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An adjective is a word like kind, happy, smart and intelligent. An adjective typically
modifies a noun and denotes a temporary or permanent quality associated with that
noun. For example, a smart boy is a boy who is distinguished from other boys by being
smart.
Not all adjectives are used to denote a quality associated with a noun. For example, the
adjective mere in a mere child does not denote a quality of the child.
Kinds of adjectives
Adjectives of quality
Adjectives of quality refer to the kind or quality of a person or thing. They answer the
question: of what kind?
Tokyo is a large city. (Here the adjective large shows a certain quality associated
with the city Tokyo.)
Alice is a brilliant student. (Here the adjective brilliant shows a quality associated
with the noun Alice.)
Note that adjectives formed from proper nouns are generally considered as adjectives
of quality. Examples are: Persian carpets, French wines etc.
Adjectives of quantity
Adjectives of quantity answer the question how much?. Examples are: some, any,
much, little, enough, all, no, half, whole etc.
Adjectives of number
Adjectives of number answer the question how many. Examples are: many, one, two,
first, tenth, all etc.
Demonstrative adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives answer the question which?. Examples are: this, that, these,
those and such.
Note that this and that are used with singular nouns. These andthose are used with
plural nouns.
Interrogative adjectives
When they are used with nouns to ask questions, the questions words what,
which and whose are called interrogative adjectives.
The structure the + adjective is used to talk about some well-known groups of people.
Examples are: the blind, the deaf, the unemployed, the rich, the poor, the young, the
old, the dead etc.
He is collecting money for the blind. (= He is collecting money for blind people.)
Blessed are the meek.
The government should do something for the poor.
Note that these expressions are always plural. The blind means all blind people.
Similarly, the dead means all dead people. Adjectives are not normally used in this
way without the.
In a few fixed phrases, the + adjective can have a singular meaning. Examples
include: the accused, the former, the latter, the deceased etc.
Abstract ideas
An adjective can be used after the to refer to some abstract quality or idea.
Adjectives of nationality
Some adjectives of nationality ending in -sh or -ch can be used afterthe without nouns.
These adjectives include Irish, Welsh, English, British, Spanish, French etc.
Note that the expressions the Irish, the English etc., are plural.The singular
equivalents are for example an Irishman or an Englishwoman.
Degrees of Comparison
Read the following sentences:
1. John is tall.
2. Peter is taller than John.
3. Harry is the tallest of the three.
In sentence 1, the adjective tall merely says something about Johns height. It doesnt
state how tall John is. In sentence 2, the adjectivetaller is used to compare Johns
height with Peters height.
In sentence 3, the adjective tallest is used to compare Harrys height with the height of
John and Peter.
We have thus seen that adjectives change in form to show comparison. These different
forms of the adjective are called thedegrees of comparison.
In the examples given above, the adjective tall is said to be in thepositive degree. The
adjective taller is said to be in the comparative degree and the adjective tallest is said
to be in the superlative degree.
The positive degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to
denote the mere existence of some quality. Adjectives in the positive degree are used
when no comparison is made.
The comparative degree of an adjective shows a higher degree of the quality than that
is present in the positive degree. It is used when two things or two sets of things are
compared.
The superlative degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality. It is
used when more than two things or sets of things are compared.
Adjective Phrases
Sometimes a group of words does the work of an adjective.
In sentence 1, the adjective wealthy says what sort of man the mayor was. In sentence
2, the group of words of great wealth also says the same thing. It qualifies the
noun man as an adjective does. It therefore does the work of an adjective and is
called an adjective phrase.
Definition
The magistrate was a kind man. (Here the adjective kind modifies the noun man.)
The magistrate was a man with a kind heart. (Here the adjective phrase with a
kind heart modifies the noun man.)
They lived in a stone house.
They lived in a house built of stone.
The workers belonged to a hill tribe.
The workers belonged to a tribe dwelling in the hills.
Study the following adjectives and the adjective phrases that are equivalent to them.
Distributives
Each, every, either and neither are distributive adjectives. These are normally used
with singular nouns.
Position
Distributives are placed immediately before the nouns they qualify.
