A DJ EC T IV E S

TRUCTURE OF E NGL ISH

EL-3: S
OBJECTIVES:
a.RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADJECTIVES.
b. CLASSIFY THE DIFFERENT USES OF ADJECTIVES AND HOW THEY
ARE USED TO DESCRIBE NOUNS.
c.EXPRESS OWN IDEAS USING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
ADJECTIVES
ADJECTIVE
AN ADJECTIVE IS A DESCRIBING WORD. IT TELLS YOU MORE ABOUT
A NOUN.
ADJECTIVE USUALLY APPEARS BEFORE THE NOUN IT DESCRIBES.
SOMETIMES, THOUGH THE ADJECTIVE APPEARS AFTER THE NOUN,
LATTER IN THE SENTENCE.
CLASSIF I CA TI O N OF
AD J E C TI V ES
DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

oTHEY ARE USED TO DESCRIBE NOUNS AND PRONOUNS. ADD THE

INFORMATION AND QUALITIES TO THE WORDS THEY ARE MODIFYING.
EXAMPLES:
•A LOT OF INTERESTING PEOPLE VISIT THIS PARK.
•SHE TOLD A SCARY STORY.
•THE LEAVES TURNED ORANGE AND RED.
QUANTITATIVE ADJECTIVES

oTHEY ARE USED TO DESCRIBE THE QUANTITY OF SOMETHING -

ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF "HOW MANY?" OR "HOW MUCH?”.
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
oDEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES ARE USED TO EXPRESS RELATIVE
POSITIONS IN SPACE AND TIME. THE MOST COMMONLY USED
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES ARE THIS, THAT, THESE, AND THOSE.
oUSED TO SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBE THE POSITION OF SOMETHING OR
SOMEONE IN SPACE OR DISTANCE.
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•THIS WATCH IS CHEAPER THAN THAT ONE.
•THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE REALLY FUN.
•WATCH OUT FOR THOSE PRICKLY ROSE BUSHES NEXT TO YOU.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

oTYPE OF ADJECTIVE SHOW POSSESSION BY DESCRIBING TO

WHOM THINGS OR PERSON BELONGS IN A SENTENCE. - SOME OF
THEM CAN BE USED BEFORE A NOUN.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•MY FAVORITE FOOD IS PIZZA.
•SYDNEY SPENT THE DAY WITH HER PARENTS.
•CANADIANS CELEBRATED THEIR TEAM’S VICTORY AT THE
OLYMPICS.
INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVE

oTHEY ASK QUESTIONS, FOLLOWED BY A NOUN OR PRONOUN IN

EVERY SENTENCE TO FORM A QUESTION. - INCLUDES WH- WORDS
LIKE WHAT, WHICH, WHO, WHEN AND WHY.
EXAMPLES:
•WHAT COLOR IS YOUR FAVORITE?
•WHICH BUTTON TURNS OFF THE LIGHTS?
PROPER ADJECTIVES
oADJECTIVES FORMED FROM PROPER NOUNS. IN GENERAL, PROPER
ADJECTIVES ARE COMMONLY USED TO SAY THAT SOMETHING IS RELATED
TO A SPECIFIC PERSON OR PLACE.
oPROPER ADJECTIVES INCLUDE WORDS SUCH AS AFRICAN, NAPOLEONIC,
AND SHAKESPEARIAN.
PROPER ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•HE WAS READING A RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER.
•I THINK HAITIAN FOOD IS TASTY.
•WE STUDIED THE HISTORY OF VICTORIAN ENGLAND IN SCHOOL
TODAY.
DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES
oTHESE ADJECTIVES POINT OUT SPECIFIC ENTITIES AND SINGLE
OUT A PARTICULAR NOUN OR PRONOUN IN ORDER TO MODIFY, OR
DRAW ATTENTION TO IT. SOME OF THESE ADJECTIVES ARE ANY,
EACH, EITHER, EVERY, AND NEITHER. THEY STANDS BEFORE A
NOUN THEY MODIFY.
DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•EACH PUPPY GOT THEIR OWN LITTLE DOGHOUSE.
•EVERY MEMBER OF THE TEAM SCORED A GOAL.
•I’LL BE HAPPY IF EITHER CANDIDATE WINS THE ELECTION.
COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES
oUSED TO COMPARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE OR THINGS TO EACH
OTHER. SOME EXAMPLES OF COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES INCLUDE
WORDS SUCH AS SMALLER, FASTER, MORE EXPENSIVE, AND LESS
REASONABLE.
COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•WHALES ARE LARGER ANIMALS THAN DOLPHINS.
•WE MOVED TO A CHEAPER APARTMENT.
•THE SEQUEL WAS EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE THAN THE FIRST
MOVIE.
ARTICLES AS ADJECTIVES

