Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Adjectives
Definition:
Adjectives answer the questions which one, what kind, and how much/many.
Definition:
The articles are the most common of all adjectives. There are three of
them: the, a, and an.
Definite article: the (You know which one you are talking about.)
Indefinite articles: a, an (You don't know which one you are talking about.)
Use a before a word that begins with a consonant sound (not a consonant letter).
Use an before a word that begins with a vowel sound (not a vowel letter). An was
created because it is difficult to say a before a word that begins with a vowel
sound. An is easier to say. Therefore, it is the sound of the beginning of the word
that matters, not the letter itself.
Proper Adjectives: Sometimes new adjectives are formed from proper nouns. Just
like proper nouns, proper adjectives need to be capitalized.
Indefinite
pronouns: all, any, both, each, either, few, many, neither, one, several, some
Hint:
To determine if a pronoun is being used as a pronoun or as an adjective,
ask what? after the pronoun. If you get a logical answer, it is acting as an
adjective.
This is your sundae. (This what? nothing - it is a pronoun.)
This sundae is yours. (This what? sundae - it is an adjective)
?1.
Module 5, Modifiers: Adjectives and Adverbs, Lesson 3:
Compound Adjectives
Definition:
Use a hyphen:
Generally, use a hyphen when the two adjectives are working together as a single
idea.
prefixes such as ex, near, mid, self, and all (all-seeing, self-serving)
American English uses fewer hyphenated compound adjectives than British English.
It is important to use the hyphens when the meaning might be unclear.
We bought three pound weights. (We bought three weights that each weighed one
pound.)
We bought three-pound weights. (We bought several weights that each weighed three
pounds.)
I saw a man eating snake. (I saw a man who was eating snake meat.)
I saw a man-eating snake. (I saw a snake who eats men.)
If you use two or more hyphenated adjectives in a list, you can suspend the hyphen.
I like vanilla-, strawberry-, and chocolate-flavored ice cream.
The about-to-be-senior students were looking forward to their next school year.
My always-annoying-but-sometimes-cute little sister was bugging me again.
Adverbs combined with adjectives, especially adverbs ending in ly, do not get
hyphenated.
If the compound follows the noun, you generally do not need a hyphen. This is
because when it follows the noun, the last adjective remains an adjective, but the
first one becomes an adverb.
Gina's essay was half finished. (Finished is an adjective describing essay. Half is
now an adverb describing finished.)
My sister is two years old. (Old is still an adjective describing sister,
but two describes years and years describes old.)
Order of Adjectives
In sentences, adjectives are usually found before the nouns they modify, but they
may also come after the noun if separated by commas, or they may come after a
linking verb.
Adjectives can be moved to immediately after the noun if commas are placed around
them. This can be very effective.
Hint:
Most people who are native English speakers recognize when adjectives are
out of order. Students learning English must study the sequence.
Hint:
Generally two or three adjectives after the determiner or noun marker are
enough. Too many adjectives, like the examples above, sound strange.
Definition: Coordinate adjectives modify nouns in the same way. They describe the
same feature. They are often called "equal adjectives." Most coordinate adjectives
are adjectives of opinion or evaluation. We don't generally use more than one
adjective from any of the other categories together because they sound redundant.
Definition: Cumulative adjectives build upon each other and must be in a certain
order. They are equally important and give different types of information
The big old black bull followed the young Brahma cow.
Traditional explanation: The way to check is to put and between the
adjectives or see if they can be switched around. If and can be added, or they can
be switched and still sound natural, add a comma.
The elegant and wealthy lady looks like a model. (sounds fine)
The wealthy, elegant lady looks like a model. (sounds fine)
but not:
The big and old and black bull followed the young and Brahma cow. (doesn't work)
The black old big bull followed the Brahma young cow. (doesn't work)
Perhaps an easier explanation: If the two adjectives have the same number
in the chart above, they need a comma.
Paired meanings: Sometimes the cumulative adjective works with the noun
to create a paired meaning almost like a compound noun. They don't take commas.
the cunning, sneaky red foxes (red foxes are cunning and sneaky)
the cunning sneaky red foxes (the sneaky red foxes are cunning)
Definition:
An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
Adverbs answer the questions when, where, how, and to what extent (how much or
how long).
Hint:
When adverbs modify adjectives or other adverbs, they are usually
answering the question to what extent?
Position of Adverbs
Generally, adverbs make sense directly after the verbs they modify, but they can also
be moved around the sentence. It can go at the beginning of the sentence, before the
verb, or between a helping verb and the main verb.
That is an unusually tall tree. (Unusually tells how tall the tree is.)
Jared's sister is exceptionally smart. (Exceptionally tells how smart the sister is.)
Position of Adverbs
Adverbs that modify adjectives must go directly before the adjectives they modify.
The strangely quiet classroom made the teacher wonder what had happened.
Position of Adverbs
Adverbs that modify other adverbs must go directly before the adverbs they modify.
It seems like my dog can run unusually quickly when she's chasing a cat.
Some nouns can act as adverbs, and some adverbs do unusual jobs.
Definition:
Adverbial nouns may appear to be direct objects, but instead of answering the
question "What?" they tell where, where to, how long, how far, or how
much.
Where: We bicycle the back roads for safety and the scenery.
Where to (direction): We sailed east from Florida.
How long: The car ride lasted four hours.
How far: I run two miles every morning.
How much (measure): That mug holds eight ounces of hot cocoa.
How much (value): That gold bar is worth two hundred dollars.
