This document provides information about and examples of using the adjectives "big", "large", and "great". It defines what an adjective is and its two main categories. It then examines each of the three adjectives in more detail, outlining their different forms and providing examples of how they are commonly used with various nouns. Specific focus is given to the size, scale, degree, or abstractness each adjective can describe. An activity at the end tests understanding by having the reader complete sentences with the correct adjective.

1. UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CHIMBORAZO
FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN HUMANAS Y TECNOLOGÍAS
ENGLISH MAJOR
GRAMMAR V
THEME:
USEFUL ADJECTIVES BIG, LARGE, GREAT
GROUP MEMBER:
Erika Arguello
Mario Salazar
Shirley Vásquez

2. WHAT IS AN ADJECTIVE?
An adjective is a word that defines, qualifies or modifies
the meaning of a noun, or more rarely of a pronoun.
There are two main categories of adjectives:
a) Determining adjectives.
b) Descriptive adjectives.

3. BIG,
LARGE,
GREAT

4. BIG, LARGE, GREAT
ARE FREQUENTLY USED WITH THE FOLLOWING
NOUNS
Big:
man/​house/​car/​boy/​dog/​smile/​problem/​
surprise/​question/​difference.
Large:
numbers/​part/​area/​room/​company/​eye
s/​family/​volume/​population/​problem
Great:
success/​majority/​interest/​importance/​di
fficulty/​problem/​pleasure/​beauty/​artist/​
surprise

5. BIG: ADJECTIVE
Forms of use Example
Size/Measure The city has a big stadium
informal (number: high) What's the biggest number you can think of?
informal (important,
major)
My upbringing had a big influence on the way I view
poverty.
informal (loud) The engine exploded with a big bang and a cloud of
smoke.
informal (sibling: older) My big sister's always mean to me.
(intense) I get a big thrill watching live football.
informal (adult, grown) The boy wants to be a fireman when he is big.
figurative, informal
(pretentious)
He's too big to associate with normal people.
informal, ironic
(generous)
You've forgiven me? Well, that's very big of you.
informal (tall) Your little brother's getting really big!
informal (boastful) He's full of big claims about what he intends to do.

6. MORE EXAMPLES WITH BIG
 That is a big house:
 That is a big elephant.
 You have to think where you will study next
semester that is a big decision.
 Big girls do not cry.
 Disco music was big in the 1970s.
 Anthony is big Eminem fan.
 Tommy is a big gambler.
 Faustus’s big brother is at university.

7.  Avengers were a big blockbuster.
 He is a big shopper.
 He was a short man with great big glasses.
 The whole story is just a big fat lie.
 This house is rather big for us. We need something
smaller.
 This is a fairly big decision to make.
 We were hoping the show would be a really big success

8. LARGE: ADJECTIVE
Large is more formal than big and
should be used in writing unless it is
in an informal style. It is not usually
used to describe people, except to
avoid saying ‘fat’.

9. Forms of Use Examples
big in size or
quantity
A large
area/family/house/car/appetite.
A large number of people.
shirt size I usually wear a large.
wide in range
and involving
many things
A large and complex issue.
Some drugs are being used on a much
larger scale than previously.
exaggeratedly He likes to talk large, but I think he
exaggerates.
large-scale This is a very large project, which will
affect hundreds of people.

10. EXTRA EXAMPLES OF THE ADJECTIVE
“LARGE”
 By this time his debt had become extremely large.
 His eyes were abnormally large.
 Isn’t that jumper rather large?
 Our house was not overly large.
 Some of the clothes looked very large.
 The issue looms large in political campaigns
nationwide.
 The plant had grown quite large.
 The universe is infinitely large.

11.  The increasingly large numbers of senior citizens.
 Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee.
 I grew up in a large family.

12. GREAT ADJECTIVE
is used mostly with abstract nouns - things you cannot
see, touch etc.
EXAMPLES:
 It was a great mistake.
 I have great respect for her ideas.

13. FORMS OF USE
LARGE
1) MUCH MORE THAN AVERAGE IN DEGREE OR QUANTITY.
EXAMPLES:
Ø The concert had been a great success.
Ø Her death was a great shock to us all.
2)[USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] VERY LARGE; MUCH BIGGER
THAN AVERAGE IN SIZE OR QUANTITY.
EXAMPLES:
Ø People were arriving in great numbers.
Ø The great majority of (= most) people seem to agree with this view.
3) ONLY BEFORE NOUN] (INFORMAL) USED TO EMPHASIZE AN
ADJECTIVE OF SIZE OR QUALITY.
EXAMPLES:
Ø There was a great big pile of books on the table.
Ø We are all to a great extent the products of our culture.

14. ADMIRED
4)EXTREMELY GOOD IN ABILITY OR QUALITY
AND THEREFORE ADMIRED BY MANY PEOPLE
EXAMPLES:
Ø He has been described as the world's greatest violinist.
Ø Sherlock Holmes, the great detective
GOOD
(INFORMAL) VERY GOOD OR PLEASANT
 It's great to see you again.
 What a great goal!
 We had a great time in Madrid.

15. IMPORTANT/IMPRESSIVE
[ONLY BEFORE NOUN] IMPORTANT AND
IMPRESSIVE
Examples:
 The wedding was a great occasion.
 As the great day approached, she grew more and more
nervous.
WITH INFLUENCE
HAVING HIGH STATUS OR A LOT OF INFLUENCE
Examples:
 We can make this country great again.
 Alexander the Great

16. IN GOOD HEALTH
IN A VERY GOOD STATE OF PHYSICAL OR MENTAL
HEALTH.
EXAMPLES:
Ø She seemed in great spirits (= very cheerful).
Ø I feel great today.
Ø I don’t feel too great. Everyone's in great form.
SKILLED
[NOT USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] GREAT AT (DOING)
SOMETHING (INFORMAL) ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WELL
 EXAMPLE:
 Ø She's great at chess.

17. USEFUL
GREAT FOR (DOING) SOMETHING (INFORMAL)
VERY SUITABLE OR USEFUL FOR SOMETHING
Examples:
 This gadget's great for opening jars.
 Try this cream—it's great for spots.
FOR EMPHASIS
[ONLY BEFORE NOUN] USED WHEN YOU ARE
EMPHASIZING A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF
SOMEBODY/SOMETHING
Examples:
 We are great friends.
 I am a great admirer of your work.

18. ACTIVITY
 Complete the following sentences with the
correct adjective.
1)There is a nice house with a garden.
A) great
B) large
C) Big
2) Albert Eintsein was a physicist.
a) Large
b) great
c)big
big
great

19. 3) You have got rather feet.
a) large
b) great
c)big
4) His work shows intelligence.
a)big
b)large
c) great
5) He is making a mistake.
a)great
b)big
c) large
large
great
big

20. 6) Can you see the trees behind the lake?
a)big
b)large
c) great
7) My grandfather lived to a age.
a)large
b)great
c)Big
8) The universe is infinitely .
a)great
b)big
c) large
big
great
large

21. 9) I have respect for her ideas.
a)great
b)big
c) large
10) Do you think Winston Churchill was really a
man?
a) large
b) great
c)big
11) I grew up in a family.
a)big
b)large
c) great
great
great
large