial compounds are often found in academic prose because, like complex noun phrases, they pack a lot of information into a short space.
Further Examples
It is an
exciting and fascinating attributive -ing participial adjectives
idea noun phrase head. (Smart 2022)
Researchers call it
infant-directed compound adjective (noun + -ed participial)
speech noun phrase head. (Lam-Cassettari 2019)
In other words, the
heated attributive adjective (-ed participial)
air noun phrase head
is less dense predicative, comparative adjective)
(Sherwood 2023)
When do we become
left-handed predicative adjective (adjective + -ed participial)
or
right-handed predicative adjective (adjective + -ed participial)? (Barton and Todorovic 2021)
These are adjectival compounds. In this case, "handed" derives from a noun.
It makes a
quiet attributive adjective,
high-pitched attributive compound adjective (adjective + -ed participial)
rustling attributive -ing participial adjective
sound noun phrase head.
(Job 2021)
Is there a
better comparative adjective
way noun phrase head
to support a
well-informed compound adjective (adverb + -ed participial
society noun phrase head?
(Ashley 2019)
Another example is the
complex attributive adjective
thinking noun phrase head
you need to do when playing a
fast-moving compound adjective (adverb + -ing participial)
video game noun phrase head.
(Chater 2019)
Microbes are
living attributive adjective (-ing participial)
single-celled attributive adjective (adjective + -ed participial)
creatures noun phrase head
surrounded postposed adjective (-ed participial, complemented by a prepositional phrase)
by a membrane.
(Noll 2023)
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