Adjectives

What are adjectives?

 Adjectives are used to clarify nouns.

 Adjectives can be one word or a group of words.
 Adjectives can also be used with certain verbs, such as the verb "to be".
 Adjectives are used to clarify the subject that is doing the action.
 Adjectives are not used to clarify the verb.
 Adjectives are used to describe color, material, shape, size, amount, price, quality, origin,
personality, weight, temperature, weight, age, direction, etc.

Some common adjective endings are -ive, -ous, -y, -ful,-ent.

Adjective Usage

 Adjectives are placed before the noun.

 The form of the adjectives doesn't change.
 Adjectives can be used with all forms of nouns.

Adjectives With Nouns:

 The new books on the table, have to go to the library.

 I was teaching in a big high school last year.
 The new apartment building is really nice.

Adjective With Verbs:

 Our English teacher is tall and thin.

 Our professor is a nice man.

How to use adjectives together.

There are general guidelines for using  2 or more adjectives together.

In most cases the adjectives are placed before the noun.

It is not common to used more then 3 adjectives together, but it is grammatically correct.

 I love that really old big green antique car that always parked at the end of the street.
 My sister has a big, beautiful, tan and white bulldog.

When an article is used such as "a", "an" or "the", then  the article is placed before the adverb. 
The 9 different adjective groups are listed below.

The order of the adjectives is as followed:

1. Determiner- a, an, her, five, many, much several etc.

2. Opinion - pretty, ugly, smart, cheap, etc.
3. Size - big, fat, thin, tall, large, small etc.
4. Shape - circle, square, tall, short etc.
5. Age - old, young 10 years, a year, a week, new etc.
6. Color - yellow, green, pink etc.
7. Origin - American, English, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, European, Chinese etc.
8. Material - cotton, wood, plastic, cloth, glass, gold etc.
9. Purpose/Qualifier - hat box, sleeping bag, computer table, safe island, football field.

When there are 2 or more adjectives that are from the same group "and" is placed between the 2
adjectives.

 The house is green and red.

 The library has old and new books.

When there are 3 or more adjectives from the same adjective group, then place a comma between
each of the adjectives. Please note that a comma is not placed between the adjective and the
noun. Place "and between that last 2 adjectives.

 We live in the big, green, white and red house at the end of the street.
 My friend lost a red, black and white dog, if you see it please let me know.

How to use adjectives with nouns.

It is very common to use adjectives with nouns. Adjectives are used to describe the noun.

This is common when using 2 nouns together, so one acts as the noun, and one acts as a
adjective.

 The big cat is cute.

 The red car is very old.

2 or more adjectives can be used together to describe a noun.

 The big red car outside is my new car.

 I am going to take the big silver train to the city.

Nouns can be used as adjectives.

 The dog likes his dog house.

 Please close the closet door.
Comparative adjectives are used to compare the difference between 2 nouns, or a collective
nouns.

What is a collective noun?

Collective nouns are nouns that refer to things or people as a unit. Examples: family, police,
class, team, crew etc.

Collective nouns can be used in both the singular form and the plural form.

Rules for Using Collective Nouns:

Singular Collective Noun Plural Collective Nouns

1. Singular collective nouns refer to one 1. Plural collective nouns refer to two or
unit of people or things. more units of people or things.
2. Singular collective nouns are used like 2. Plural collective nouns are used like
singular nouns. plural nouns.

Note: Superlative adjectives are used to compare 3 or more nouns or collective nouns.

 The black dog is older than the white dog.

 My house is bigger than my sister's house.
 The yellow hat is more expensive than the green hat.
The Rules for using Comparative Adjectives

"Than" is usually used after the comparative adjective.

 The winter is
colder than the
summer.
 cold - colder  The green hat is
-er is added to the end of a 1-  small - smaller smaller than the
syllable adjective  tall - taller yellow hat.
 Most basketball
players are taller
than me.

 I came home
earlier than my
 early - earlier sister.
-er is added to the end of an
 happy - happier  I am happier now
adjective with 2 syllables, if the
adjective ends in -y.  crazy - crazier than 1 year ago.
 My friend is
crazier than me.

 The policeman are

more honest than
 honest - more criminals.
"More" or "less" is used for honest  The last test was
adjectives that have 2 syllables,  difficult- more more difficult
if the adjective doesn't end in difficult than the test today.
-y. Adjectives that end in -y,  modern - more  Our generation is
change the -y to i and add -ed. modern more modern
than our parents
generation.

