Adjectives
} Adjectives are words modifying nouns, expressing
physical and other qualities and the writer’s opinion/ attitude
} Types of adjectives
◦ Attributive
◦ Predicative
◦ Gradable
◦ Non-gradable
TYPES OF ADJS
} Attributive adjectives
◦ Used before nouns
◦ a good book, many excellent meals
◦ Many nouns used as attributive adjectives: a paper cup
} Predicative adjectives
◦ Used after verbs (linking verbs)
◦ The book was very good.
} Gradable adjectives
◦ Having a certain property to a greater or lesser degree
◦ Modified by very, enough, too: very nice
◦ Having comparative and superlative forms: nicer, the nicest
} Non-gradable adjectives
◦ Not having a certain property to a greater or lesser degree
◦ Not modified by very, enough, too: very main
◦ Not having comparative and superlative forms: mainer, the mainest
FORMATION
Simple adjectives: good, bad, easy, short, etc.
} Most frequently used
} Often mono-syllabic and bi-syllabic words: ill, pretty
} No distinctive form to mark as adjectives
Derived adjectives
} Derived from nouns, other adjectives, or verbs by
adding certain suffixes
◦ Some of native origin: greenish, hopeful, handy, etc.
◦ Of foreign bases: apparent, secondary, marvelous, etc.
} Derived from adjectives by adding prefixes to
adjectives: unhappy, insecure, etc.
} Derived from verbs or adjectives by adding prefix a-: asleep, alone, etc.
Compound adjectives
◦ Noun + adjective: tax-free
◦ Determiner + adjective: all-American
◦ Number + noun: four-wheel
◦ Adverb + participle: well-balanced
◦ Adverb + adverb: well-off
} Adjectives in English are invariable in form, and are not marked for number or gender.
POSITIONS
1. Attributive and predicative positions
} An adjective can go before a noun (attributive position) or as complement after a linking verb
(predicative position)
It is a large stadium.
The stadium is large.
} Words before a predicative adjective are often left out
◦ I’ve got a friend keen on fishing. (=a friend who is…)
◦ Could you let me know as soon as possible?
◦ Although confident of victory, we knew it would not be easy
Attributive only: chief, elder, eldest, eventual,
former, indoor, inner, main, mere, only, outdoor,
outer, principal, sheer, sole, upper, utter
} Little is mostly attributive: a little cottage
} Same cannot be predicative without the: Yes, I had
the same experience./Yes, my experience was the same.
} A noun as modifier can only be attributive: a tennis club, a water pipe
} Nouns saying what something is made of can go in either position: It’s a metal pipe./The pipe is metal.
Predicative only
} Some words with the prefix a-: awake, ashamed, alike, etc.
} Some words expressing feelings: content, glad, pleased, upset
} Some words to do with health: well, fine, ill, unwell
} Many of these can be attributive if modified by an adverb: the wide awake children
} Pleased, glad, and upset can be attributive when not referring directly to people: a pleased expression, the
glad news, an upset stomach
Different meanings in different positions
Attributive only Either position
real wood/The wood is real. (= not false)
a real hero (degree)
a perfect day/The day was perfect. (=excellent)
a perfect idol (degree)
a poor result/The result was poor. (=not good)
You poor thing!
poor people/The people are poor. (=having
(sympathy)
little money)
Attributive only Predicative only
a certain address (=specific) I’m certain. (= sure)
the present situation (=now) I was present. (= here/there)
a late bus (=near the end of the day) The bus was late. (=not on
the late president (=dead) time)
Attributive Predicative
She’s a beautiful dancer. The dancer is beautiful.
(= Her dancing is beautiful.) (= The dancer is a beautiful person.)
2. Adjectives after nouns and pronouns
After nouns
} Sometimes adjectives can go after nouns
◦ He has a face thin and worn, but eager and resolute.
} Adjective + prepositional phrase cannot go before the noun
◦ He is a man greedy for money.