•ENGLISH HAS TWO ARTICLES: THE AND A/AN. -NOUN, "A/AN" IS

USED TO MODIFY NON-SPECIFIC OR NON-PARTICULAR NOUNS.
PREDICATE ADJECTIVES
o ADJECTIVES THAT APPEAR IN THE PREDICATE OF A SENTENCE AS
A SUBJECT COMPLEMENT RATHER THAN DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE
NOUNS OR PRONOUNS THAT THEY MODIFY. PREDICATE
ADJECTIVES FOLLOW LINKING VERBS IN SENTENCES AND
CLAUSES.
PREDICATE ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•ANDREA IS TALL.
•FREDDY BECAME ANGRY.
•THE STEAK LOOKS DELICIOUS.
COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
oADJECTIVES THAT ARE FORMED FROM MULTIPLE WORDS, WHICH
ARE USUALLY CONNECTED BY HYPHENS. SOME EXAMPLES OF
COMPOUND ADJECTIVES INCLUDE NEVER-ENDING, CROSS-EYED,
AND RUN-OF-THE-MILL.
COMPOUND ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES:
•SHE HAD ENOUGH OF THE DOUBLE-DEALING SALESMAN.
•MY HAPPY-GO-LUCKY DAUGHTER LOVED OUR TRIP TO
DISNEYLAND.
•THE BETTER-OFF MEMBERS OF THE CITY LIVE BY THE RIVER.
 I O NS O F A DJE C T I V E S
PO S I T
 3 POSITIONS OF ADJECTIVES

oATTRIBUTIVE
oPOST POSITIVE
oPREDICATIVE
ATTTRIBUTIVE
oIT IS PLACED AND GOES BEFORE A NOUN.
FOR EXAMPLE:
HE IS AN INTELLIGENT BOY.
I HAVE A BLUE SCARF.
SHE HAS A BLOND HAIR.
POST POSITIVE
oIT IS PLACED AFTER A NOUN IMMEDIATELY. IT IS GOES IMMEDIATELY AFTER
A NOUN.
FOR EXAMPLE:
EVERYTHING USEFUL.
SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED.
SOMETHING SCARY.
I DID SOMETHING STUPID.
PREDICATIVE
oIT IS PLACED AND GOES AFTER A NOUN AND COMPLETE WITH LINKING
VERB.
FOR EXAMPLE:
MOST STUDENTS ARE HAPPY.
THE MAN IS OLD.
THE SEA IS BLUE.
 E R T I ES O F A D J E C T I V ES
PR OP
ADJECTIVES TYPICALLY DESCRIBE THE PROPERTIES OF AN
ENTITY REFERRED TO BY THE NOUN. IT MAY DESCRIBE INHERENT
PROPERTIES OF THE ENTITY — FOR EXAMPLE, ITS COLOR
(PURPLE, BLUE), SIZE (BIG, TINY), WEIGHT (LIGHT, HEAVY), AGE
(YOUNG, OLD), OR QUALITY (GOOD, AWFUL).
ADJECTIVES ARE STACKABLE.
oONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ADJECTIVES IS THAT THEY CAN OCCUR IN
A STRING—THEY CAN OCCUR ONE AFTER ANOTHER. THIS IS KNOWN AS
STACKING.
oSTACKING ADJECTIVES SUCCESSIVELY BEYOND THREE IS A RARITY.
oTHUS, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO NOTE THAT ADJECTIVES ARE USUALLY STACKED IN
A PREFERRED ORDER. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE:

AN UGLY, OLD, YELLOW TIN BUCKET STOOD BESIDE THE STOVE.

