The Adjective The simplest defnition o an adjective adjective is that it is a word word that describes or clarifes clarifes a noun. Adjectives describe nouns by giving some inormation about an object’s size, shape, age, color, origin or material. •
It’s a big big table. table. size!
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It’s a round round table. table. shape!
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It’s an old old table. table. age!
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It’s a brown brown table. table. color!
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It’s an English English table. table. origin!
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It’s a wooden wooden table. table. material!
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It’s a lovely table. table. opinion!
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It’s a broken broken table. table. observation!
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It’s a cofee cofee table. table. purpose!
"hen an item is defned by its purpose, that word is usually not an adjective, but it acts as one in that situation. cofee table cofee table pool hall pool hall hunting cabin hunting cabin baseball player baseball player
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What Do Adjectives Adjectives Look Look Like? #nglish can be very tric$y, so you have to be careul, but a lot o #nglish adjectives end with these su%&es' •
-able/-ible ( adorable, invisible, responsible, uncomortable
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-al ( educational, gradual, illegal, nocturnal, viral
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-an ( American, )e&ican, urban
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-ar ( cellular, popular, spectacular, vulgar
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-ent ( intelligent, potent, silent, violent
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-ful ( harmul, powerul, tasteul, thoughtul
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-ic/-ical ( athletic, energetic, magical, scientifc
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-ine ( bovine, canine, e*uine, eminine, masculine
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-ile ( agile, docile, d ocile, ertile, virile
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-ive ( inormative inormative,, native, tal$ative
+less ( careless, endless, homeless, timeless
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-ous ( cautious, dangerous, enormous, malodorous malodorous
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-some ( awesome, handsome, lonesome, wholesome
)any adjectives also end with +y, +ary and +ate, but lots o nouns and adverbs also end with +y, lots o nouns also end with +ary, and lots o o nouns and verbs verbs also also end with +ate, so be careul with those. Adjectives, ending in -ing and -ed There are adjectives ending in -ing and -ed. A) Here A) Here the adjective adjective is is put before the before the noun noun:: Yesterday I read an amusing story story in in a magazine. Doris has a boring boring job job.. We atched the group o! excited people people.. B) Here B) Here the adjective adjective is is put after the after the verb verb:: I was was not not at a"" amused amused #y #y the dicussion. $hi"dren get bored bored very very %uic&"y. The end o! the !i"m was was rea""y rea""y exciting exciting !or !or me.
What’s the Correct Correct Order Order for Multiple Multiple Adjectives? Adjectives ? "hen you list several adjectives in a row, there’s there’s a specifc order they need to be written or spo$en. ative spea$ers o #nglish tend to put them in the correct order naturally, but i you’re learning #nglish, you’ll have to memorize the order. order. It goes li$e this' -eterminer ( This means an article a, an, the!, a number or amount, a possessive adjective my, his, her, its, your, our, their!, or a demonstrative this, that, these, those!. bservation/pinion ( 0eautiul, e&pensive e&pensive,, gorgeous, bro$ bro$en, en, delicious, ugly 1ize ( 2uge, tiny, 3+oot+tall 1hape ( 1*uare, circular, oblong Age ( 45+year+old, new, anti*ue 6olor ( 0lac$, red, blue+green rigin ( 7oman, #nglish, )ongolian )aterial ( 1il$, silver, plastic, wooden 8ualifer ( A noun or verb acting as adjective This is the correct correct order or adjectives adjectives that come directly directly beore a noun, and they are separated by commas. •
