ADJECTIVES

1. ADJECTIVES

A. FORM OF ADJECTIVES B. FUNCTION C. ORDER D. COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES E. IRREGULAR COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES F. THE + SUPERLATIVE G. COMPARATIVE + THAN H. "AS" + ADJECTIVE + "AS" I. "NOT AS" + ADJECTIVE + "AS" J. COMPARISONS OF QUANTITY

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A. Form of Adjectives

Rules
1. Adjectives are invariable: They do not change their form depending on the gender or number of the noun. A hot potato Some hot potatoes

2. To emphasise or strengthen the meaning of an adjective use 'very' or 'really': A very hot potato (BUT see also Modifiers/Adverbs) Some really hot potatoes.

Position of adjectives
a) Usually in front of a noun: A beautiful girl. b) After verbs like "to be", "to seem" , "to look", "to taste":

Examples

The girl is beautiful You look tired This meat tastes funny.

c) After the noun: in some fixed expressions:

Examples

The Princess Royal The President elect a court martial

d) After the noun with the adjectives involved, present, concerned:

Examples
1. I want to see the people involved/concerned (= the people who have something to do with the matter) 2. Here is a list of the people present (= the people who were in the building or at the meeting) Be careful! When these adjectives are used before the noun they have a different meaning:

An involved discussion = detailed, complex A concerned father = worried, anxious The present situation = current, happening now ADJECTIVES 2

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B. Function of Adjectives
Adjectives can:
Describe feelings or qualities:

Examples

He is a lonely man They are honest people

Give nationality or origin:

Examples

Pierre is French This clock is German Our house is Victorian

Tell more about a thing's characteristics:

Examples

A wooden table. The knife is sharp.

Tell us about age:

Examples

He's young man My coat is very old

Tell us about size and measurement:

Examples

John tall man. This is a very long film.

Tell us about colour:

Examples

Paul wore a red shirt. The sunset was crimson and gold.

Tell us about material/what something is made of:

Examples

It was a wooden table She wore a cotton dress

Tell us about shape:

Examples

A rectangular box A square envelope

Express a judgement or a value:

Examples

A fantastic film Grammar is boring. ADJECTIVES 3

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C. Order of Adjectives
Rules
Where a number of adjectives are used together, the order depends on the function of the adjective. The usual order is: Value/opinion, Size, Age/Temperature, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material Value/opinion Size Age/Temperature Shape Colour Origin Material delicious, lovely, charming small, huge, tiny old, hot, young round, square, rectangular red, blonde, black Swedish, Victorian, Chinese plastic, wooden, silver

Examples:

a lovely old red post-box some small round plastic tables some charming small silver ornaments

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D. COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE

Using the comparative of adjectives is quite easy once you have understood the few simple rules that govern them. Below you will find the rules with examples.

Rules
Number of syllables one syllable tall Comparative + -er taller Superlative (see rule) + -est tallest

one syllable with the spelling consonant + single vowel + consonant: double the final consonant: fat big sad Number of syllables two syllables fatter bigger sadder Comparative + -er OR more + adj fattest biggest saddest Superlative + -est OR most + adj

ending in: -y, -ly, -ow ending in: -le, -er or -ure these common adjectives - handsome, polite, pleasant, common, quiet happy yellow simple tender happier/ more happy yellower/ more yellow simpler/ more simple tenderer/ more tender happiest/ most happy yellowest/ most yellow simplest/ most simple tenderest/ most tender

If you are not sure, use MORE + OR MOST + Note: Adjectives ending in '-y' like happy, pretty, busy, sunny, lucky etc:. replace the -y with -ier or -iest in the comparative and superlative form busy Number of syllables busier Comparative busiest Superlative most + adj most important most expensive ADJECTIVES 5

three syllables or more more + adj important expensive more important more expensive

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Examples

A cat is fast, a tiger is faster but a cheetah is the fastest A car is heavy, a truck is heavier, but a train is the heaviest A park bench is comfortable, a restaurant chair is more comfortable, but a sofa is the most comfortable

E. IRREGULAR COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

These adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms: Adjective good bad little much far Comparative better worse less more further / farther Superlative best worst least most furthest / farthest

F. THE + SUPERLATIVE
Rule
'the' is placed before the superlative:

Examples:

He is the richest man in the world. That is the biggest crocodile I have ever seen. She is the tallest girl in her class.

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G. COMPARATIVE + THAN
To compare the difference between two people, things or events.

Examples

Mt. Everest is higher than Mt. Blanc. Thailand is sunnier than Norway. A car is more expensive than a bicycle. Albert is more intelligent than Arthur.

H. AS + ADJECTIVE + AS
To compare people, places, events or things, when there is no difference, use as + adjective + as:

Examples

Peter is 24 years old. John is 24 years old. Peter is as old as John. Moscow is as cold as St. Petersburg in the winter. Ramona is as happy as Raphael. Einstein is as famous as Darwin. A tiger is as dangerous as a lion.

I. NOT AS + ADJECTIVE + AS
Difference can also be shown by using not so/as ...as:

Examples

Mont Blanc is not as high as Mount Everest Norway is not as sunny as Thailand A bicycle is not as expensive as a car Arthur is not as intelligent as Albert

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J. COMPARISONS OF QUANTITY
J1. To show difference: more, less, fewer + than J2. To show no difference: as much as , as many as, as few as, as little as

J1. To show DIFFERENCE: more, less, fewer + than

Examples:
With countable nouns: more / fewer

Eloise has more children than Chantal. Chantal has fewer children than Eloise. There are fewer dogs in Cardiff than in Bristol I have visited fewer countries than my friend has. He has read fewer books than she has.

With uncountable nouns: more / less

Eloise has more money than Chantal. Chantal has less money than Eloise. I spend less time on homework than you do. Cats drink less water than dogs. This new dictionary gives more information than the old one.

So, the rule is:

MORE + nouns that are countable or uncountable FEWER + countable nouns LESS + uncountable nouns

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J2. To show NO DIFFERENCE: as much as , as many as, as few as, as little as

as many as / as few as + countable nouns as much as / as little as + uncountable nouns

Examples:
With countable nouns:

They have as many children as us. We have as many customers as them. Tom has as few books as Jane. There are as few houses in his village as in mine. You know as many people as I do. I have visited the States as many times as he has.

With uncountable nouns:

John eats as much food as Peter. Jim has as little food as Sam. You've heard as much news as I have. He's had as much success as his brother has. They've got as little water as we have.

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