Non-gradable adjectives

SUBMODIFICATION OF NON-GRADABLE ADJECTIVES (i) COLOURS In general, the types of submodification which we have described so far have applied only to qualitative epithets. However, in practice any class of adjective can be modified in some way, but this occurs differently with colours, classifiers and noun modifiers. In the case of colours, we perceive these as possessing degrees of depth, fullness, shading etc in a sort of continuum, and there is a wide variety of words which can be used to indicate this. These function similarly to intensifiers, and may be attitudinal in nature. Some are words which function independently as classifiers or nouns, but may be used to characterise colours with which they are associated. Here are a few typical examples:-
e.g.	dark brown, dull grey, shocking pink, brilliant white, navy blue, deep purple, clinical white, blood red, pale yellow, bright yellow, light grey, soft green
These colour submodifiers may in turn be submodified by other intensifiers:-
e.g.	very dark brown, really shocking pink, extremely bright yellow, severly clinical white, dazzlingly bright yellow
There is clearly a wide range of expressions available for describing colours, and the structures can involve several places. Colours may also sometimes be treated simply as gradable epithets, and have comparative and superlative forms.
e.g.	The sky was really blue. Persil washes whiter.

(ii) CLASSIFIERS In the case of classifiers, the potential for modification depends on the nature of the particular item. Those classifiers which are not formed from verbs, such as "conscious", "wooden", "private", "clinical" and so on, do not readily take submodifiers.
e.g.	* a very conscious decision * a rather wooden box * a quite private company * some very clinical equipment
However, we have to distinguish between this and the potential use of such words as qualitative epithets, in which case they may carry a wider semantic implication, often by metaphorical extension. Where this is so, they may be submodified.
e.g.	It was a very private conversation. He has a rather clinical attitude. He had a somewhat wooden expression on his face. He was not fully conscious.
Context is thus significant in determining the specific function of these sort of words, which may be classifiers for some purposes and qualitative epithets for others.