Note
Each, either and neither can be used with plural nouns when they are followed by of
Each
Each is used when we are talking about the members of a group as individuals.
Either and neither are used to talk about distribution between two things.
Either is used in affirmative clauses. Neither is used in negative clauses.
She is nice.
He looked upset.
While attributive adjectives usually go before the nouns, a few can be used after nouns.
This, for example, happens in some fixed phrases.
Secretary General
Poet Laureate
Attorney General
Court martial
ten years older (NOT Older ten years) (NOT ten older years)
six feet deep
two miles long
The plural forms these and those are often used with the singular nouns kind and sort.
However, some grammarians insist that we should say: this kind of things
The words superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, and posterior take to instead
of than.
He is senior to me.
James is inferior to Peters intelligence.
In comparing two things or classes of things the comparative should be used.
Take the shorter of the two routes. (NOT Take the shortest of the two routes.)
Of the two suggestions, the former is better. (NOT Of the two suggestions, the
former is the best.)
This rule, however, is not strictly observed. In informal English, the superlative is often
used when we talk about one of only two items.
Hercules was stronger than any other man. (NOT Hercules was stronger than
any man this sentence would suggest that Hercules was stronger than Hercules
himself, which, of course, is absurd.)
Position of adjectives
Adjectives usually go before the nouns they modify.
She is a nice girl. (Here the adjective nice modifies the noun girl and goes before
it.)
He is an intelligent boy.
When two or more adjectives come before a noun, they are usually separated by
commas.
Note that we do not put a comma after the last adjective in the series.
When the last two are adjectives of color, they are usually separated by and.
When two or more adjectives come in the predicative position, we use and between the
last two.
Sometimes we put an adjective after the noun for the sake of emphasis.
There lived an old man strong and wicked. (More emphatic than There lived a
strong and wicked old man.)
In phrases such as those given below, the adjective always comes after the noun.
Time-immemorial
Heir-apparent
God Almighty
President elect
In lines of poetry, too, the adjective is sometimes put after the noun.
Avoid double comparatives. Adjectives of one syllable usually form their comparatives
by adding er to the positive. Longer adjectives take more.
Use much with uncountable nouns. Use many with countable nouns.
Latest means the most recent. Last means the previous one.
Use less with uncountable nouns. Use fewer with countable nouns.
Adjectives
Susie is a beautiful girl. (Here the adjective beautiful goes immediately before the
noun (girl) it modifies.)
Note that we cannot put another word between an adjective and the noun it modifies.
However, we can use any number of adjectives to modify the same noun.
When more than one adjective modify the same noun, we usually separate them using
a comma. No commas are used to separate the last adjective in the series from the
noun it modifies.
Adjectives can also go after linking verbs. Note that the most common linking verbs in
English are: is, am, are, was, were, become, seem, appear, taste, feel, grow and
turn.
When adjectives go after linking verbs, they usually describe the subject.
Susie is beautiful. (Here the adjective beautiful describes the noun Susie.)
The fish tasted funny. (Here the adjective funny describes the taste of the fish.)
The night grew dark.
The milk turned sour.
I felt awful.
Using adjectives
Adjectives are describing words. Adjectives usually go before the nouns they modify
(attributive position). They can also go after the verb be (predicative position). Note that
most adjectives can go in both positions.
It is an expensive car.
Exercise
Read the following sentences. In all of them, the adjectives are in the predicative
position. Change them into the attributive position by rewriting the sentence. Note that
the second sentence in the sequence should begin with a pronoun. You will also need
to supply a suitable article.
Fill in the blanks with the comparative or superlative form of the adjective given in the
brackets.
Answers
Notes
In this lesson we will take a look at the five relative pronouns used to introduce
adjectives clauses. Note that adjective clauses are also called relative clauses.
The most common adjective clauses begin with the relative pronouns who,
which and that. Note that who is only used to refer to people and which is only used to
refer to things. That can be used to refer to both people and things.
Here the relative pronoun whose shows the relationship between the girl and her
brother.
Whom can replace object pronouns (him, her, them etc.) Who andwhom are often
confused. Although it is possible to use whom instead of who in a less formal style, you
have to keep the distinction between these forms in academic writing.
