What are adjectives?

An adjective is a word like kind, happy, smart and intelligent. An adjective typically
modifies a noun and denotes a temporary or permanent quality associated with that
noun. For example, a smart boy is a boy who is distinguished from other boys by being
smart.

Not all adjectives are used to denote a quality associated with a noun. For example, the
adjective mere in a mere child does not denote a quality of the child.

Kinds of adjectives

Adjectives may be divided into the following classes:

Adjectives of quality

Adjectives of quality refer to the kind or quality of a person or thing. They answer the
question: of what kind?

Tokyo is a large city. (Here the adjective large shows a certain quality associated
with the city Tokyo.)
Alice is a brilliant student. (Here the adjective brilliant shows a quality associated
with the noun Alice.)

Note that adjectives formed from proper nouns are generally considered as adjectives
of quality. Examples are: Persian carpets, French wines etc.

Adjectives of quantity

Adjectives of quantity answer the question how much?. Examples are: some, any,
much, little, enough, all, no, half, whole etc.

We need some rice.

 You have little patience.
He has lost all his wealth.
He did not eat any rice.

Adjectives of number

Adjectives of number answer the question how many. Examples are: many, one, two,
first, tenth, all etc.

Each hand has five fingers.

Sunday is the first day of the week.
All men must die.
There are several mistakes in your essay.

Demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives answer the question which?. Examples are: this, that, these,
those and such.

That boy is industrious.

This bag is made of expensive leather.
Those mangoes were very sweet.
I hate such people.

Note that this and that are used with singular nouns. These andthose are used with
plural nouns.

Interrogative adjectives

When they are used with nouns to ask questions, the questions words what,
which and whose are called interrogative adjectives.

Whose bag is this?

Which way shall we go?
Adjectives used without nouns
Adjectives are often used without nouns.

To refer to some well-known groups of people

The structure the + adjective is used to talk about some well-known groups of people.
Examples are: the blind, the deaf, the unemployed, the rich, the poor, the young, the
old, the dead etc.

He is collecting money for the blind. (= He is collecting money for blind people.)
Blessed are the meek.
The government should do something for the poor.

Note that these expressions are always plural. The blind means all blind people.
Similarly, the dead means all dead people. Adjectives are not normally used in this
way without the.

Blessed are the meek. (NOT Blessed are meek.)

These expressions cannot be used with a possessive s.

The problems of the blind should be properly addressed. OR Blind peoples

problems should be properly addressed. (NOT The blinds problems should be properly
addressed.)

In a few fixed phrases, the + adjective can have a singular meaning. Examples
include: the accused, the former, the latter, the deceased etc.

The accused was released on bail.

Note that plural meanings are also possible.

Abstract ideas
An adjective can be used after the to refer to some abstract quality or idea.

She doesnt believe in the supernatural.

The future (= futurity) is unknown to us.

Adjectives of nationality

Some adjectives of nationality ending in -sh or -ch can be used afterthe without nouns.
These adjectives include Irish, Welsh, English, British, Spanish, French etc.

The Irish are proud of their sense of humor.

Note that the expressions the Irish, the English etc., are plural.The singular
equivalents are for example an Irishman or an Englishwoman.

Degrees of Comparison
Read the following sentences:

1. John is tall.
2. Peter is taller than John.
3. Harry is the tallest of the three.

In sentence 1, the adjective tall merely says something about Johns height. It doesnt
state how tall John is. In sentence 2, the adjectivetaller is used to compare Johns
height with Peters height.

In sentence 3, the adjective tallest is used to compare Harrys height with the height of
John and Peter.

We have thus seen that adjectives change in form to show comparison. These different
forms of the adjective are called thedegrees of comparison.
In the examples given above, the adjective tall is said to be in thepositive degree. The
adjective taller is said to be in the comparative degree and the adjective tallest is said
to be in the superlative degree.

The positive degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to
denote the mere existence of some quality. Adjectives in the positive degree are used
when no comparison is made.

The comparative degree of an adjective shows a higher degree of the quality than that
is present in the positive degree. It is used when two things or two sets of things are
compared.

Peter is smarter than John.

Which of the two sisters is the prettier?
Apples are dearer than oranges.

The superlative degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality. It is
used when more than two things or sets of things are compared.

Peter is the smartest boy in the class.

Iron is the most useful of all metals.
Alice is the prettiest girl in the neighborhood.

Adjective Phrases
Sometimes a group of words does the work of an adjective.

Study the following examples.

The mayor was a wealthy man.

The mayor was a man of great wealth.

