ADJECTIVES

1. Kinds of Adjectives
2. Comparison of Adjectives
3. Forming Adjectives
4. Correct Usage of Adjectives

Adjectives are words which tell us something about nouns, that is about a person, an animal,
a thing or a place. They usually come before the nouns they describe. But sometimes they
come after the nouns.
His hands and legs are thin.
Everyone knows a giraffe has a long neck.
None of my tables is round.
My old car didn't have air conditioning.
The words 'thin', 'long', 'round' and 'old' tell us something about the nouns: hands and legs,
giraffe, table and car. These words called adjectives tell us about
their size, shape and condition. An adjective is therefore a word added to a noun to describe
it so that we know more about the noun.

Some words can be both adjectives and adverbs as follow: early, fast, and late. It is
important to distinguish how they are used.
We arrived a little early for lunch. (Adjective)
We arrived early so we still had time before lunch. (Adverb)
You are a fast driver these days. (Adjective)
You drive fast these days. (Adverb)
I overslept and so I was late. (Adjective)
I overslept and so I got up late. (Adverb)
1. Kinds of Adjectives

An adjective that tells us about the quality of the noun. Known as Descriptive
Adjective or Adjective of Quality, it tells us about the colour, shape, size or condition
of a noun.

Example: a white dog, the blue sky, a round table, a square box, a big house, a tall tree,
a cold morning, an old lorry.

An adjective that tells us about the quantity of the noun. This adjective is called
an Adjective of Quantity. An adjective of quantity tells us the quantity or amount,
and that is 'how many' or 'how much'.

Example: I have eaten three apples. / I don't have much money. / The pen has not much ink

left. / She has many friends. / The zoo has many animals.

An adjective that tells us about the ownership of the noun. This adjective is called
a Possessive Adjective. A possessive adjective shows ownership or possession. It tells
us that something belongs to a person or thing.

Example: That is your cat. / This is my dog. / Is that their house? / Those are our bicycles.

An adjective which poses questions in an 'interrogative' manner. It is called

an Interrogative Adjective. Like most adjectives, an interrogative adjective comes
before a noun.

Example: Which monkey bit you? / Which school do you go to? / What colour is your new
car? / Whose cap is this?
In the example, "which", "what" and "whose" come before the nouns "monkey", "school",
"colour" and "cap" respectively. They tell about the nouns and so "which", "what" and "whose"
are adjectives.

An adjective which specifies a noun. Called a Demonstrative Adjective, it is one that

points out a fact about a person or thing.

Example: This puppy is mine. / This boy is a member of the club. / Thatpiglet is
yours./ That woman is not my wife. / These spiders have long legs. /Those faces are
beautiful.
In the example, "this", "that", "these" and "those" come before the nouns "puppy", "boy",
"piglet", "woman", "spiders" and "faces". They tell something about the nouns and so
are adjectives.

Adjectives which end in '-ing', e.g. an interesting film, an amazingplayer,

an annoying habit,

Adjectives which end in '-ed', e.g. the damaged goods,

the escapedprisoners, improved version,

2. Comparison of Adjectives

We use the Positive degree to compare two equal nouns.

Example: His head is as big as my head.

We use the Comparative degree to compare two unequal nouns.

Example: His head is bigger than my head.

We use the Superlative degree to compare three or more Nouns.

Example: His head is the biggest in the family.