Definition:
Relative adverbs, like relative pronouns, connect clauses. They are the same
words as the interrogative adverbs, when, where, and why.
That is the store where I bought that jacket.
That is the reason why we were late.
Last Tuesday was when I saw it last.
Definition:
Conjunctive adverbs also join clauses together with a transition. They need a
semicolon before them when joining sentences. Some common conjunctive
adverbs
are anyway, besides, consequently, finally, furthermore, however, instead, li
kewise, meanwhile, nevertheless, next, otherwise, specifically, still, subsequ
ently, then, therefore, and thus.
We got a late start; however, we should be there on time.
I had been planning on going running; instead, I ran on my treadmill.
To complete a sentence correctly, you need to determine whether the sentence needs
an adjective or an adverb.
One area of confusion can be when an adjective is modifying a noun that is acting as
an adjective.
Many people unintentionally use adjectives to describe verbs. Make sure in your
writing to use adjectives to modify nouns and pronouns and adverbs to modify
verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
The boys walked slow toward their classroom. (incorrect)
The boys walked slowly toward their classroom. (correct)
If you are talking about only one thing, you can't really compare, but if the
word modified possesses that characteristic, it is used in the positive. If it is a
negative characteristic, it is in the negative.
I am old.
You are young.
Definition:
If you are comparing two things, you must use the comparative (compare)
form or degree.
I am older than my brother.
You are younger than your sister.
Definition:
If you are comparing more than two things, you must use the superlative
(super) form or degree.
I am the eldest of three sisters.
You are the youngest person in your family.
Hint:
Superman is the strongest. Superlative means the best.
Michelle is a better artist than anyone in her art class. (Which is it?)
Michelle is a better artist than anyone else in her art class. (Clearly
superlative.)
Hint:
Watch out for adjectives and adverbs that share the same root. They are not
the same word.
careful, more careful, most careful
carefully, more carefully, most carefully
Spelling changes
One syllable adjectives with a short vowel before a single consonant usually double
the consonant before adding the suffixes.
One syllable adjectives that end in silent e or two syllable words that end in le do not
double the e.
When adding suffixes er and est to words ending in y, you must change the y to
an i before adding the suffix.
Challenging Comparisons
Challenge 1: Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs
Some frequently used adjectives and adverbs form comparative and superlative
forms in irregular ways.
Some positive forms have multiple meanings, and each meaning has different,
irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Challenge 3: Absolutes
Absolutes don't have a comparative or superlative form because they can't be any
more than they already are. Absolutes include:
You can't have something that is better than the best or worse than the worst.
You can't be more dead or more pregnant. (Either you are or you aren't.)
Something can't be more straight or more round. (Either it is straight or it isn't.)
Hint:
Absolutes are often superlatives themselves (best, worst)
Good/well
Good (adjective): I did a good job.
Well (adverb): I did well on that test.
Well (adjective): I had a cold, but I am finally feeling well.
Bad/badly
Bad (adjective): I have a bad reaction to corn.
Badly (adverb): We played badly in last night's soccer game.
Real/really
Real (adjective - opposite of imaginary): A real ladybug flew onto my paper.
Really (adverb - means very): My picture of a ladybug looked really good.
Hint:
If you can substitute the word very, really is the correct choice.
Therefore you might have many books, dollars, and cups, but you would
have much information, money, and sugar.
many, more, most, few, fewer, fewest, much, more, most, little, less, least,
several some
You can not combine the suffix er or est and the word more or most. You can only
use one at a time.
You know from math class that a negative plus a negative equals a positive. The
same holds true in English. If you use two negatives together, the meaning is
actually the opposite.
I did not bring no cookies. (That means you must have brought some cookies. I
did not bring anycookies or I did bring no cookies would be correct.)
The most often misused adverbs are only and just. Others often misused
include almost, even, hardly, merely, and nearly. The adverb should go in front of
the word it modifies.
I only want a new laptop for my birthday. (The only thing I want in the world is a
laptop for my birthday. I don't want anything else for any other reason.)
I want only a new laptop for my birthday. (The only thing I want for my birthday is
a new laptop. I do want other things, but not for my birthday.)
Your mother just had enough eggs. (The only thing she had was enough eggs.)
Your mother had just enough eggs. (She had enough eggs and no extra eggs.)
Your prank almost was scary. (It probably didn't work at all.)
Your prank was almost scary. (It was close to scary.)
All those cookies are not peanut free. (All of the cookies have peanuts.)
Not all those cookies are peanut free. (Some are peanut free; some are not.)
Be careful not to use adjectives when the trait is part of the noun.
A wet rain followed the cold snow. (Isn't all rain wet and all snow cold?)
The tall giant helped the short dwarf. (Aren't giants by definition tall and dwarves
short?)
When comparing with adjectives and adverbs, make sure your sentence has all the
words needed to be clear. You may understand what you are writing about, but if you
leave out words, your meaning might be confusing.
The students at our school are smarter than Gemini Middle School. (Is it possible
for students to be smarter than a school?)
The students at our school are smarter than those at Gemini Middle School. (That
makes much more sense.)
A Chihuahua's teeth are smaller than German shepherds. (Of course they are. The
teeth are tiny. The whole German shepherd is giant. Perhaps the writer meant A
Chihuahua's teeth are smaller than a German shepherd's teeth.)
That house is taller than any house in the neighborhood. (The house itself is in the
neighborhood, so how can it be taller than itself?
That house is taller than any other house in the neighborhood.