UPPER INTERMEDIATE
NOMINALISED WITH ARTICLE THE 
1) Nationalities ending in –ch, -sh, -ese and –ss: 
Ex.: The French, the Dutch, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the 
Swiss. 
The other nationalities are nouns (not adjectives) and are 
used in the plural: 
Ex.: The Brazilians, the Mexicans, the Turks, the Poles. 
Some nationalities have both possibilities: 
Ex.: Adjective (the Spanish, the Scottish) and noun (the 
Spaniards, the Scots) 
2) Specific groups in society: 
Ex.: the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless, the blind, the 
deaf, the sick, the dead.
CAREFUL 
When you speak in general about these groups, also 
use adjective + people but NO ARTICLE. 
Ex.: Rich people are often meaner than poor people. 
With individual people, use article a+ 
adjective+noun: 
Ex.: A Spanish woman, a blind person
ADJECTIVE ORDER 
OPINION SIZE AGE SHAPE COLOUR PATTERN ORIGIN/ 
PLACE 
MATERIAL NOUN 
beautiful big new long red striped Italian woollen scarf

Adjectives

  • 1.
  • 2.
    NOMINALISED WITH ARTICLETHE 1) Nationalities ending in –ch, -sh, -ese and –ss: Ex.: The French, the Dutch, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Swiss. The other nationalities are nouns (not adjectives) and are used in the plural: Ex.: The Brazilians, the Mexicans, the Turks, the Poles. Some nationalities have both possibilities: Ex.: Adjective (the Spanish, the Scottish) and noun (the Spaniards, the Scots) 2) Specific groups in society: Ex.: the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless, the blind, the deaf, the sick, the dead.
  • 3.
    CAREFUL When youspeak in general about these groups, also use adjective + people but NO ARTICLE. Ex.: Rich people are often meaner than poor people. With individual people, use article a+ adjective+noun: Ex.: A Spanish woman, a blind person
  • 4.
    ADJECTIVE ORDER OPINIONSIZE AGE SHAPE COLOUR PATTERN ORIGIN/ PLACE MATERIAL NOUN beautiful big new long red striped Italian woollen scarf