ADJECTIVES ARE GRADABLE.
oA NUMBER OF ADJECTIVES ARE GRADABLE—THEY CAN EXPRESS DEGREES OF A
PROPERTY. -MOST GRADABLE ADJECTIVES HAVE COMPARATIVE (–ER) AND
SUPERLATIVE (–EST) FORMS, WHILE A NUMBER OF OTHERS USE THE ADVERBS MORE
AND MOST TO EXPRESS VARYING DEGREES.
oALSO, SOME ADJECTIVES (E.G., LIVELY) TAKE THE –ER/–EST) INFLECTIONS AS WELL AS
MORE AND MOST.
oMANY OTHERS (E.G., PRIVATE) TAKE ONLY MORE/MOST, WHILE A FEW (E.G., GOOD)
NEGATIVE GRADEABILITY
oWHEN IT COMES TO EXPRESSING DIMINISHING DEGREES OF A PROPERTY,
THE NEGATIVE GRADEABILITY COMES INTO PLAY. THIS IS INDICATED BY
PLACING LESS AND LEAST BEFORE ADJECTIVES TO CREATE THE
COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS.
OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES:
THE RESULT WAS LESS SUCCESSFUL THAN ANTICIPATED.
HIS THIRD CAMPAIGN WAS THE LEAST SUCCESSFUL OF ALL HIS ATTEMPTS.
GRADEABILITY OF ABSOLUTE ADJECTIVES
oTHE LARGE MAJORITY OF ADJECTIVES, SUCH AS ABSOLUTE, COMPLETE,
CORRECT, ESSENTIAL, IMPOSSIBLE, PERFECT, PREGNANT, ULTIMATE, AND UNIQUE
HAVE BEEN CALLED ABSOLUTE ADJECTIVES BECAUSE THEIR MEANING IS
SUPPOSEDLY NOT GRADABLE AS THEY EXPRESS A QUALITY THAT CANNOT BE
INCREASED OR DECREASED.
oUSING THE ADJECTIVE UNIQUE, AS A CASE STUDY, IT MEANS “ONE OF A KIND”;
oHENCE IT SEEMS BOTH ILLOGICAL AND INCORRECT TO SAY.
THAT PAINTING IS VERY/SOMEWHAT UNIQUE.
GRADEABILITY OF PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES
oMOST ADJECTIVES ARE DERIVED FROM PRESENT OR PAST
PARTICIPLE OF VERBS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ADJECTIVES
INTERESTING AND BORED USED IN THE SENTENCES BELOW, ARE
FORMED FROM THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE OF THE VERB INTEREST,
AND PAST PARTICIPLE OF THE VERB BORE, RESPECTIVELY.
oIN ENGLISH, THESE ARE KNOWN AS PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES
OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES:
THAT WAS REALLY AN INTERESTING LECTURE.
HE WAS WEARING A BORED EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE.
• A NUMBER OF THE FREQUENTLY USED ADJECTIVES DERIVED FROM PRESENT
OF VERBS INCLUDES: AMAZING, BORING, CORRESPONDING, ENCOURAGING,
EXCITING, EXISTING, FOLLOWING, INCREASING, INTERESTING, LEADING,
MISSING, OUTSTANDING, PROMISING, REMAINING, THREATENING,
UNDERLYING, WILLING, AND WORKING.
• THOSE WHICH ARE DERIVED FROM PAST PARTICIPLES OF VERBS INCLUDE:
ADVANCED, ALLEGED, ARMED, BORED, COMPLICATED, CONFUSED, DEPRESSED,
DETERMINED, DISABLED, DISAPPOINTED, EDUCATED, EXCITED, EXHAUSTED,
FRIGHTENED, INTERESTED, PLEASED, SURPRISED, TIRED, UNEMPLOYED,
UNEXPECTED, AND WORRIED.
oPARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES, LIKE MOST ADJECTIVES, HAVE
COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS ONLY WITH
MORE AND MOST AND WITH LESS AND LEAST. NATURALLY,
THEY CANNOT ADD –ER AND –EST.
• THAT WAS THE MOST AMAZING PERFORMANCE I’VE EVER SEEN.
• THAT WAS THE AMAZINGEST PERFORMANCE I’VE EVER SEEN.

