6 Adjectives 6.1 Formation of adjectives 6.1A Adjectives formed with suffixes: ‘enjoy/enjoyable’ [> LEG 6.2, App 8.1] Many adjectives related to verbs or nouns have a characteristic ending (or suffix): We enjoyed the party. The party was very enjoyable. -able (capable of being): manageable -ible (ike -able): permissible ful (full of): boastful -(iJan (historical period, etc.): Victorian te: energetic -ish (have the quality of): foolish, reddish -ive (capable of being): attractive -ly (have this quality): friendly [= 710} ant. hesitant -ous: humorous And note ing forms used a8 adjectives: running water fb 224, 6.38, 6.) 1 I'm attracted by this scheme. | find it very . 2 Aclass of forty can be managed. I's just about .. nn 3 I know | hesitated before agreeing. | couldn't help being . 4 I don't know where you find all that energy. You're tremendously 5 This piece of furniture was made in the reign of Victoria. It's . 6 | don’t know how to describe the colour of the sky. Is almost red, sort of... . 7 I've never met anyone who boasts as he does. He's extremely : 8 What lovel of radiation can be permitted? How much radiation is . 2 9 The story is full of humour. I've rarely read anything that's so... 6.1B Adjectives formed with prefixes: ‘possible/impossible’ [> LEG 6.2, App 8.2) Study: | A prefix (e.g. im, added to an adjective generally has a negative effect: 3] | | think it's possible to solve the problem. | think it's impossible to solve the problem. une: uncooked, unimaginable Inv: Immoral, Impractca incapable, inhuman dis-: dishonest, disagreeable te ‘legal, Megible irs: irresponsible, irregular And note pre- (pre-war) and hyper: (hyperactive), which do not create opposites but modify the meaning of the word in some way. Write: Supply the right adjectival forms. Refer to the box above only when you have to. 1 I suspect he isn't honest. In fact, | think he's quite ........ Wsoneat 2 This arrangement isn't strictly legal. Some people would regard it as .. 3. Sometimes she doesn't behave in a responsible manner. She's quite 4 Such a situation is barely imaginable. I's quite 5 Bob’s not very capable, He's . 6 7 8 ‘of making sound decisions. This fish hasn't been cooked enough. I's This scheme isn't very practical. In fact, its quite This dates trom before the War: I'S avn. 6.1C Compound adjectives of measurement, etc. [> LEG 6.3.2) ‘a twenty-year-old man’ Study: | 1 We combine numbers with nouns in the singular to form compound adjectives with hyphens: Ga | 2 twenty-year-old man (Not “a twenty-years-old man’) We preter compounds of this kind to phrases with of ‘a man of twenty years’ 2 Compound adjectives of this kind can refer to: = age: a three-year-old building ~ area: a fifty-acre farm = volume: a two-litre car = duration: a four-hour meeting length: a twelve-inch ruler = depth: a six-foot hole = price: a $50 dress (a fity-dollar dress) —time/distance: a ten-minute walk = weight: a five-kilo bag6.2 Position of adjectives 6.2A Form and position of most adjectives [> LEG 6.4, 6.7) Study: | 1 Adjectives have the same form whether they refer to people or things in the singular or plural: ©] | He'satallman. She'sa tail woman. It's a tall building. They're tall men. They'e tall women. They're tall buildings. 2 Most adjectives are used in two ways in English: before a noun: He is an old man. This is an old ticket. ~atter be, seem, etc. the adjective stands on its own: The man is old. The ticket is old. Write: Rewrite these sentences so that the adjectives come after be: 1 This is a big company. This company... 2 Kevin and Matthew are clever boys. Kevin and Matthew 3 Ninais a hardworking girl. Nina - 4 These are busy streets. These streets . 5 They're well-behaved children. The children 6.2B Adjectives that can change in meaning before a noun or after ‘be’ [> LEG 6.7, 6.8] before a noun: John is an ol friend of mine. (: —atter be: My friend, John, Is very old. I've known him for a fong time} old in years) ‘Some other common adjectives that can change meaning according to their position are: early, faint, fine, heavy, il, late, sick. Note that sick can go before a noun or after be, but il (ike well) comes after be. Sick means ‘il and also means ‘upset in the stomach’. Write 1: Rewrite these sentences using adjectives with the same meaning as the words in italics. 