Which Matrix Adjectives License Which Types of Claus al Complements?

This study addresses the research question: Which types of predicate adjectives license which types of clausal complements? As a possible answer, it is proposed that predicate adjectives encode the linguistic senses of actuality, volition, and emotion through a review of previous studies on adjectival clausal complements. Accordingly, predicate adjectives can be classified into three major types in terms of their syntactic and semantic properties: factual adjectives, volitional adjectives, and emotional adjectives. Each type is further subdivided into two categories: presupposing vs. asserting adjectives (factual), subjective vs. objective adjectives (volitional), and experiential vs. stimulative adjectives (emotional). The relationship between predicate adjectives and their clausal complements is theoretically supported by applying this classification to actual linguistic data. In order to explore the applicability of the three types of adjectives in classroom settings, the study suggests sentence conversion tests, which consist of critical adjectival clausal complements representing each type. By implementing these tests, it becomes possible to diagnose not only which types of complements learners are able to produce at this stage and what errors they tend to make, but also to determine what types should be presented to them next, thus providing valuable insight into timely remedies and tailored teaching for learners.