 My car is less
 expensive - more expensive then my
expensive sister's car.
"More" or "less" is used for 
 comfortable -  The chair is more
adjectives that have 3 or more
more comfortable then
syllables
comfortable the green chair.

 
Adjectives that end in -e, only  nice - nicer   The beach is nicer
-r is added to end of the
 then that park.
 safe - safer
adjective.

 My house is
bigger than, my
 big -bigger
Adjective that end in with a sisters house.
 hot -hotter
consonant, vowel, consonant -  The summer is
Airplanes
the last consonant is doubled. hotter than the
winter.

How to form superlative adjectives.

There are two ways to form superlative adjectives, depending on the length of the adjective.

The number of syllables the adjectives determines if -est is added to the end of the adjective, or if
"most" or "least" is added before the adjective.

The chart below is a guide to help you understand the correct structure of superlative adjectives.

English Superlative Adjectives Rules

-est is added to the end of a 1-
syllable adjective
 This winter is the coldest
 cold - coldest that I can remember.
 small - smallest  The green hat is the smallest
 tall - tallest hat in the store.
 I am the tallest in my class

 Today is the earliest that I

came home all week.
 early - earliest
2 syllable adjectives the -y is  She is the happiest I have
 happy - happiest
change to  -i. and add -est to the seen her, in years.
 crazy - craziest
end of the adjective   I have the craziest dog on
the block.

 honest - most  The policeman are the most

"most" or "least" are placed
honest honest people that I know.
before adjectives  that have 2 or
 modern - more  Our generation is the most
more syllables, and don't end in
modern modern.
-y
  expensive -
most expensive  That is the most expensive
 difficult - most dress in the store.
"most" and "least" are used for
difficult  This problem is the most
adjectives that contain 3 or more
syllables  comfortable - difficult, that I have had to
most solve in my life.
comfortable  These shoes are the most
comfortable.

 Your family is the nicest

 nice -nicest that I have ever met.
Adjectives ending in -e,  only -r
 safe -safest  This car is the safest> on the
is added to end of the adjective.
market.

 My house is the biggest on

Adjectives that end in a the block.
 big -biggest
consonant, vowel, consonant -  My cat is the fattest cat on
 fat- fattest
the last consonant is doubled the block.
 hot -hottest
and -est is added to the end of  The summer is the hottest
the adjective. time of the year.

The order of multiple adjectives in a sentence.

In English, most cases the adjectives come before the nouns.

There is a specific order in a sentence when using more then one adjective.

Determiner and Quantities - a, an, her, five, many, much several etc.

Opinion - pretty, ugly, smart, cheap, etc.

Size - big, fat, thin, tall, large, small etc.

Shape - circle, square, tall, etc.

Age - old, young 10 years, a year, a week, new etc.

Color - yellow, green, pink etc.

Material - cotton, wood, plastic, cloth, glass, gold etc.

Purpose - the reason that something is needed ( example hat box, sleeping bag, computer table).

How are adjectives used with verbs.

There are times when an adjective is placed after a verb. This is more common when the verb
being used is a "linking verb". Please note, adjectives don't describe the verb. Adjectives
describe the subject that is performing the action.

 The cake looks good.

 Your hair looks great. Where did you get your hair cut?
 The boys play ball all the time.

When using an adjective and a verb together, then the adjective comes after the verb.

There are times when one adjective is not enough to describe the noun or the subject that is
performing the action. When 2 or more adjectives are used together, then there is a specific order
that is usually followed. Please see multiple adjectives.

It is important to understand if an adjective is needed, or if a adverb is needed. There is an easy

way to tell. Ask yourself, do I need to define the verb of the sentence? or do I need to define the
subject that is performing the action?

 The dog grew angry.

 The boys are tall.
How to form compative adjectives.

There are two ways to form compative adjectives, depending on the lenth of the adjective.

Adjectives  with 1 syllable or adjectives with 2 syllables if the adjective ends in -y, then -er is
added to the end of the adjective.

Notes:

 Adjectives ending in -y; change the -y to -i and add -er.

 Adjectives that end with a consonant, vowel, consonant - the last consonant is doubled,
and -er is added to the end of the adjective.

 cold - colder  early - earlier  big -bigger

 small - smaller  happy - happier  fat-fatter
 tall - taller  crazy - crazier  hot -hotter

Adjectives  with 3 more syllables, and adjectives with 2 syllables that don't end in -y. The word
"more" or "less" is placed before the adjective.

Note: Adjectives that end in -e, only -r is added to the end of the adjective.

 honest - more honest  expensive - more expensive

 difficult- more difficult  difficult - more difficult
 modern - more modern  comfortable - more
comfortable