UNIT 8

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 1
OBJECTIVE
In writing, adjectives and adverbs are two important types of word in making a
sentence, a paragraph or a text more colorful

• learners are often confuse when using these two types because they are quite
similar in morphonology,

• their position in a sentence.

=> Clearing those issues is the aim of this unit.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 2
8.1 ADJECTIVES
• An adjective describes or modifies noun/s and pronoun/s in a sentence. It
normally indicates quality, size, shape, duration, feelings, contents, and more
about a noun or pronoun.
• Adjectives usually provide relevant information about the nouns/pronouns they
modify/describe by answering the questions: What kind? How many? Which one?
How much? Adjectives enrich your writing by adding precision and originality to it.
Examples :
▪ The team has a dangerous batsman. (What kind?)
▪ I have ten candies in my pocket. (How many?)
▪ I loved that red car. (Which one?)
▪ I earn more money than he does. (How much?)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 3
8.1.1 DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES
• A descriptive adjective is a word which describes nouns and pronouns. Most of
the adjectives belong in this type. These adjectives provide information and
attribute to the nouns/pronouns they modify or describe. Descriptive adjectives
are also called qualitative adjectives.
• Participles are also included in this type of adjective when they modify a noun.
Examples:
▪ I have a fast car. (The word ‘fast’ is describing an attribute of the car)
▪ I am hungry. (The word ‘hungry’ is providing information about the subject)
▪ The hungry cats are crying.
▪ I saw a flying Eagle.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 4
8.1.1 DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline descriptive adjective in the sentences below:
1. She loves golden jars.
• She loves golden jars
2. I want to throw a surprise party for her.
• I want to throw a surprise party for her.
3. Give me that big brown pad.
• Give me that big brown pad.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 5
8.1.1 DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline descriptive adjective in the sentences below:

4. We ate some delicious food.

• We ate some delicious food

5. He plays with an enormous bat.

• He plays with an enormous bat.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 6
8.1.2 QUANTITATIVE ADJECTIVES

• A quantitative adjective provides information about the quantity of the

nouns/pronouns. This type belongs to the question category of ‘how much’ and
‘how many’.
Examples:
▪ I have 20 bucks in my wallet. (How much)
▪ They have three children. (How many)
▪ You should have completed the whole task. (How much)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 7
8.1.2 QUANTITATIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline quantitative adjective in the sentences below:
1. I drank half of my mango drink.
• I drank half of my mango drink
2. I ate some roasted chicken.
• I ate some roasted chicken.
3. He has many cherries in his large pocket.
• He has many cherries in his large pocket.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 8
8.1.2 QUANTITATIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline quantitative adjective in the sentences below:

4. Linda ate whole burger.

• Linda ate whole burger

5. These ignorant people have no common sense.

• These ignorant people have no common sense.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 9
8.1.3 PROPER ADJECTIVES
• Proper adjectives are the adjective form of proper nouns. When proper nouns
modify or describe other nouns/pronouns, they become proper adjectives.
‘Proper’ means ‘specific’ rather than ‘formal’ or ‘polite.’
• A proper adjective allows us to summarize a concept in just one word. Instead of
writing/saying ‘a food cooked in Chinese recipe’ you can write/say ‘Chinese food’.
Example:
▪ American cars are very strong.
▪ Chinese people are hard workers.
▪ I love KFC burgers.
▪ Marxist philosophers despise capitalism

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 10
8.1.3 PROPER ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline proper adjective in the sentences below:
1. My brother likes Italian cuisine.
• My brother likes Italian cuisine
2. Shakespearean sonnets are easy to comprehend.
• Shakespearean sonnets are easy to comprehend.
3. Petrarchan sonnets are more complex.
• Petrarchan sonnets are more complex.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 11
8.1.3 PROPER ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline proper adjective in the sentences below:

4. He has always been a Marxist.

• He has always been a Marxist

5. There is nothing called platonic love.

• There is nothing called platonic love.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 12
8.1.4 DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
• A demonstrative adjective directly refers to something or someone.
Demonstrative adjectives include the words: this, that, these, those.
• A demonstrative pronoun works alone and does not precede a noun, but a
demonstrative adjective always comes before the word it modifies.
Examples:
• That building is so gorgeously decorated. (‘That’ refers to a singular noun far
from the speaker)
• This car is mine. (‘This’ refers to a singular noun close to the speaker)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 13
8.1.4 DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline demonstrative adjective in the sentences below:
1. Give me that blue water bottle.
• Give me that blue water bottle
2. This time I won’t fail you.
• This time I won’t fail you.
3. I want those gorgeous marbles.
• I want those gorgeous marbles.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 14
8.1.4 DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline demonstrative adjective in the sentences below:

