Words modifying nouns, expressing

DEFINITION physical and other qualities and the

writer’s opinion/attitude

Used before nouns: a strong man

Attributive
A word that describes or adds to the
Adjectives Many nouns used as attributive
meaning of a verb, an adjective, another adjectives: a paper cup
adverb, or a sentence, and which answers
such questions as how, where, or when Predicative Used after verbs (linking
verbs): The meal is delicious.
Adjectives
Adverbs cannot modify nouns
Having a certain property to a
greater or lesser degree
Adjuncts: part of the basic structure
of a clause or sentence in which it
TYPES Gradable
occurs, and modifies the verb Modified by very, enough, too: very tall
Ex: He died in England. Adjectives
I have almost finished.
Having comparative and superlative
Adverbial: any word, phrase, forms: taller, the tallest
Conjuncts: not part of the basic structure or clause that functions like DEFINITION
of a clause or sentence
Not having a certain property to
Ex: However, the weather was not good. an adverb a greater or lesser degree
➔ adverb = one-word adverbial Non-gradable
Disjuncts: (also called sentence adverbs)
Not modified by very, enough, too
adverbs which show the speaker’s
attitude to or evaluation of what is said
Adjectives
in the rest of the sentence Not having comparative and
Ex: Naturally, I paid for my own meal. superlative forms:

Most frequently used

Adverb particle: a word such as in,
back, on, etc. When it modifies a
verb rather than a noun
Ex: The train’s getting in.
Particle: a term used for a word
Simple Adjectives:
which cannot readily be Often mono-syllabic and bi-
Good, Bad, Fine, syllabic words: cold, happy
identified with any of the main
Short, Etc.
PARTS OF SPEECH/ WORD CLASS No distinctive form to mark as
Ex: She did not receive my email. adjectives

Some of native origin: greenish,

Adverbs frequently end in –ly: Derived from nouns, other hopeful, handy, etc.

slowly, quickly, etc. adjectives, or verbs by adding

certain suffixes Of foreign bases: apparent,
FORMS AND secondary, marvelous, etc.
Not all words end in –ly are
adverbs: friendly, lovely, etc. FORMATION Derived Adjectives Derived from adjectives by adding prefixes
to adjectives: unhappy, insecure, etc.

Some adverbs do not have an –ly ending:

Derived from verbs or adjectives by
always, well, etc.
adding prefix a-: asleep, alone, etc.

Some adverbs can have two forms: • Noun + adjective: tax-free

He has come late. vs. He has come lately. FORM AND Compound • Determiner + adjective: all-American
• Number + noun: four-wheel
She talked very loud. vs. She talked very loudly. Adjectives • Adverb + participle: well-balanced Exception: Little can be used as
FORMATION • Adverb + adverb: well-off predicative adjective when it
refers to age
Ex: When I was little.
Simple adverbs: just, only, well, back, down, pretty, etc. Little is mostly attributive: a
little cottage

Compound adverbs: somehow, somewhere, Same cannot be predicative

therefore, whereupon, hereby, etc. •Attributive only: chief, elder,
without the: Yes, I had the same
experience./Yes, my experience
eldest, eventual, former, indoor, was the same.
Derivational adverbs: inner, latter, main, mere, only,
o -ly: oddly, interestingly outdoor, outer, principal, sheer, A noun as modifier can only be
attributive: a tennis club, a
sole, upper, utter
o -wise: clockwise water pipe

o -ward(s): northward(s) Nouns saying what something

o -fashion: schoolboy-fashion is made of can go in either
position: It’s a metal pipe./The
o -ways: sideways pipe is metal.
o -style: cowboy-style
Some words with the prefix a-:
awake, ashamed, alike, etc.
• Before the subject
• Before the main verb
• After the verb “be”
Front: Yesterday something Many of these can be attributive if modified
Attributive And An Adjective Can Go Before A Noun (Attributive by an adverb: the wide awake children
• Between the auxiliary and the strange happened Position) Or As Complement After A Linking
main verb Predicative Verb (Predicative Position) Some words to do with health:
• After the first auxiliary verb (with Mid: He completely missed it. POSITIONS Positions Ex: It's A Big House. Vs The House Is Big. Predicative only well, fine, ill, unwell

more than 1 auxiliary)

Some words expressing feelings:
• Before a negative auxiliary verb
End: What are you doing tomorrow? content, glad, pleased, upset
• After the verb and object (not
between) Pleased, glad, and upset can be
attributive when not referring
Adverbs saying how directly to people: a pleased
expression, the glad news, an
something happens upset stomach

He generously paid for us. = It Adverbs of Manner

was generous of him to have Usually placed after the main
paid for us.
verb, after the object (if there is
one), or between the subject
He paid for us generously. = He
and the verb
ADJECTIVES
paid for us in a generous Different meanings in
ADJECTIVES
manner.
different positions

Adverbs indicating location (where),

direction (where to/ from) AND Sometimes adjectives can go after nouns
Ex: He has a face thin and worn, but eager
Ex: She still lives there now. and resolute.
ADVERBS
Adjective + prepositional phrase
Manner + place + time
Ex: They talked happily in the bedroom all night.
Adverbs of Place ADVERBS After nouns cannot go before the noun
Ex: He is a man greedy for money.

Adjectives After Sometimes the position depends on the meaning.