1 John is a friend whom,{ have known for a very long time, John is 2 Some money was left to me by my uncle who is dead. ‘Some money was left. se 3 She drew a line which | could haraly see. ‘She drew 4 Your suitcase weighs a lot. Your suitcase is 5 Susan smokes a lot. She’ Adjectives before and after nouns with a change of meaning [> LEG 6.11.2) Adjectives go before nouns in English [> 6.2A), but there are a few adjectives which go before or after nouns and they change in meaning according to their position: This elect body meets once a year. (before the noun = ‘specially chosen’) The president elect takes over in May. (after the noun = ‘who has been elected’) Write: Which words or phrases in 8 best explain the words or phrases in A? A 8 1 The concerned doctor phoned for an ambulance. a) correct 2 The doctor concernedis on holiday at the moment. _ b) worried 3 Itwas a very involved question. ©) who was blamed 4 The person involved has lett the company. —_ 4) complicated 5 Present employees number 3,000. €) with a sense of duty 6 The employees present should vote on this. _ 1) now employed 7 twas a properquestion. _ 9) here now 8 The question proper has not been answered. _ hh) connected with this (twice) 9 Janet is a responsible gic. ‘) itselt 10. The git! responsible has been expelled. _6.3 Adjectives that behave like nouns; ‘-ed/-ing’ endings 6.3A ‘The’ (etc.) + adjective + noun: ‘the blind’ (> LEG 6.6, 6.12.2) Study: | 1 We use a noun after an adjective or we use one/ones [> 4.28-C, compare > 3.1C]: 3) | He's a young man. (Not "He's a young’) You poor thing! (Not *You poor!) sold my old car and I've bought a new one. (Not * .. and I’ve bought a new’) 2 In the plural, we use no article (zero) [> 3.1]: They are young men. You poor things! We sold our old cars and bought new ones. 3 We can use a few adjectives on their own after the to refer to ‘the group as a whol the blindthe sighted, the deaf, the dumb, the living/the dead, the rich/the poor, the young/the old, the elderly, the healthy/the sick, the injured, the unemployed: We have opened a new school for the blind/for blind people. (Not “for (the) blinds") We say He is blind. or He is a blind man. (Not *He is a blind.) We say Tey ae ind or They are bind people. Not “Thoy are binds. 9 Write 1: Rewrite these sentences using the adjectives with man, woman or people. 1 He is poor. 2 They are unemployed. 3 She is young... 4 He is elderly... 5 She is Sick. 6 They are healthy. 6.3B Adjectives ending in ‘-ed’ and ‘-ing’: ‘interested/intere: [> LEG 6.15, App 10] 1 We use some past participles ending in -ed (e.g. excited) and some present participles ending in -ing (e.g. exciting) as adjectives. Common pairs of -ed/-ing adjectives are: amazed/amazing, annoyed/annoying, bored/boring, enchanted/enchanting, excited/exciting, interested/ntoresting, pleased/pleasing, tireditring. Similar pairs are: delighted/delighttul, impressed/impressive, upsetupsetting. We often use -ed endings to describe people: The story interested John. > John was interested in the story. We often use -ing endings to describe things, events, etc.: The story was interesting. We can also use -ing endings to describe people: Isn't John interesting! Compare: Gloria was interesting to be with. (= that was the effect she had on others) Gloria was interested. (= that was the effect someone or something had on her) Write: Rewrte these sentances using -eding or other endings. Make necessary changes. 1 The coincidence amazed us. We .. Were. auanedt dy dhe. 2 The journey tired us. The journey 3 The experience upset Sylvia. Sylvia 4 The experience upset us. The experience... 5 . 6 7 Gloria enchanted me. Glor tenchanted Gloria. Gloria - The children delighted us. The children... 8 The children delighted us. We .n.-.-.- . 9. The new building impresses us. The new bulding 10 The new building impresses everybody. Everybody6.4 6.4A ‘Study: Write: 6.4B Study: Write: 6.4C ‘Study: fea] 6.4D Study: [cxa} Adjectives after ‘be’, ‘seem’, etc.; word order of adjectives ‘Look good’ compared with ‘play well’ [> LEG 6.17) 1 After be, look, fee!, seem, smell, taste, and sound we use adjectives: That egg is/tastes bad. (Bad is an adjective describing the noun egg.) [> 1.20] 2 After other verbs, we use adverbs: John behaved badly. [> 7.1] (Badly is an adverb: it adds to the meaning of the verb behave.) Compare: John looks good. (adjective) John looks well. (adjective [> 6.28)) John plays well. (adverb) ‘Supply adjectives or adverbs in the following. 1 He behaved Arey... (nice) 5 Your cooking is .. .. (good) 2 The music sounds ..... nice) 6 You cook... .- (good) 3 The play ended . (bad) 7 The train went... (smooth) 4 This food smells .. (bad) 8 ve just shaved and my face feels (smooth) Word order: two-word and three-word nouns: ‘a teak kitchen cupboard’ [> LEG 6.13, 6.20.1] 1 Materials (nouns) behave like adjectives when we use them to form compound nouns: a cupboard (noun) made of teak (noun) ~* a teak cupboard (compound noun) [> 2.20} 2 We can have three-word compound nouns. ‘Material’ comes before ‘purpose’ or ‘use’: a teak cupboard, used in the kitchen ~* a teak kitchen cupboard (compound noun) Adjectives go in front of nouns [- 6.2]. We cannot separate a compound noun by an adjective: a fine teak kitchen cupboard. (Not ‘a teak fine kitchen cupboard’) Make two-word and three-word nouns. 1 a shirt made of cotton ......& cotton, aheré, 2 a shirt made of cotton/womn in the summer... 3 a rake made of wire . 