◦ People anxious for news kept ringing the emergency number.
} Sometimes the position depends on the meaning.
◦ The amount of money involved is quite small. (=relevant)
◦ It’s a rather involved story. (= complicated)
After pronouns
} Adjectives come after a indefinite pronouns
◦ You mustn't do anything silly
THE ORDER OF ATTRIBUTIVE ADJS
} Fixed order
Opinion nice, wonderful, lovely, awful, etc.
Size large, small, long, short, tall, etc.
Quality clear, busy, famous, important, etc.
Age old, new
Shape round, square, fat, thin, wide, etc.
Color red, white, etc.
Participle
broken, running, etc.
forms
Origin British, American, etc.
Material brick, wooden, etc.
Type human, chemical, money, etc.
Purpose alarm, walking, etc.
} Two excellent public tennis courts (opinion + type + purpose)
} The order can sometimes change: a big horrible building
} Old and young referring to people often come next to the noun: a dignified old lady
} In general, the adjective closest to the noun has the closest link in meaning with the noun and expresses
what is most permanent about it
} When two adjectives have similar meanings, the
shorter often comes first
◦ A bright, cheerful smile or a soft, comfortable chair
} Sometimes two orders are possible: a peaceful, happy face/a happy, peaceful face
} And can be put between two adjectives: a soft and comfortable chair
} And is not used between adjectives with different meanings: beautiful golden sands
} But is used when the adjectives refer to two qualities in contrast: a cheap but effective solution
PARTICIPLES AS ADJS
} -ing adjectives vs. -ed adjectives
The + Adj
} Social groups
◦ To refer to some groups of people in the society: the poor,
the rich
◦ A few adjectives can come after a/an to mean a specific
person: Now as a superstar, she was an unknown, only two years ago.
◦ There are a few adjectives that can be used as nouns: a black (= a black person)
◦ For a whole people=> the + adjective of nationality: the English
} Abstract qualities
◦ To refer to things in general having an abstract quality: the new, the old, the unexplained
Comparisons
} Equatives
} Comparatives
} Superlatives
NOTES
1. She is as tall as I.
2. She is as tall as me.
3. She is as tall as I am.
1. She is taller than I.
2. She is taller than me.
3. She is taller than I am
as ________ as iron HARD
as ________ as gold GOOD
as ________ as lead HEAVY
as ________ as a ghost WHITE
as ________ as a judge SOBER
as ________ as a new pin CLEAN
as ________ as a hunter HUNGRY
as ________ as a daisy FRESH
as ________ as a donkey STUPID
as ________ as gall BITTER
as ________ as a skunk DRUNK
Short adjectives vs. long adjectives
} one-syllable → short (except –ed, real, right, wrong)
} clear, free, keen, sage, sure, true, wise ???
} two-syllable
◦ -ful, -less, -ing, -ed →long
◦ -y → short
◦ able, common, cruel, feeble, gentle, handsome, narrow, pleasant, polite, simple, sincere, stupid → both
forms
} three-syllable → long
} farther/ farthest vs. further/ furthest?
} older/ oldest vs. elder/ eldest?
} latest vs. last?
} nearest vs. next?
} vase / glass, old, lovely
→ a lovely old glass vase
} mirror / wall, attractive
→ an attractive wall mirror
} desk / office, modern
→ a modern office desk
} chairs / kitchen, red, metal
→ red metal kitchen chairs
} boat / model, splendid, old
→ a splendid old model boat
} stamp / postage, valuable, Australian
→ a valuable Australian postage stamp
} game / new, family, exciting
→ an exciting new family game
} computer / business, Japanese, powerful
→ a powerful Japanese business computer
} fire / electric, excellent, small
→ an excellent small electric fire
} comedy / American, television, terrific
→ a terrific American television comedy
} doors / aluminum, garage, stylish
→ stylish aluminum garage doors
} shoes / modern, sports, wonderful
→ wonderful modern sports shoes
