2. The noun cluster divides into two categories
Principal
Nouns
Secondary
Articles
Adjectives
Pronouns
Numerals
3. ADJECTIVES
"Adjective" is the sentence element used to
qualify/determine a noun or a noun-equivalent
construction.
• It is used to clarify nouns.
• It can be one word or a group of words.
• It can also be used with certain verbs (such as the verb
"to be").
• It is used to clarify the subject that is doing the action.
• It is used to describe color, material, shape, size,
amount, price, quality, origin, personality, weight,
temperature, age, direction, etc.
4. CATEGORIES OF ADJECTIVES
First of all, adjectives are:
Qualifying
qualifying adjectives are
(generally) employed as:
Determining
The group of determining adjectives
is a bit more complex; it includes:
Attributes
Possessive
Predicative Adjectives
Demonstrative
Interrogative
Relative
Indefinite
5. POSITIONING QUALIFYING ADJECTIVES WITHIN THE SENTENCE
STRUCTURE
Position
Examples
Before or after the noun they
qualify
Syntactically, they are Attributes
The new house welcomes us.
After particular verbs
The man was alive.
Syntactically, these are Predicative
Adjectives
Note: although they are position near
the verb, these adjectives still qualify
the noun, only.
In this case "alive" refers to the noun
"man" although it is positioned near
the copulative verb "was" .
The house aflame was a terrible loss.
6. COMPARING ADJECTIVES
Only Qualifying adjectives may be compared.
The comparison is performed for:
A. Inferiority
B. Equality
C. Superiority
The points A and C above take three "Degrees of Comparison", as follows:
POSITIVE
COMPARATIVE
SUPERLATIVE
7. POSITIVE
no comparison is performed
Example:
The tall man went into the restaurant.
The word tall is an adjective. It describes the noun, man.
It is very common to use adjectives with nouns.
Adjectives are used to describe the noun.
8. COMPARATIVE
simple comparison
What are comparative adjectives?
Comparative adjectives are used to clarify the difference between 2 objects/nouns.
Comparative adjectives are used to compare 2 nouns.
To state that one noun has more of something then the 2nd noun.
Examples:
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.
9. SUPERLATIVE
Relative
qualities related to others
Examples:
The summer is the hottest time of the year.
Your family is the nicest that I have ever met.
Absolute
qualities of all
10. How to Use Comparative Adjectives and Superlative Adjectives
A - Comparison with -er/-est
We use -er/-est with the following adjectives:
1- adjectives with one syllable
clean
cleaner
cleanest
new
newer
newest
cheap
cheaper
cheapest
2- adjectives with two syllables and the following endings:
2 a- adjectives with two syllables, ending in -y
dirty
dirtier
dirtiest
easy
easier
easiest
happy
happier
happiest
pretty
prettier
prettiest
2 b- adjectives with two syllables, ending in –er
clever
cleverer
cleverest
2 c- adjectives with two syllables, ending in -le
simple
simpler
simplest
11. 2 d- adjectives with two syllables, ending in -ow
narrow
narrower
narrowest
B - Comparison with more/less – most/least
"more/less -most/least"is
used for words that :
•have 2 syllables, if the word
doesn't end in -y.
*have 3 or more syllables
•difficult- more/less difficult
•honest – more/less honest
•modern – more/less modern
•difficult- most/least difficult
•honest – most/least honest
•modern – most/least modern
•expensive – more/less
expensive
•comfortable - more /less
comfortable
•expensive – most/least
expensive
•comfortable – most/least
comfortable
12. C -Irregular adjectives
good
better
best
bad
worse
worst
much
more
most
uncountable nouns
many
more
most
countable nouns
little
less
least
little
smaller
smallest
D - Special adjectives
Some adjectives have two possible forms of comparison.
commoner / more common
commonest / most common
likely
likelier / more likely
likeliest / most likely
pleasant
pleasanter / more pleasant
pleasantest / most pleasant
polite
politer / more polite
politest / most polite
simple
simpler / more simple
simplest / most simple
stupid
stupider / more stupid
stupidest / most stupid
subtle
subtler / more subtle
subtlest
sure
surer / more sure
surest / most sure
common
13. Difference in meaning with adjectives:
farther
old
near
further
furthest
or distance
time
latest
latter
x
x
late
distance
later
far
farthest
last
older
oldest
people and things
elder
eldest
)people (family
nearer
nearest
distance
x
next
order
Eng 142 / grammar (2)
Prepared and presented by:
Samah Eid
References :
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de
http://www.corollarytheorems.com/Grammar
http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Adjectives/Adjectives_Page.htm
The instructor : Dr. Shadia Banjar
