IS IT A NOUN OR AN ADJECTIVE?

Question

Anxiety makes you believe the unbelievable. The impossible.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Anonymousthe unbelievable. The impossible

They are pronouns.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymousthe unbelievable. The impossible. ... A NOUN OR AN ADJECTIVE?

'unbelievable' and 'impossible' are adjectives. Following the argument of Huddleston, these can take adverbs of degree (very, extremely, ...), which nouns cannot (*a very city, *an extremely mud, ...). Further, the only determiner they can take is 'the' (*these unbelievable, *both impossible, ...), unlike nouns. And they inflect (more unbelievable, most unbelievable, ...), which nouns cannot do (*citier, *housest, ...).

Huddleston analyzes The strong should help the weak thus: 'strong' is an adjective; 'weak' is an adjective. However, 'the strong' and 'the weak' are not AdjPs (adjective phrases); they are best treated "as peripheral members of the NP [noun phrase] class, differing from normal NPs in that there is no head element present". (Introduction to the Grammar of English, Cambridge University Press)

CJ

Mister Micawber · Answer

CalifJimthey are best treated "as peripheral members of the NP [noun phrase] class,

Well, I like that part, at least.

IS IT A NOUN OR AN ADJECTIVE?

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