2. What Is An Adjective?
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by
describing, identifying, or quantifying words.
An adjective usually precedes the noun or the
pronoun which it modifies.
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3. Adjectives
A describing word
Tell us something about a person, place or thing
It modify nouns – making meaning more specific
Adds information – size, colour, age, material and other
attributes and qualities
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4. Examples of adjectives
The truck-shaped balloon floated over the
treetops.
Jen papered her kitchen walls with lovely
wall paper.
The hall was dark and dusty.
Many stores have already begun to sell
interesting Christmas gifts.
The back room was filled with large
yellow pails.
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7. Predicative adjectives come after the noun and a linking
verb - be, become, get, seemed
The scarf is pink.
He is honest.
That patient seemed nervous.
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8. He said she was open to suggestions
I reckon he is capable of handling the project.
*After a verb and never
immediately after the noun
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9. Postpositive adjectives come immediately after the
modified noun
Attorney general
Governor General
Princess Royal
*Sometimes classified as compound nouns
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11. 4. Jan feels ill.
5. A larger than normal pay increase was awarded to
teachers.
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12. Feedback
ATTRIBUTIVE adjectives come before the
noun which they modify. In this exercise,
there are two attributive adjectives -
green (1) and larger (5). Sentence 5 is a
bit difficult, because larger is separated
from the noun by than normal. But it still
comes before the noun, so it is an
attributive adjective.
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13. Qualitative adj - describes person or thing in terms of
qualities comparative/superlative
Size, shape, character
Age
This adjective is gradable
E.g. Tall, taller, tallest
Beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
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Colour adjectives - specify colour of things
A yellow shirt with black stripes
Qualitative adjectives – bright, dark, light, –to show
strength and intensity of the colour
Bake the cake until it turns light brown
She is using a bright red scarf
15. Compound qualitative adjectives
Good-looking
Tongue-tied
Sun-tanned
* Look up for more examples to discuss
during your tutorial. You may include new
ones in your online discussion.
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16. Qualitative adjectives also express speaker/writer’s
opinion
Strong feelings - absolute rubbish
- total bliss
I think that dress is beautiful
It was an exciting trip
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17. Interrogative adjective (which or what) is like an
interrogative pronoun, except that it modifies a noun or
noun phrase rather than standing on its own (see also
demonstrative adjectives and possessive adjectives):
Which plants should be watered twice a week?
What book are you reading?
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18. demonstrative adjectives
this, these, that, those, and what are identical to the
demonstrative pronouns, but are used as adjectives to
modify nouns or noun phrases, as in the following
sentences:
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19. Examples
When the librarian tripped over that
cord, she dropped a pile of books.
In this sentence, the demonstrative
adjective that modifies the noun cord
This apartment needs to be fumigated.
Here this modifies apartment and the
noun phrase
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20. Demonstrative adjectives
This/That/These/Those
SPACE
That picture on the wall is interesting.
This button on my shirt is loose.
I like these shoes that I am wearing.
Those men across the street are plumbers.
TIME
This afternoon I will sleep.
That afternoon last year was long.
Those years were fun when I was a kid.
These years right now are the best of my
life.
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22. Adjectives look similar but
have different meanings
-ing and -ed
The film was boring. Everyone in the cinema was bored.
Collecting autographs is interesting. Li Min is interested
in collecting autographs from singers
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24. Wendy was _______ in that book.
I was ______ by my old job.
My old job was ________. It was hard but fun.
He was _____ by the low turn-out.
My cat's behavior is often ______ to me.
The teacher was ______ with her students' work.
The little boy was _______ by the scary movie.
The movie was ______ because it had many horrible, evil
monsters in it.
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25. The -ed ending modifiers are often
accompanied by prepositions (these are
not the only choices):
We were amazed at all the circus animals.
We were amused by the clowns.
We were annoyed by the elephants.
We were bored by the ringmaster.
I was embarrassed by my brother.
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26. We were exhausted from all the excitement.
We were excited by the lion-tamer.
We were excited about the high-wire act, too.
We were frightened by the lions.
We were introduced to the ringmaster.
We were interested in the tent.
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27. We were confused by the noise.
We were disappointed by the motorcycle daredevils.
We were disappointed in their performance.
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28. My mother was irritated by the heat.
We were satisfied with the UKM choir during the recent
convocation ceremony.
We were shocked at the level of noise in that shopping
complex.
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29. We were surprised by the fans' response.
We were surprised at their indifference.
We were tired of all the lights after a while.
We were worried about the traffic leaving the parking
lot.
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Position of the adjectives
opinion +age +colour +origin +purpos
e
+NOUN
a talented young Malaysian footballer
new red Italian racing car
the playful black kitten
a huge Japanese sumo wrestler
our successful hiking trip
32. Exercise
1. Those are probably the ___________ curtains in the
store.
fancyest
fanciest
most fanciest
2. Uncle Carl is really ______________________ man.
an old sweet
a sweet, old
a sweet old
3. The Karmen-Ghia used to be _________________
sportscar.
a fine German
a German, fine
a fine, German
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33. 4. Everyone was home for the holidays. What could make
for ___________ Christmas than that?
a merryer
the merriest
a merrier
5. They grew up in ___________________ house in
Mexico City.
a comfortable, little
a little, comfortable
a comfortable little
6. Diehard is the ____________ movie I've ever seen.
most excited
most exciting
most exciteable
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34. 7. Tashonda wanted to take a course with
_____________________ professor.
that interesting new Japanese economics
that Japanese interesting, new economics
that interesting, new, Japanese, economics
8. Of all the mechanics in the shop, Jerzy is surely
______________ .
the less competent.
the least competent.
the competentest.
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9. In the fall, the valleys tend to be ___________ than the
hilltops.
foggy
more foggier
foggier
10. My cold is definitely _________ this morning.
worse
worst
worser
36. Blue, brown, orange and pink soft-looking feathers
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