06 Adjectives
06 Adjectives
06 Adjectives
Langpill.com
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
An adverb is a word or set of words that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Usually
adverbs modify verbs, telling us how, how often, when, or where something was done.
There are many pairs of adjectives ending in -ing and -ed. Remember that if something is
-ing, it makes you -ed.
There are times when we use two or more fact adjectives. We put fact adjectives in the
following order:
a) verbs, telling how, how often, when, or where something was done.
Descriptive Adjectives
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun (e.g. girl, boy
etc.) or pronoun (e.g. we, it etc.). Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
Descriptive adjectives can be organized into the following categories according to their
structure:
a) simple adjectives are the most basic type of descriptive adjectives. Aspects such as
feelings, time, sound, quantity, taste, appearance, size, age, color, shape, and material are
expressed through simple adjectives.
It was a beautiful day yesterday. Clear sky, sweet smell of blossoming trees, green
grass, cheerful people… It seemed as if the world had united to celebrate the coming of
spring.
b) compound adjectives are created when two words are combined to create a descriptive
adjective. The two words are typically connected with a hyphen.
a. I saw a lovely young, good, intelligent, fascinating woman, such as I had never met
before.
b. … to understand the mystery of this uninteresting, good, simple-hearted man, who argued
with such wearisome good sense.
c. … and he kept near the more solid people, looking listless and superfluous, with a
submissive, uninterested expression, as though he had been brought there for sale.
a. I saw a lovely young, good, intelligent, fascinating woman, such as I had never met
before.
b. … to understand the mystery of this uninteresting, good, simple-hearted man, who argued
with such wearisome good sense.
c. … and he kept near the more solid people, looking listless and superfluous, with a
submissive, uninterested expression, as though he had been brought there for sale.
Proper Adjectives
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun (e.g. girl, boy
etc.) or pronoun (e.g. we, it etc.). Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
A proper noun is the specific name used for any person, place, or thing. Proper adjectives
typically look like their original proper nouns but have some sort of alternative ending in
order to make them adjectives.
Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns. For this reason, they are capitalized.
When a proper adjective has a prefix, the prefix itself is never capitalized (unless it is the first
word of a sentence). However, the proper adjective itself is still capitalized.
The most common endings for nationalities are -ian/-ean/-an, -ic, -ese, -i, -ish. The reason
that English has so many endings for different nationalities is that they were borrowed from
other languages.
Possessive Adjectives
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun (e.g. girl, boy
etc.) or pronoun (e.g. we, it etc.). Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
In the category of limiting adjectives there are possessive adjectives. Possessive adjectives
modify the noun following it in order to show possession. These adjectives are my, your, his,
her, its, our, their.
I told my friend that I like someone, then she told that to her friend, and that friend told
that to his friends, and now everyone knows everything.
The possessive adjective needs to agree with the possessor and not with the thing that is
possessed. However, the verb that is used needs to be in agreement with the noun – if the
noun is singular then the verb is singular; if the noun is plural then the verb is plural.
Possessive adjectives are often confused with possessive pronouns. A possessive adjective
is used to describe a noun, and it comes before it. On the other hand, a possessive pronoun
is used instead of a noun.
Your car is black. (Your is an adjective which modifies the word ‘car’.)
Mine is white. (Mine is a pronoun which functions as the subject of the sentence.)
Do not confuse its and it's. Its is the possessive adjective for it. It’s is a contraction of it is.
Do not confuse their and they’re. Their is the possessive adjective for they. They’re is a
contraction of they are.
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two objects they
modify. When forming the comparative degree follow the pattern noun/pronoun (subject) +
verb + comparative adjective + than + noun/pronoun (object).
The second item of comparison can be omitted if it is clear from the context that something
is being compared to something else.
If you start working out you’ll get thinner. (=You’ll get thinner in comparison to your past
self.)
Comparative adjectives with one syllable are normally formed by adding -er to the adjective.
smart – smarter
If an adjective has a consonant + single vowel + consonant spelling, the final consonant
must be doubled before adding -er.
big – bigger
dry – drier
Adjectives with two syllables can form the comparative either by adding -er or by preceding
the adjective with more.
happy – happier
In many cases, both forms are used, although one usage will be more common than the
other. If you are not sure whether a two-syllable adjective can take a comparative ending,
use more instead.
Adjectives with three or more syllables form the comparative by preceding the adjective with
more.
Some adjectives do not follow any of the rules explained earlier. They are compared
irregularly. Here are the most common irregular adjectives.
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
2) Most adjectives can show degree of quality or quantity by forming two degrees of
comparison: the comparative degree and the superlative degree. These degrees are formed
from the positive degree, which is the usual form of adjectives.
Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a
quality (the tallest, the smallest etc.). They are used in sentences where a subject is
compared to a group of objects. When forming the superlative degree follow the pattern
noun/pronoun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun/pronoun (object).
The group that is being compared with can be omitted if it is clear from the context that
something is at the upper or lower limit of a quality
Superlative adjectives with one syllable are normally formed by adding -est to the adjective.
If an adjective has a consonant + single vowel + consonant spelling, the final consonant
must be doubled before adding -est.
Adjectives with two syllables can form the superlative either by adding -est or by preceding
the adjective with the most.
In many cases, both forms are used, although one usage will be more common than the
other. If you are not sure whether a two-syllable adjective can take a superlative ending, use
the most instead.
Adjectives with three or more syllables form the superlative by preceding the adjective with
the most.
Some adjectives do not follow any of the rules explained earlier. They are irregular. Here are
the most common irregular adjectives.
Limiting Adjectives
Introduction
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun (e.g. girl, boy
etc.) or pronoun (e.g. we, it etc.). Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
a) articles are the most commonly used adjectives. A, an, the indicate whether the noun is
used indefinitely or definitely.
b) demonstrative adjectives are adjectives that are used to modify a noun so that we know
which specific person, place, or thing is mentioned. The most common demonstrative
adjectives are this, that, these, those.
c) numerals can function as limiting adjectives limiting the noun to a specific number or
amount.
One chocolate bar, two cups of coffee, and ten hours of hard work were put into this.
d) indefinite adjectives are used to describe a noun in a non-specific sense. The most
common indefinite adjectives are any, each, few, many, much, most, several, some. They
are often used to describe a noun showing an element of uncertainty.
In the category of limiting adjectives there are also pronominal and possessive adjectives
that will be covered in the following lessons.
Pronominal Adjectives
Introduction - Pronominal Adjectives
1) An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e. describes) a noun (e.g. girl, boy
etc.) or pronoun (e.g. we, it etc.). Adjectives may come before or after the word they modify.
In the category of limiting adjectives there are pronominal adjectives. Pronominal adjectives
are pronouns which are used to modify nouns. They would be pronouns if they stood by
themselves in the place of the noun that they represent.
This book is interesting. (This is a pronominal adjective. It modifies the noun ‘book’.)
e) indefinite adjectives (some, any, all, few, several, many, both, little, much, more, most).
1) Underline the pronominal adjectives and decide whether they are demonstrative,
possessive, distributive, interrogative, or indefinite.
1) Underline the pronominal adjectives and decide whether they are demonstrative,
possessive, distributive, interrogative, or indefinite.