Substantivization in Adjectives

§ 6. Sometimes adjectives become substantivized. In this case
they function as nouns in the sentence and are always preceded by

the definite article.

Substantivized adjectives may be of two kinds:
1) They may refer to a class of persons considered in a general
sense. Such adjectives are plural in meaning and take a plural
verb.
e.g. The old (= old people) receive pensions.

To this group belong the following adjectives;
a) some adjectives describing human condition or character,
e.g. the blind, the brave, the dead, the deaf, the disabled, the eld-
erly, the homeless, the injured, the living, the old, the poor, the
rich, the sick, the unemployed, the wealthy, the wounded, the
young, etc.

e.g. The young are always romantic, aren't they?
The blind are taught trades in special schools,
b) some adjectives denoting nationalities and ending in -{i)sh
(e.g. British, Danish, English, Irish, Swedish, Turkish, Welsh), in
-ch (e.g. Dutch, French) and in -ese (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Por-
tuguese) and the adjective Swiss.
e.g. The English (== English people) are great lovers of tea.

The Japanese (=Japanese people) have achieved wonderful re-
sults in electronics.

If we wish to indicate a single person or a number of persons,
we must add a noun.

e.g. The old man receives a pension.
The young men are fishing.

The Englishman could not understand a word of French.
There were a few English people among the passengers.

2) They may refer to abstract notions. Then they are singular
and take a singular verb.

e.g. The good in him overweighs the bad.
He ventured into the unknown.
Do you believe in the supernatural?