4. I wanted to propose you that day.

• I wanted to propose you that day

5. These mangoes are rotting.

• These mangoes are rotting.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 15
8.1.5 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
• A possessive adjective indicates possession or ownership. It suggests the
belongingness of something to someone/something.
• Some of the most used possessive adjectives are my, his, her, our, their, your.
• Unlike possessive pronouns, these words demand a noun after them.
Examples:
▪ My car is parked outside.
▪ His cat is very cute.
▪ Our job is almost done.
▪ Her books are interesting

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 16
8.1.5 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Identify possessive adjective in the sentences below:
1. Your cycle has been stolen yesterday.
• Your cycle has been stolen yesterday
2. Your child is not doing well in the school.
• Your child is not doing well in the school.
3. We are concerned about his performance.
• We are concerned about his performance.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 17
8.1.5 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Identify possessive adjective in the sentences below:

4. The students of class seven submitted their assignment.

• The students of class seven submitted their assignment

5. I could not understand her intentions.

• I could not understand her intentions.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 18
8.1.6 INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES
• An interrogative adjective asks a question. An interrogative adjective must be
followed by a noun or a pronoun.
• The interrogative adjectives are: which, what, whose. These words will not be
considered as adjectives if a noun does not follow right after them.
• ‘Whose’ also belongs to the possessive adjective type.
Examples:
▪ Which phone do you use?
▪ What game do you want to play?
▪ Whose car is this?

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 19
8.1.6 INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Identify interrogative adjective in the sentences below:
1. Which book on proofreading do you recommend?
• Which book on proofreading do you recommend?
2. Which team scored the higher in the last match?
• Which team scored the higher in the last match?
3. Which player did get a fifty yesterday?
• Which player did get a fifty yesterday?.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 20
8.1.6 INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Identify interrogative adjective in the sentences below:

4. What recipe did you choose to make this dish?

• What recipe did you choose to make this dish?

5. Which bat is Watson’s?

• Which bat is Watson’s?

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 21
8.1.7 INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES
• An indefinite adjective describes or modifies a noun unspecifically.
• They provide indefinite/unspecific information about the noun.
• The common indefinite adjectives are few, many, much, most, all, any, each,
every, either, nobody, several, some, etc.
Examples:
▪ I gave some candy to her.
▪ I want a few moments alone.
▪ Several writers wrote about the recent incidents.
▪ Each student will have to submit homework tomorrow.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 22
8.1.7 INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Identify indefinite adjective in the sentences below:
1. I liked most people at the party.
• I liked most people at the party
2. Some mice have chewed the cables.
• Some mice have chewed the cables.
3. There are several reasons for my resignation.
• There are several reasons for my resignation.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 23
8.1.7 INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES
PRACTICE:
Identify indefinite adjective in the sentences below:

4. Each team will receive a 2-minute warning before the start.

• Each team will receive a 2-minute warning before the start

5. Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes.

• Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 24
8.1.7 INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES
• Articles
• Articles also modify the nouns. So, articles are also adjectives. Articles
determine the specification of nouns. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are used to refer to an
unspecific noun, and ‘the’ is used to refer to a specific noun.
Examples:
▪ A cat is always afraid of water. (Here, the noun ‘cat’ refers to any cat, not
specific.)
▪ The cat is afraid of me. (This cat is a specific cat.)
▪ An electronic product should always be handled with care.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 25
8.1.8 COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
• When compound nouns/combined words modify other nouns, they become a
compound adjective.
• This type of adjective usually combines more than one word into a single lexical
unit and modifies a noun.
• They are often separated by a hyphen or joined together by a quotation mark.
Example:
▪ I have a broken-down sofa.
▪ I saw a six-foot-long snake.
▪ He gave me an “I’m gonna kill you now” look.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 26
8.1.8 COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline descriptive adjective in the sentences below:
1. It is a 6-page document.
• It is a 6-page document
2. Claire worked as a part-time keeper at the safari park.
• Claire worked as a part-time keeper at the safari park.
3. That is an all-too-common mistake.
• That is an all-too-common mistake.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 27
8.1.8 COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

PRACTICE:
Underline descriptive adjective in the sentences below:

4. He is an absent-minded person.

• He is an absent-minded person.

5. She loves British short-hair cat.

• She loves British short-hair cat.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 28
8.1.9 THE DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES

• There are three degrees of adjectives: Positive, comparative, superlative.

