SYNTAX: ATTRIBUTIVE AND PREDICATIVE USES

1. The distinction between attributive and predicative uses of determiners and adjectives is crucial to understand certain differences in use, since at times there is a morphological variation of a given word class according to its attributive or predicative use, as well as a presence or a lack of stress.

2. The attributive use refers to the dependence of a given word class on another one. The most frequent case in Romance languages (Catalan included) is that of adjectives. An adjective is used attributively when it depends on a noun:

el vell gos és un company fidel	the old dog is a faithful companion
la nova casa m’agrada	I like the new house
tinc nous amics	I’ve got (some) new friends

3. However, the predicative use turns up when the adjective comes alone, i.e., the noun it depends on is not present. Catalan does not make any difference as for the omission or not of the noun, as English does (in fact, English substitutes the missing noun with one):

el blau m’agrada més	I like the blue one most
el gos és molt fidel	the dog is very faithful
les úniques que conec són aquestes	the only ones I know are these

4. Anyway not only adjectives are used in these two ways. Most determiners and quantifiers do accept both uses. Observe the following example regarding a quantifier

- tens algunes caixes buides?	- do you have any empty box
- sí, en tinc algunes per ací	- sure, I have some around here
- coneixes cap italià?	- do you know any Italian
- em sap greu, no en conec cap	- I’m sorry, but I don’t know any(one)

5. Certain quantifiers and pronouns just admit either a predicative or an attributive use. Interrogators (namely, interrogative pronouns) are mostly to be used only predicatively (qui, quan, com), as well as some quantifiers (ningú, (no) res, algú, quelcom).

qui us ha contractat?	who has hired you?
no vols res per sopar?	don’t you want anything for dinner?
no he vist ningú al carrer	I’ve seen nobody on the street

6. On the contrary, some other quantifiers just admit an attributive use (cada), and so do definite articles.

cada tarda vaig a passejar

every afternoon I have a walk