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My beautiul, big, circular, circular, antique, brown, English, wooden cofee table was broken in the move. $omparison o! adjectives •
A - Comparison with -er/-est c"ean - c"eaner - 'the( c"eanest We use -er/-est with the following adjectives: 1) Adjectives with one syllable positive
comparative
superlative
c"ean
c"eaner
c"eanest
ne
neer
neest
cheap
cheaper
cheapest
2) Adjectives with two syllables and the following endings: - !) Adjectives with two syllables" ending in -y positive
comparative
superlative
dirty
dirtier
dirtiest
easy
easier
easiest
happy
happier
happiest
pretty
prettier
prettiest
- ) Adjectives with two syllables" ending in -er positive
comparative
superlative
c"ever
c"everer
c"everest
- #) Adjectives with two syllables" ending in -le positive
comparative
superlative
simp"e
simp"er
simp"est
- $) Adjectives with two syllables" ending in -ow positive
comparative
superlative
narro
narroer
narroest
3) Spelling of the adjectives using the endings -er/-est positive
comparative
superlative
comment
"arge
"arger
"argest
#ig
#igger
#iggest
"eave out the si"ent -e
Dou#"e the consonant a!ter short voe" sad
sadder
saddest
dirty
dirtier
dirtiest
$hange -y to -i 'consonant #e!ore -y(
shy
shyer
shyest
Here -y is not changed to -i. 'a"though consonant #e!ore -y(
B - Comparison with more - most positive
comparative
superlative
di!!icu"t
more di!!icu"t
'the( most di!!icu"t
all adjectives with more than one syllable %except some adjectives with two syllables - see - ! to - $)
C - Irregular adjectives positive
comparative
superlative
comment
good
#etter
#est
#ad
orse
orst
much
more
most
uncounta#"e nouns
many
more
most
counta#"e nouns
"itt"e
"ess
"east
"itt"e
sma""er
sma""est
D - Special adjectives )ome adjectives have two possi#"e forms o! comparison '-er*est and more*most(.
positive
comparative
superlative
c"ever
c"everer * more c"ever
c"everest * most c"ever
common
commoner * more common
commonest * most common
"i&e"y
"i&e"ier * more "i&e"y
"i&e"iest * most "i&e"y
p"easant
p"easanter * more p"easant
p"easantest * most p"easant
po"ite
po"iter * more po"ite
po"itest * most po"ite
%uiet
%uieter * more %uiet
%uietest * most %uiet
simp"e
simp"er * more simp"e
simp"est * most simp"e
stupid
stupider * more stupid
stupidest * most stupid
su#t"e
su#t"er * more su#t"e
su#t"est * most su#t"e
sure
surer * more sure
surest * most sure
Exercises Adjectives &'((* +'* &(,,*&+ AW*, .,( +'* .(0, (1+2(:
1. Rajesh is feeling very ______.
Angry
Angrier
Angriest
2. Nokia is a _______ company.
Good
Better
Faster
Taller
Best
3. Rajat is _______ than Ramesh.
Fast
Fastest
. Amongst the three !rothers" Aditya is the ________
Tall
Tallest
#. $he %ill live ______ than him.
Long
Longest
Longer
Larger
&. 'hat a!o(t this) *sn+t it _______)
Beautiful
Beauteous
Beauty
,. -he test %as ________ than * tho(ght it %o(ld !e.
Difficult
More difficult
Most difficult
. /e is the ________ !oy in his class.
Old
Older
Oldest
0. -his locality is ________ than o(rs.
Expensive
More expensive
Most expensive
1. o( are so ________" * am s(re yo( can pick this (p.
Strong
Wea
Fat
T!in
hoose the correct adjective4
"# My nep!e$ $as %a&using ' a&used( )y t!e clo$n# *# +t,s so %frustrating ' frustrated(- .o &atter !o$ &uc! + study + can,t see& to re&e&)er t!is voca)ulary# /# T!is lesson is so %)oring ' )ored(0# +,& feeling %depressed ' depressing(1 so +,& going to go !o&e1 eat so&e c!ocolate1 and go to )ed early $it! a good )oo# 2# + t!oug!t !er ne$ idea $as a)solutely %fascinated ' fascinating(# 3# T!is &at!s pro)le& is so %confusing ' confused(# 4an you !elp &e5 6# T!e teac!er $as really %a&using ' a&used( so t!e lesson passed 7uicly# 8# T!e 9ourney $as %ex!austing ' ex!austed(- T$elve !ours )y )us# :# T!e plane )egan to &ove in a rat!er %alar&ing ' alar&ed( $ay# ";#
languages#
"# + a& so %relaxing ' relaxed( + don,t $ant to &ove# *# + find !orror fil&s really %frig!tening ' frig!tened( and not at all fun to $atc!# /# So&eti&es + get really %frustrating ' frustrated( $!en + can,t express &yself $ell in Englis!# 0# We $ere stopped )y a &an $it! a nife $!o too our &oney# +t $as %terrifying ' terrified(# 2# T!e progra&&e $as really %interesting ' interested(# 3# S!e $as %over$!el&ing ' over$!el&ed( $!en everyone c!eered and $e gave !er presents# 6# +f + feel stressed1 + find taing a )at! is often %relaxing ' relaxed(# 8# + a& really %tiring ' tired(> + t!in +,ll go to )ed# :#
course ircle the adjective in each sentence !elo%. 5nderline the no(n it descri!es.