• WHEN SHE HEARD THAT THE PLANE WAS OVERDUE SHE BECAME EVEN MORE
WORRIED.
• WHEN SHE HEARD THAT THE PLANE WAS OVERDUE SHE BECAME EVEN WORRIEDER.

• I COULDN’T BE LESS CONCERNED.

• OF THE MANY SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM, HIS IS THE LEAST PROMISING.
O R D E R O F A D J E C T I V E S
PLACEMENT TYPE OF ADJECTIVE
1 ARTICLE, DETERMINER OR POSSESSIVE
DETERMINER
2 QUANTITY
3 OPINION OR OBSERVATION
4 SIZE
5 PHYSICAL QUALITY
6 SHAPE
7 AGE
8 COLOR
9 ORIGIN
10 MATERIAL
11 TYPE
12 PURPOSE OR ATTRIBUTIVE NOUN
EXAMPLES
A, AN, THE ; THIS, THAT, THESE, AND THOSE: MY, YOUR, HIS,
AND OUR.
ONE, THREE, NINETY-NINE
BEAUTIFUL, CLEVER, WITTY, WELL-MANNERED
BIG, MEDIUM-SIZED, LARGE, AND SMALL
THIN, THICK, CLUTTERED
SQUARE, ROUND, LONG
YOUNG, MIDDLE-AGE, AND OLD
RED, BLUE, GREEN
FRENCH, RUSSIAN
METAL, LEATHER
ALL-PURPOSE, TWO-SIDED
MIXING, DRINKING, SERVICE, COOKING
 A R ISO N O F A D J E C T IV E S
C O MP
THE DEGREES OF COMPARISON ARE CLASSIFIED INTO:
POSITIVE;
COMPARATIVE; AND
SUPERLATIVE.
 POSITIVE DEGREE OF COMPARISON
oTHE POSITIVE DEGREE OF AN ADJECTIVE IS THE ADJECTIVE IN ITS SIMPLE FORM.
oIT IS USED TO DENOTE THE MERE EXISTENCE OF SOME QUALITY.
EXAMPLES:
HE IS AS TALL AS HIS FATHER.
THE STRAWBERRY IS BIG.
LEA IS BEAUTIFUL.
 COMPARATIVE DEGREE OF COMPARISON

oTHE COMPARATIVE DEGREE OF AN ADJECTIVE IS USED WHEN

TWO THINGS OR TWO SETS OF THINGS ARE COMPARED.
EXAMPLES:
SAM IS TALLER THAN HIS FATHER.
SUPERLATIVE DEGREE OF COMPARISON
oTHE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE OF AN ADJECTIVE DENOTES THE
HIGHEST DEGREE OF THE QUALITY.
oIT IS USED WHEN MORE THAN TWO THINGS OR SETS OF THINGS
ARE COMPARED.
SAM IS THE TALLEST IN THE CLASS.
FORMATION OF THE COMPARATIVE DEGREE

BY ADDING -ER WE CAN FORM THE COMPARATIVE DEGREE.