• These degrees are applicable only for the descriptive adjectives.
Examples:
• Positive degree: He is a good boy.
• Comparative degree: He is better than any other boy.
• Superlative: He is the best boy.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 29
8.1.9 THE DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES
PRACTICE:
Use the correct form of adjective to complete the sentences below:

1. He is the
(clever) …… . student in my group.
cleverest

2. She can’t stay longer

(long) ……… .than 30 minutes

3. It’s the best…. holiday I’ve had.

(good)

(clean) …………………….now.
4. Well, the place looks cleaner

5. The red shirt is better but it’s more ………………. than the white one.
expensive
(expensive)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 30
8.2 ADVERBS
• Adverbs are one of the four major word classes, along with nouns, verbs and
adjectives.
• We use adverbs to add more information about a verb, an adjective, another
adverb, a clause or a whole sentence and, less commonly, about a noun phrase.
Examples
▪ Quickly! We’re late.
▪ She swims really well.
▪ Don’t go so fast.
▪ You have to turn it clockwise.
▪ Come over here.
▪ Actually, I don’t know her.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 31
ADVERBS: MEANINGS AND FUNCTIONS
• Adverbs have many different meanings and functions. They are especially
important for indicating the time, manner, place, degree and frequency of
something.

time I never get up early at the weekends.

manner Walk across the road carefully!
place When we got there, the tickets had sold out.
degree It’s rather cold, isn’t it?
frequency I’m always losing my keys.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 32
8.2.1 TIME ADVERBS
• Time adverbs tell us about when something happens.

already lately still tomorrow

early now soon yesterday

finally recently today yet

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 33
8.2.2 PLACE ADVERBS
• Place adverbs tell us about where something happens or where something is.
Examples
• There was somebody standing nearby.
• Is that your scarf there?
• You go upstairs and do your homework. I’ll come up in a minute.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 34
8.2.3 MANNER ADVERBS
• Manner adverbs tell us about the way something happens or is done.
• Manner adverbs are often formed from adjectives by adding -ly:

accurately beautifully expertly professionally

anxiously carefully greedily quickly

badly cautiously loudly quietly

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 35
8.2.3 MANNER ADVERBS
• Some common manner adverbs have the same form as adjectives and they have
similar meanings (e.g. fast, right, wrong, straight, tight).

adjective adverb

I was never a fast swimmer Driving fast is dangerous

All of your answers were wrong. People always spell my name wrong.

Is that the right time? That builder never does anything right!

My hair is straight. Let’s go straight to the airport.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 36
8.2.4 DEGREE ADVERBS (SLIGHTLY) AND
FOCUSING ADVERBS (GENERALLY)
• Degree and focusing adverbs are the most common types of modifiers of
adjectives and other adverbs. Degree adverbs express degrees of qualities,
properties, states, conditions and relations.
• Degree adverbs absolutely enough perfectly somewhat

a (little) bit entirely pretty terribly

a lot extremely quite too

almost fairly rather totally

awfully highly remarkably utterly

completely lots slightly very

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 37
8.2.4 DEGREE ADVERBS (SLIGHTLY) AND
FOCUSING ADVERBS (GENERALLY)
• Degree and focusing adverbs are the most common types of modifiers of
adjectives and other adverbs. Degree adverbs express degrees of qualities,
properties, states, conditions and relations.
• Focusing adverbs
especially just mainly particularly

generally largely only simply

Examples
• I just wanted to ask you what you thought.
• I wouldn’t particularly like to move to a modern house.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 38
8.2.5 EVALUATIVE ADVERBS (SURPRISINGLY) AND
VIEWPOINT ADVERBS (PERSONALLY)
• We put some adverbs outside the clause. They modify the whole sentence or
utterance.

Example:
▪ The electric car, surprisingly, does not really offer any advantages over
petrol cars. (evaluative)
▪ Personally, I think the show was great. (viewpoint)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 39
8.2.5 EVALUATIVE ADVERBS (SURPRISINGLY) AND
VIEWPOINT ADVERBS (PERSONALLY)
PRACTICE:
Identify adverbs in the text below:
• The first book of the seven-book Harry Potter series came to the bookstores in 1997.
Since then, bookstores have sold more than 250 million copies of the first books in the
series. These books are available in more than 200 countries and in more than 60
languages.
• When a new Harry Potter book arrives in the bookstores, it is always a big event. Usually,
the first books are sold at the magic hour of midnight. Stores that usually close at 6:00
P.M. stay open late for the special event. People wait in line for hours, sometimes days, to
buy a book. Many children and even some adults put on costumes to look like their
favorite characters in the book

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 40
8.2.5 EVALUATIVE ADVERBS (SURPRISINGLY) AND
VIEWPOINT ADVERBS (PERSONALLY)
PRACTICE:
Identify adverbs in the text below:
Adverbials Meaning / type
1. Adverbials of place
to the bookstores
in more than 200 countries
in the bookstores
2. Adverbials of time
in 1997
Since then
at the magic hour of midnight late
for hours
(for)days
41
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
8.2.5 EVALUATIVE ADVERBS (SURPRISINGLY) AND
VIEWPOINT ADVERBS (PERSONALLY)
PRACTICE:
Identify adverbs in the text below:
Adverbials Meaning / type
3. Adverbials of manner
in more than 60 languages.
in line
4. Adverbials of frequency
always
Usually
usually
sometimes
5. for the special event Adverbials of purpose
42
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
8.2.6 LINKING ADVERBS (THEN, HOWEVER)