"# T!e neig!)ors $al t!eir spotted dog around t!e )loc# *# Bill and Sue $ent on a $ild ride at t!e par/# My group used purple &arers to &ae our poster# 0# Mo&,s ne$ rose )us! needs a lot of special care# 2# @orcupines are large rodents# # 3# T!e !appy c!eerleaders 9u&p and yell# 6# 4!erry pie is &y favorite type of dessert# 8# My dad !as &any tools in t!e garage# :# A spider,s $e) is very sily# ";# T!e sno$y drive$ay &ade it !ard to $al $it!out falling# ""# Grand&a en9oyed a peaceful afternoon1 reading a )oo# "*# My fa&ily &ade so&e tasty popcorn for tonig!t#
ircle the adjective in each sentence !elo%. 5nderline the no(n it descri!es.
"# A fox !unts for s&all ani&als at nig!t# *# + $ould love to learn to ride a )eautiful !orse# /# =ae found an extra )oo so $e didn,t !ave to s!are# 0# My grandpa !as an anti7ue car t!at !e taes to special s!o$s# 2# + sprayed cold $ater fro& t!e !ose on &y )rot!er# # 3# Aunt elly lives a)out t$o !ours a$ay# 6# We dove into t!e clear $ater at t!e lae# 8# My little )rot!er uses an electric toot!)rus!# :# + !ad a cinna&on &uffin for )reafast# ";# We found so&e old 9e$elry in &y grand&ot!er,s attic# ""# T!e plu&)er ca&e to fix t!e leay pipe# "*# A tiny lady)ug landed on Layla,s s!oulder#
ircle the adjectives in the %ord !ank. -hen read the sentences. 5se the %ord !ank to place the correct adjectives in the !lank. "# =enna $as too $!en s!e did !er !o&e$or-
*# My sister $as very and offered to s!are t!e cooie# /# We listened to &usic at c!urc!# 0# + got a ne$1 plate to &ae &y sand$ic!# 2# + !ad to s!arpen &y pencil# 3# Mo& stirred t!e soup $!ile it cooed# 6# T!e teac!er greeted us $it! a s&ile# 8# +t too &inutes for ayla to glue t!e letters# :# + c!ose t!e paper to use to &ae a card# ";# We sa$ a actor in .e$ or 4ity# ""# My )oo fell in t!e 1 &uddy gutter# "*# T!e clo$n $as doing so&e &agic tricsircle the adjectives in the %ord !ank. -hen read the sentences. 5se the %ord !ank to place the correct adjectives in the !lank. "# S!e laid on t!e )eac! and en9oyed t!e sun# *# T!e )aer )aed a cae for t!e $edding# /# We piced so&e red1 )erries fro& t!e far&#
0# My fa&ily adopted a friendly1 cat fro& t!e s!elter# 2# T!e !a$ s$ooped do$n and gra))ed a field &ouse# 3# T!e !oney t!e )ees &ade s&elled so # # 6# T!e sunflo$ers lined t!e entire fence# 8# + rode t!e )us so t!at + could go to &y )and lesson# :# T!e little )oy didn,t feel $ell and !is face looed # ";# + )ounced t!e )ig1 )eac! )all in t!e air""# i& $as very )ecause it $as !er )irt!day#