At the beginning of a sentence Ex: The amount of money involved is quite
Ex: Indoors it was nice and warm.
Nouns And small. (=relevant)
Pronouns It’s a rather involved story. (= complicated)

Adverbs of definite time: at the

end or beginning of a sentence Adjectives come after indefinite pronouns:
After pronouns You mustn't do anything silly.
Ex: I went shopping yesterday./
Yesterday I went shopping.
Two excellent public tennis
Adverbs of indefinite time: at the end or courts (opinion + type + purpose)
Adverbs indicating the
beginning of a sentence, or before the verb
Ex: She currently works as a journalist./
time when something Adverbs of Time The order can sometimes change: a In general, the adjective closest to the
Currently she works as a journalist./ She happens big horrible building
noun has the closest link in meaning
with the noun and expresses what is
works as a journalist currently.
POSITIONS
most permanent about it.

Old and young referring to

Adverbs of duration people often come next to the
Ex: She worked as a journalist for two years. noun: a dignified old lady

Adverbs of definite frequency: at the end or When two adjectives have similar
beginning of a sentence meanings, the shorter often comes
Ex: I pay my rent weekly. Adverbs telling how first: A bright, cheerful smile or a
Adverbs of soft, comfortable chair
often something
Adverbs of indefinite frequency: before the
happens Frequency
main (ordinary) verb, after the verb “be”, The Order Of Sometimes two orders are
between the auxiliary and the main verb
Ex: We usually go shopping on Sundays.
Attributive possible: a peaceful, happy face/
a happy, peaceful face
TYPES Adjectives
Adverbs answering the question And can be put between two adjectives:
a soft and comfortable chair
“To what extent...?”
Adverbs of Degree And is not used between adjectives
Before the adjective or adverb they modify with different meanings: beautiful
golden sands
Ex: He drove very fast.

But is used when the adjectives

Adverbs modifying the refer to two qualities in contrast: a
whole sentence cheap but effective solution

Sentence Adverbs -ing adjectives: people's/thing's

Usually at the beginning of the sentence features, characteristics
Ex: Unfortunately, Richard didn’t get to Participle As Ex: He's an interesting person.
the airport on time.
Adjectives -ed adjectives: people's feelings/emotions
Ex: I'm interested in him.
Adverbs indicating that what is being
communicated is limited to the part To refer to some groups of people in the
that is focused society: the poor, the rich

Focus Adverbs A few adjectives can come after a/an to

They limit the sense of the sentence or to act mean a specific person: Now as a
as an additive superstar, she was an unknown, only
Social groups two years ago.
Ex: He said he wanted to do only what was the
best for the country.
There are a few adjectives that can be
used as nouns: a black (= a black person)
Short adverbs: mono-syllabic adverbs
Short and Long The + Adjective For a whole people=> the + adjective of

Long adverbs: others (except EARLY)

Adverbs nationality: the English

To refer to things in general

It was almost dark. Abstract qualities having an abstract quality: the
new, the old, the unexplained
I have completely forgotten/I
have never forgotten/I will as + Adj + as
never have forgotten not so/as + Adj + as
completely, practically,
erb of Completeness follow
Emphatic used with "as many/much as" , "as few/little as" +
AUXILIARIES.
I kind of hope she win.
almost, nearly, quite,
ADVERB OF Equatives
number

I will have completely finished rather, partly, sort of, kind Ex: There are sometimes as many as 40 students in the class

by next June of, more or less, hardly, COMPLETENESS You can fly to Paris as little as 20 Euros.

Do you think the repair has

scarcely Twice/ two times / three times + as + adj/adv + as
Ex: My new laptop is twice as expensive as my old one/
been properly done?
My old laptop is half as expensive as my new one

When most is followed by an

One syllable --> Most adjectives BOTH: clear, free, keen, sage, sure, true, wise
adverb, THE is not used.
Ex: The reason is mentioned
MOST are short adjectives
(-ed; like; real; right; wrong)
most frequently.

BOTH: able, clever, common, cruel,

Inversion after adverbials of place/ position Regular (-er/the -est; feeble, gentle, handsome, narrow,
Ex: At the apple tree sat the boy. Inversion: a movement more/the most)
Short vs Long adjectives pleasant, polite, simple, sincere, stupid
Two-syllable: -ful; -less; -ing; -ed: LONG
operation by which the INVERSION (-y: SHORT)
Inversion after adverbials of movement
Ex: Down the hill ran the bus. order of two expressions WITH COMPARISON Three-syllable: LONG
is reversed ADVERBIALS (Exception: unhappy)
Inversion after negative adverbials
Ex: Under no circumstances can this ➔ subject-verb inversion
story be discussed with others. good - better - the best

bad - worse - the worst

many/much - more - the most

little - lest - the least

Irregular
far - further/farther - farthest/
furthest

Comparatives/
ill - worse - the worst
superlatives
few - fewer/less - the fewest/
least

-er and -er, more and more: The

colder it is, the hungrier I get.

The -er ... , the -er ...: The more,

DOUBLE
the merrier.
COMPARATIVES
The more ..., the more ...: The
more generous you are towards
others, the more generous they
are likely to be towards you.

The second method was less

complicated than the first one.
COMPARATIVE WITH
LESS This new laptop is not as fast as
my old one. I’m sorry I bought it
now.