The notion of comparison class has figured prominently in recent analyses of the gradability properties of adjectives. We assume that the comparison class is introduced by the degree morphology of the adjective and present a new proposal where comparison classes are crucial to explain the distribution of adjectives in Spanish copular sentences headed by the verbs ser 'be SER ' and estar 'be ESTAR '. The copula estar 'be ESTAR ' appears whenever a gradable adjective merges with a within-individual comparison class, a modifier expressing a property of stages. The copular verb ser 'be SER ' appears when a gradable adjective merges with a between-individuals comparison class, a modifier expressing a property of individuals. The distinction between relative and absolute adjectives can be reduced to the semantic properties of the modifier expressing the comparison class that is merged in the functional structure of the adjective.

The existence of two copular verbs in Spanish-ser 'be SER ' and estar 'be ESTAR '-has long attracted the interest of scholars, as it is one of the most intriguing features of Spanish grammar. From a theoretical point of view, it raises important questions concerning, among other central issues, (a) the interplay among lexical, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic factors in explaining the properties of copular sentences (in connection with other auxiliary uses of ser and estar in passives, progressive periphrases, etc.) (b) the diachronic development of these constructions, and (c) the process by which copular sentences are acquired in both L1 and L2 contexts, including Spanish as a heritage language. 1

Resumen: El estudio explícito de la gramática en Educación Primaria es un asunto de debate permanente entre maestros y entre lingüistas. En este artículo se defiende la enseñanza explícita de la morfología en Primaria ya que contribuye a desarrollar la competencia comunicativa del alumnado: potencia la adquisición de vocabulario, aumenta la competencia lectora y mejora la expresión escrita. Para enseñar morfología con este objetivo comunicativo es necesario replantear los contenidos que se establecen en la ley educativa y el modo en que estos se presentan y se trabajan en los materiales diseñados para el aula. En este sentido, este trabajo ofrece una revisión crítica de esos dos aspectos y propone una organización de contenidos de morfología para la etapa de Primaria.

In this paper we propose that the differences between ser 'be SER ' and estar 'be ESTAR ' predications traditionally associated with the individual-level/stagelevel (IL/SL) distinction (having to do with their differing combinations with adverbs quantifying over situations, locative and temporal modifiers, etc.) can be explained without arguing that ser 'be SER ' and estar 'be ESTAR ' sentences have different event/aspect/Aktionsart-related properties. Specifically, we claim that in copular sentences with adjectival complements, the different kinds of elements that build up the comparison class needed to evaluate adjectival properties can account for the IL/SL character of the predication and that, specifically, the IL/SL distinction is linked to the relative/absolute distinction. This proposal, together with the hypothesis that relative adjectives trigger by default an inference of temporal persistence, can account for all the aforementioned differences between ser 'be SER ' and estar 'be ESTAR ' sentences. We thus argue for an extension of the explanatory value of the individual/stage-level distinction to the domain of gradability.

The goal of this paper is to provide both a description and an explanation of the combination of minimizers (ligeramente 'slightly') with gradable adjectives in Spanish. According to Kennedy & McNally (2005) these elements are degree items that are sensitive to the scalar structure of adjectives and are combined with closed scale, minimum standard adjectives. Unexpected combinations, according to this semantics, are considered as cases of coercion. In this paper we propose that minimizers create derived adjectives. They are modifiers of the adjective's granularity, which allow the selection of the standard of comparison to take into account a greater number of degree distinctions. From this proposal, this article shows that unexpected combinations of ligeramente with gradable adjectives, such as un cine ligeramente lleno ‘a slightly crowded cinema’, can be explained without the need to propose that a coercion process takes place.