Note that when whom is used in a sentence, it will be immediately followed by another
noun / pronoun and verb. Who, on the other hand, acts as the subject of the relative
clause and hence it is not immediately followed by another noun.
She married a rich guy whom I have known for quite some time. (Note that whom
is immediately followed by another pronoun.)
She married an engineer who was my senior at university. (NOT She married an
engineer whom was my )
Absolute adjectives
Some adjectives express ideas that cannot be graded. For example, a person cant
be more or less dead. In the same way, a sphere cant be more or less round. In
grammars these adjectives are called non-gradable or absolute adjectives.
Non-gradable adjectives do not have comparative or superlative forms. There are very
few non-gradable adjectives, so you can learn them by heart if you really want. Here is
a list of common non-gradable adjectives in English. Note that this is not a
comprehensive list.
Exceptions
Although the adjectives given above are not normally used in comparative and
superlative forms, you might still hear expressions like more complete or most
perfect. Though incorrect, these expressions are quite common in speech and they
have become sort of acceptable, too. However, if you are a careful user of the
language, you must avoid them especially in writing.
Also be careful, not to use more along with a comparative adjective ending in
er and most with a superlative adjective ending in -est. Do not write more
taller or most smartest. These are examples of double comparatives and superlatives.
They are always wrong and must be avoided.
She is prettier than her sister. (NOT She is more prettier thanher sister.)
Positive: good-looking
Positive: well-known
In this case, you can decide which form you want to use, but dont write most best-
known or more better-looking.
Adjective or adverb?
Adjectives are words used to modify nouns. They usually go before nouns. Adjectives
may also go after be (is, am, are, was, were) and copular verbs like become, seem,
look, feel etc.
I feel happy. (NOT I feel happily.)
She seemed excited. (NOT She seemed excitedly.)
They were upset.
Adverbs are words used to modify verbs. They usually express the manner in which
something is done. Adverbs are also used to modify adjectives and other adverbs.
Complete the following sentences using the correct words from those given in brackets.
Answers
1. Our team played well yesterday. (Here the adverb well modifies the verb played.)
2. We have not gathered nearly enough flowers. (Here the adverb nearly modifies the
adjective enough.)
3. The old woman was walking slowly past. (Here the adverb slowly modifies the verb
walking.)
4. Come to my office as quickly as possible. (Here the adverb quickly modifies the verb
come.)
5. We had a really great time at the party. (Here the adverb really modifies the adjective
great.)
6. Sophia won the first prize easily. (Here the adverb easily modifies the verb won.)
Adjective phrase
A word group that has an adjective as its head is called an adjective phrase. Note that
the adjective in this phrase may be accompanied by other words such as determiners,
modifiers etc.
Adjective phrases can go before a noun (attributive position). They can also go after a
linking verb like be (predicative position).
He was wearing a dark brown suit. (Here the adjective phrase a dark brown
modifies the noun suit.)
The fish tasted awfully funny. (Here the adjective phrase awfully funny says
something about the fish. It goes after the copular or linking verb tasted.
A copular verb does not take an object and it cannot be modified by an adverb. The
word or phrase that follows a copular verb typically says something about the subject of
the sentence.
Here the adjective awful says something about the fish. It doesnt modify the verb
tasted.
Note that the adjective in an adjective phrase may be modified by an adverb. When it is
modified by an adverb, the adverb goes before the adjective. The adjective may also be
modified by other determiners like articles, possessives and demonstratives.
Consider the phrase my cute little daughter
Here the adjective phrase my cute little consists of a possessive (my) and two
adjectives (cute and little).
Sometimes the idea expressed by an adjective can also be expressed using a noun
phrase. Consider the examples given below.
Brutus is an honorable man. (Here the adjective honorable modifies the noun
man.)
The same idea can be expressed using the phrase: a man of honor
Churchill was an eminent man. (Here the adjective eminent modifies the noun
man.)
Churchill was a man of eminence. (Here the noun phrase a man of eminence
means the same as the phrase an eminent man.)
Adjectives exercise
Complete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the adjective given in
the brackets.
11. The thing of all was that his son was rude to him. (bad)
Answers
5. When the old woman became stronger, she began to move about.
11. The worst thing of all was that his son was rude to him.