POSITIVE – SWEET: COMPARATIVE - SWEETER
POSITIVE – KIND: COMPARATIVE – KINDER
POSITIVE – GREAT: COMPARATIVE - GREATER
 FORMATION OF SUPERLATIVE DEGREE
THE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE OF AN ADJECTIVE MAY BE FORMED BY
ADDING “EST “ TO THE END OF THE POSITIVE FORM OF THE
ADJECTIVE.
POSITIVE - SWEET; COMPARATIVE - SWEETER; SUPERLATIVE - SWEETEST
POSITIVE - KIND; COMPARATIVE - KINDER; SUPERLATIVE - KINDEST
POSITIVE - GREAT; COMPARATIVE - GREATER; SUPERLATIVE - GREATEST
FORMATION OF COMPARATIVES/SUPERLATIVES WHEN THE
POSITIVE ENDS IN -E

WHEN THE POSITIVE FORM ENDS IN -E, ONLY -R AND -ST ARE ADDED TO
FORM COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES RESPECTIVELY.
• POSITIVE - FINE; COMPARATIVE - FINER; SUPERLATIVE - FINEST
• POSITIVE - HUMBLE; COMPARATIVE - HUMBLER; SUPERLATIVE - HUMBLEST
COMPARATIVES/SUPERLATIVES WHEN THE POSITIVE ENDS IN -Y

WHEN THE POSITIVE FORM ENDS IN -Y, PRECEDED BY A CONSONANT, THE

'Y’ IS CHANGED INTO 'I' BEFORE THE ENDINGS -ER AND -EST ARE ADDED.

POSITIVE - HAPPY; COMPARATIVE - HAPPIER; SUPERLATIVE - HAPPIEST

POSITIVE - WEALTHY; COMPARATIVE - WEALTHIER; SUPERLATIVE -
WEALTHIEST
 THE ARTICLES
oTHESE ARE SPECIAL MODIFIERS THAT APPEAR BEFORE NOUNS OR NOUN PHRASES.
THERE ARE THREE ARTICLES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE "THE" AND "A" (AND ITS
VARIANT "AN").
o A USEFUL SET OF RULES FOR USING ARTICLES DEFINITE ARTICLES (THE) REFERS
DIRECTLY TO A SPECIFIC NOUN OR GROUP OF NOUNS. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS,
SINGULAR PLURAL OR UNCOUNTABLE.
oA NOUN IS DEFINITE WHEN IT IS CLEAR WHICH SPECIFIC INSTANCE OR INSTANCES OF
AN ENTITY YOU ARE REFERRING TO.
oEX. THE FRECKLES ON MY FACE. THE ALLIGATOR IN THE POND. IS THAT _ CAR?
oINDEFINITE ARTICLE (A, AN) :
(A) IF THE NEXT WORD STARTS WITH A CONSONANT OR A CONSONANT WORD.
EXAMPLES:
SHE IS A HERO. CAN YOU GIVE ME A PEN?
ARE YOU WEARING A UNIFORM?
(AN) IF THE NEXT WORD STARTS WITH A VOWEL SOUND.
EXAMPLES:
I SAW AN ACCIDENT.
HE IS STUDYING TO BE AN ENGINEER.
 SHE IS ___ HONEST PERSON.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU BRING ___ BOOK TO READ FOR FUN.
PLEASE RETURN ____ PEN YOU BORROWED FROM ME.
I SAW____ CAT YESTERDAY AND IT MADE ME MISSED.
• I LOVE THAT BEAUTIFUL OLD BIG GREEN ANTIQUE CAR THAT ALWAYS PARKED AT THE END OF THE STREET.
[QUALITY - AGE - SIZE - COLOR - PROPER ADJECTIVE]

• MY SISTER HAS A BIG BEAUTIFUL TAN AND WHITE BULLDOG. [SIZE - QUALITY - COLOR - COLOR]
• A WONDERFUL OLD ITALIAN CLOCK. [OPINION - AGE - ORIGIN]
• A BIG SQUARE BLUE BOX. [DIMENSION - SHAPE - COLOR]
• A DISGUSTING PINK PLASTIC ORNAMENT. [OPINION - COLOR - MATERIAL]
• SOME SLIM NEW FRENCH TROUSERS. [DIMENSION - AGE - ORIGIN]
• AN AMAZING NEW AMERICAN MOVIE. [OPINION - AGE - ORIGIN]
• I BOUGHT A PAIR OF BLACK LEATHER SHOES. [COLOR - MATERIAL]