• Linking adverbs show a relationship between two clauses or sentences (e.g. a

sequence in time, cause and effect, contrast between two things):

Example:
• I left my house in the morning [sequence]then I went to pick up Leanne at her
house.
• [cause]We talked until the early hours and [effect]consequently I overslept
the next morning. (the result of the late night is that I was late the next
morning)
• The sun will be shining in France. [contrast]However, heavy rain is expected
in Spain.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 43
8.2.6 LINKING ADVERBS (THEN, HOWEVER)

Warning:
• We can use then and consequently to join clauses or sentences. We usually
use but not however to connect two clauses in the same sentence:

Example:
• There was no room for them but they got on the train.
• There was no room for them. However, they got on the train.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 44
8.2.7 ADVERB PHRASES

• An adverb phrase consists of one or more words.

• The adverb is the head of the phrase and can appear alone or it can be modified
by other words.
• Adverbs are one of the four major word classes, along with nouns, verbs and
adjectives.
Example: We usually go on holiday in August.
▪ Time goes very quickly.
▪ The day passed quickly enough.
▪ This works really well for its size.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 45
8.2.7.1 ADVERB PHRASES: TYPES AND MEANINGS

• An adverb phrase can consist of one adverb or an adverb plus other words
before it (pre-modification) or after it (post-modification).

• Adverb phrases have many different meanings.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 46
8.2.7.1 ADVERB PHRASES: TYPES AND MEANINGS

Example Type Used to give information about

We walked very carefully across the floor. manner how something happens
Here is where I was born.
place where something happens
That’s it. Right there.
Dad got home very late. time when something happens
This pill will take away the pain temporarily. duration how long something happens
They almost never invite people to their
frequency how often something happens
house these days.
A: Want some sugar in your coffee?
focusing something specific
B: Only half a spoon, please.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 47
8.2.7.1 ADVERB PHRASES: TYPES AND MEANINGS

Example Type Used to give information about

how much or to what degree
That dog behaves incredibly stupidly! degree
something happens
The train will probably be late. certainty or how certain or necessary
It doesn’t necessarily mean that. necessity something is
the speaker’s opinion of
Unfortunately for me, I can’t speak Italian. evaluative
something
Personally, I don’t see why the party has to the speaker’s perspective or
viewpoint
start so early. reaction
It rained very heavily this summer. Therefore, relationships between clauses and
linking
many of the vegetables were very small. sentences

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 48
8.2.7.2 ADVERB PHRASES: FUNCTIONS
• Adverb phrases + verbs
• We use adverb phrases most commonly to modify verbs. In the examples the
adverb phrases are in bold. The verbs that they modify are underlined:
Example:
▪ Children grow up really quickly.
▪ I exercise very regularly and I eat quite healthily.
• Adverb phrases + be
• We use adverb phrases with be. This is especially typical of adverbs of place:
Example:
▪ I’m upstairs. I’ll only be a minute.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 49
8.2.7.2 ADVERB PHRASES: FUNCTIONS

❖Adverb phrases + adjectives/adverbs

• We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify adjectives and other adverbs:
Example:
▪ I found it [ADV ]extremely [adjective] difficult to talk to her.
▪ He drives [ADV] really [ADV]carefully.
❖Adverb phrases + other phrases
• We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify noun phrases (np) and prepositional
phrases:
Example:
▪ That’s [ADV]quite [NP]a tree. (it’s a tree that is special in some way,
e.g. it’s very big)
ENGLISH GRAMMAR 50
8.2.7.2 ADVERB PHRASES: FUNCTIONS

• Adverb phrases + determiners

• We use adverb phrases to modify determiners, especially words like all, some,
half, many (quantifiers):
Example:
▪ Only half of my friends could come to my party.
▪ Very few people have heard of my city. It’s very small.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 51
8.2.7.2 ADVERB PHRASES: FUNCTIONS

PRACTICE:
Underline the adverb phrases in the following sentences:
1. She lives in a palatial home.
• Adverb phrase – in a palatial home
2. Is there water on the moon?
• Adverb phrase – on the moon.
3. She ran into her room.
• Adverb phrase – into her room.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 52
8.2.7.2 ADVERB PHRASES: FUNCTIONS

PRACTICE:
Underline the adverb phrases in the following sentences:

4. They chatted for a while.

• Adverb phrase – for a while.

5. She performed the task with great skill.

• Adverb phrase – with great skill.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 53