4 a clock used in the kitchen 5 aclock made of plastic/used in the kitchen. Word order: past participle + noun: ‘a handmade cupboard’ [> LEG 6.20} ‘An adjectival past participle (damaged, handmade, etc.) comes in front of a noun: adjective +one-word noun: a handmade cupboard adjective + two-word noun: a handmade teak cupboard adjective + thtee-word noun: a handmade teak kitchen cupboard Word order: adjective + noun: ‘a big round table’ [> LEG 6.20) The order of adjectives in front of a noun is as follows (in reverse order): 3 where from? + past participle: a French handmade kitchen cupboard Or: past participle + where from?: a handmade French kitchen cupboard 2 size/age/shapeicolour + where from? + past participl a large French handmade cupboard 1 quality/opinion + size, etc. The most general adjective usually comes first: a beautiful large French handmade teak cupboard ‘summary: opinion size age shape colour from? _pastpart. noun avaluable - - ‘brown Victorian handmade teak cupboard Or: handmade VictorianWrite: 65 6.5A Study: fl Write: 6.5B Study: a Write: You're looking for items you want to buy. Begin each sentence with /'m looking for... 1 clock radio ~ white ~ Taiwanese ~ cheap — for my bedside tabla Lim, hooking for a. cheap, Teuaranese, clock rads, 2 sports car ~ well-maintained ~ second-hand — with a low mileage 3 polished — beautiful - antique — dining-table — mahogany — English 4 canvas — American ~ a pair of — trainers — grey and red - which I can use for jogging The comparison of adjectives Common comparative and superlative forms: ‘cold — colder — coldest’ > LEG 6.5, 6.22-29] 1. We add -er and -estto form the comparative and superlative of most one-syllable adjectives: clean - cleaner — the cleanest, cold - colder - the coldest. 2 Adjectives like hot (big, fat, sad, wet) double the consonant: hot — hotter — the hottest. 3 Adjectives like nice (fine, large, late, safe) add -r, -st: nice — nicer — the nicest. 4 With adjectives like busy we use -iin place of -y: busy — busier — the busiest. 5 We use the comparative when comparing one person or thing with another. 6 We use the superiative when comparing one person or thing with more than one other. 1 My room's big, (in the house) 2 My room's cold, (in the house) 3 My garden's nice. {in the street) 4 My desk is tidy. (in the office) Adjectives with two or more syllables: ‘clever’, ‘expensive’ [> LEG 6.22-29) 1 Some two-syllable adjectives like happy (clever, common, narrow, pleasant, quiet, simple, stupid) have two comparative or superlative forms: =elther with -er-est She's cleverer than you. She's the cleverest person | know. or with more/the most: She's more clever than you. She's the most clever person | know. 2 We use only more/the most with most two-syllable adjectives: careless, correct, famous. 3 We use more/the most with three-syllable adjectives: more beautiful, the most beautiful. Give both forms where possible. 1 She's happy. than |am........ Sfes Mapeter/ more happy tran. I att. person | have ever met ..Shed. the. hagpcedt moet happy. 2 His work was careless. than mine .. inthe class... : 3 This problem is simple. than that 00 .ncnnssiesn in the boo! 4 This watch is expensive. than that one inthe shop 5 This engine is quiet. than mine eee VEE DUI nnn sia :6.5C Study: Write: Comparative and superlative forms often confused: ‘older/elder’ [> LEG 6.24-26, 7.4-5, App 12] 1 Further and farther reter to distance: London is five miles further/tarther. Further (Not “farther’) can mean ‘in addition’: There's no further information. 2 We use elder/eldest before a noun only with reference to people in a famil my elder brother/son, the eldest child, he’s the eldest (but not “He is elder than me.) ‘We use older/oldest for people and things: He is oder than | am. This book is older. 3 Irregular comparisons: good/well, better, the best; bad, worse, the worst; much/many, more, the most; litle, less, the least. Goodis an adjective; wellis adjective or adverb [> 6.44). 4 Lesseris tormed from Jess but is not a true comparative. We cannot use than after it. Lesser means ‘not so great" and we use it in fixed phrases like the lesser of two evils. 5 Latesvlast: | bought the latest (i.e. most recent) edition of today's paper. J bought the last (i. final) edition of today’s paper. 6 The comparative and superlative of litte is smaller/smallest: a smaiLittle boy, a smaller/the smallest boy. Very young children often use iitler and litlest. Circle the right forms in these sentences. In some cases both forms are right. 1 Is your house much(furthepfarther)? 11 I've got (less/lesser) than you. 2 Who is the (oldesteldest) in this class? 12 Jane is (older/elder) than | am. 3 Your driving is (worse/worst) than mine. 13 This is the (more/most) expensive. 4 I's the (lessilesser) of two evils. 14 His English is (best/better) than mine. 5 Have you heard the (last/latest) news? 15 It's the (better/best) in the shop. 6 We have no (further/farther) information. 16 It's the (furthest/farthest) point west. 7 Jane Somers writes (good/well) 17 It's the (oldestieldest) tree in the country. 8 His (latestlast) words were: ‘The end’ 18 She's my (elder/oider) sister. 9 This is the town’s (oldesveldest) house. 19 I've got the (least/less)! 10 My flat is (litier/smaller) than yours. 20 You've got the (more/most)!