List 17 - The Comparison of Adjectives

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

big

bigger

biggest

black

blacker

blackest

bold

bolder

boldest

brave

braver

bravest

bright

brighter

brightest

busy

busier

busiest

clean

cleaner

cleanest

clear

clearer

clearest

clever

cleverer

cleverest

cold

colder

coldest

cool

cooler

coolest

dark

darker

darkest

dear

dearer

dearest

deep

deeper

deepest

dirty

dirtier

dirtiest

dry

drier

driest

easy

easier

easiest

fair

fairer

fairest

fast

faster

fastest

fat

fatter

fattest

fine

finer

finest

funny

funnier

funniest

great

greater

greatest

green

greener

greenest

happy

happier

happiest

hard

harder

hardest

healthy

healthier

healthiest

heavy

heavier

heaviest

high

higher

highest

hot

hotter

hottest

kind

kinder

kindest

large

larger

largest

late

later

latest

lazy

lazier

laziest

light

lighter

lightest

long

longer

longest

low

lower

lowest

lucky

luckier

luckiest

mad

madder

maddest

merry

merrier

merriest

narrow

narrower

narrowest

naughty

naughtier

naughtiest

near

nearer

nearest

new

newer

newest

noisy

noisier

noisiest

old

older

oldest

pale

paler

palest

poor

poorer

poorest

pretty

prettier

prettiest

proud

prouder

proudest

quick

quicker

quickest

red

redder

reddest

rich

richer

richest

sad

sadder

saddest

safe

safer

safest

shallow

shallower

shallowest

sharp

sharper

sharpest

short

shorter

shortest

slow

slower

slowest

small

smaller

smallest

smooth

smoother

smoothest

strong

stronger

strongest

sweet

sweeter

sweetest

tall

taller

tallest

thick

thicker

thickest

thin

thinner

thinnest

tiny

tinier

tiniest

ugly

uglier

ugliest

warm

warmer

warmest

wealthy

wealthier

wealthiest

wet

wetter

wettest

white

whiter

whitest

wide

wider

widest

wild

wilder

wildest

wise

wiser

wisest

young

younger

youngest

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

ancient

more ancient

most ancient

beautiful

more beautiful

most beautiful

brilliant

more brilliant

most brilliant

careful

more careful

most careful

careless

more careless

most careless

cheerful

more cheerful

most cheerful

comfortable

more comfortable

most comfortable

dangerous

more dangerous

most dangerous

delightful

more delightful

most delightful

difficult

more difficult

most difficult

enjoyable

more enjoyable

most enjoyable

foolish

more foolish

most foolish

forgetful

more forgetful

most forgetful

frightening

more frightening

most frightening

generous

more generous

most generous

handsome

more handsome

most handsome

helpful

more helpful

most helpful

ignorant

more ignorant

most ignorant

important

more important

most important

intelligent

more intelligent

most intelligent

interesting

more interesting

most interesting

pleasant

more pleasant

most pleasant

powerful

more powerful

most powerful

prosperous

more prosperous

most prosperous

sensible

more sensible

most sensible

terrible

more terrible

most terrible

thoughtful

more thoughtful

most thoughtful

unusual

more unusual

most unusual

useful

more useful

most useful

valuable

more valuable

most valuable

wonderful

more wonderful

most wonderful

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

bad

worse

worst

far

farther

farthest

far

further

furthest

good

better

best

little

less

least

many

more

most

much

more

most

3. Forming Adjectives

There are various ways to form adjectives from nouns and verbs as follow:
Add 'al': music=musical; nation=national; person=personal.
Add 'ful': care=careful; doubt=doubtful; peace=peaceful.
Add 'ic': acrobat=acrobatic; artist=artistic; photograph=photographic.
Add 'ive': attract*=attractive; effect=effective; act*=active; instruct*=instructive;
progress=progressive.
Add 'ous': mountain=mountainous; danger=dangerous.
Add 'y': greed=greedy; oil=oily
Change 'y' to 'i' and add 'ful': beauty=beautiful; pity=pitiful.
Change 'y' to 'i' and add 'ous': mystery=mysterious; glory=glorious.
Drop 'e' and add 'y': anger=angry; ease=easy; ice=icy.
Drop 'e' and add 'al': nature=natural; agriculture=agricultural.
* Verb

List 2 - Forming Adjectives

NOUNS

ADJECTIVES

NOUNS

ADJECTIVES

accident

accidental

mountain

mountainous

adventure

adventurous

music

musical

anger

angry

nation

national

beauty

beautiful

nature

natural

boy

boyish

noise

noisy

care

careful/careless

north

northern

caution

cautious

parent

parental

centre

central

peace

peaceful

child

childish/childlike

person

personal

China

Chinese

pity

pitiful

circle

circular

poison

poisonous

comfort

comfortable

poverty

poor

comic

comical

pride

proud

coward

cowardly

quarrel

quarrelsome

cruelty

cruel

responsibility

responsible

culture

cultural

science

scientific

danger

dangerous

sense

sensible

day

daily

silk

silky

disaster

disastrous

skill

skilful

distance

distant

smoke

smoky

duty

dutiful, dutiable

sorrow

sorrowful

east

eastern

south

southern

Europe

European

speed

speedy

fact

factual

star

starry

faith

faithful

stone

stony

fame

famous

storm

stormy

father

fatherly

strength

strong

fear

fearful

success

successful

fever

feverish

sun

sunny

fool

foolish

tail

tailless

fortune

fortunate

talent

talented

France

French

terror

terrible

friend

friendly

thirst

thirsty

fury

furious

thought

thoughtful

girl

girlish

thought

thoughtless

glory

glorious

topic

topical

god

godly/godless

tropic

tropical

gold

golden

trouble

troublesome

harm

harmful

truth

truthful

height

high

value

valuable

hero

heroic

victory

victorious

hunger

hungry

war

warlike

India

Indian

water

watery

joy

joyful

wave

wavy

law

lawful

west

western

length

long

wind

windy

life

live, lively

winter

wintry

love

lovely

wisdom

wise

man

manly

wood

wooden

mercy

merciful

wool

woollen

mine

my

year

yearly

mischief

mischievous

youth

young/youthful

VERBS

ADJECTIVES

VERBS

ADJECTIVES

break

breakable

imagine

imaginary

break

broken

instruct

instructive

choose

choosy

love

lovable

close

close

need

needful, needy

collect

collective

obey

obedient

construct

constructive

play

playful

continue

continuous

please

pleasant

continue

continual

prevent

preventive

correct

corrective

prosper

prosperous

describe

descriptive

quarrel

quarrelsome

destroy

destructive

run

running

enjoy

enjoyable

speak

spoken

forget

forgetful

steal

stolen

harm

harmful

study

studious

hate

hateful

talk

talkative

help

helpful

think

thoughtful

hope

hopeful

work

workable

hurt

hurtful

write

written

ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVES

big

biggish

elder

elderly

clean

cleanly

good

goodly

comic

comical

red

reddish

correct

corrective

sick

sickly

4. Correct Usage of Adjectives - 'SOME' and 'ANY'

We use some in a positive statement and any in a negative statement or a question.

Example: I have some money to buy a couple of lollipops. (Positive statement)

Example: I haven't any money to buy her a birthday card. (Negative statement)
Example: Do you need any help? (A question)

We can use 'some' with countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

Example: I have bought some apples for you. (Countable noun)

Example: There is some tea in the pot. (Uncountable noun)

We can use 'some' in a question if it is an invitation or a request.

Example: Would you like to have some coffee? (invitation)

Example: Will you please give me some medicine for my cough? (request)

We can join 'some' and 'any' with 'one', 'body' or 'thing' to formcompound words.

Example:
Example:
Example:
Example:
Example:
Example:

There is someone asking for you.

The police are looking for somebody.
He is hiding something under his bed.
There wasn't anyone around when I arrived.
Has anybody seen a ghost?
It hasn't anything to do with you, so please stop asking.