In sentence 1, the adjective wealthy says what sort of man the mayor was. In sentence
2, the group of words of great wealth also says the same thing. It qualifies the
noun man as an adjective does. It therefore does the work of an adjective and is
called an adjective phrase.

Definition

An adjective phrase is a group of words that does the work of an adjective.

The magistrate was a kind man. (Here the adjective kind modifies the noun man.)
The magistrate was a man with a kind heart. (Here the adjective phrase with a
kind heart modifies the noun man.)
They lived in a stone house.
They lived in a house built of stone.
The workers belonged to a hill tribe.
The workers belonged to a tribe dwelling in the hills.

Study the following adjectives and the adjective phrases that are equivalent to them.

A golden necklace a necklace made of gold

A white coat a coat of white color
A jungle track a track through the jungle
A deserted city a city with no inhabitants
The French flag the flag of France
A wooden hut a hut built of wood
A blank page a page with no writing on it

Distributives
Each, every, either and neither are distributive adjectives. These are normally used
with singular nouns.

Position
Distributives are placed immediately before the nouns they qualify.

Each boy wore a hat.

 Neither answer is correct.
Every child needs love.

Note
Each, either and neither can be used with plural nouns when they are followed by of

Each of the boys wore a hat.

Neither of the answers is correct.

Each

Each is used when we are talking about the members of a group as individuals.

Each boy was given a watch.

Each of the boys was given a watch.

Each and every

Each is preferred when we are thinking of people or things separately, one at a time.
Every is similar to all. Every is preferred when we are thinking of people or things
together.

Each patient went to see the doctor. (In turn)

He gave every patient the same medicine.

Either and Neither

Either and neither are used to talk about distribution between two things.
Either is used in affirmative clauses. Neither is used in negative clauses.

Which shirt do you want? Either shirt will do.

I will take either shirt, they are both good.
Neither answer is correct.
Neither of them came.
Attributive adjectives after nouns
Most adjectives can go in two main places in a sentence: inattributive
position and predicative position.

In attributive position, an adjective comes before the noun it modifies.

She is a nice girl.

She married a rich businessman.

In predicative position, an adjective goes after the verb.

She is nice.
He looked upset.

While attributive adjectives usually go before the nouns, a few can be used after nouns.
This, for example, happens in some fixed phrases.

Secretary General
Poet Laureate
Attorney General
Court martial

Some adjectives ending in -able/-ible can also be used after nouns.

It is the only solution possible.

Book all the tickets available.

After something, everything etc.

Adjectives come after words like something, everything, anything, nothing,

somebody, anywhere etc.

I would like to go somewhere quiet. (NOT I would like to go quiet somewhere.)

 I heard something interesting today. (NOT I heard interesting something today.)

In most expressions of measurement adjectives come after the measurement noun.

ten years older (NOT Older ten years) (NOT ten older years)
six feet deep
two miles long

Verb + object + adjective

Adjectives can be placed after the object.

You make me happy.

Can you get the children ready for school?

Correct use of some adjectives

The adjective can be correctly used with a verb when some quality of the subject,
rather the action of the verb, is to be expressed.

These flowers smell sweet. (NOT These flowers smell sweetly.)

It tastes sour. (NOT It tastes sourly.)

The plural forms these and those are often used with the singular nouns kind and sort.

Examples are: these kind of things

However, some grammarians insist that we should say: this kind of things

The words superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, and posterior take to instead
of than.

He is senior to me.
James is inferior to Peters intelligence.
In comparing two things or classes of things the comparative should be used.

Take the shorter of the two routes. (NOT Take the shortest of the two routes.)
Of the two suggestions, the former is better. (NOT Of the two suggestions, the
former is the best.)

This rule, however, is not strictly observed. In informal English, the superlative is often
used when we talk about one of only two items.

When a comparison is made by means of a comparative, the thing that is compared

must be excluded from the things with which it is compared.

Hercules was stronger than any other man. (NOT Hercules was stronger than
any man this sentence would suggest that Hercules was stronger than Hercules
himself, which, of course, is absurd.)

Position of adjectives
Adjectives usually go before the nouns they modify.

She is a nice girl. (Here the adjective nice modifies the noun girl and goes before
it.)

He is an intelligent boy.

That was a clever idea.

When two or more adjectives come before a noun, they are usually separated by
commas.

A large, round table

A short, fair, pretty girl

Note that we do not put a comma after the last adjective in the series.
When the last two are adjectives of color, they are usually separated by and.

A black and white cow (NOT black white cow)

Red and blue socks

When two or more adjectives come in the predicative position, we use and between the
last two.

It was hot and sultry.

The boy was handsome, smart and polite.

The clouds looked white and fluffy.

Sometimes we put an adjective after the noun for the sake of emphasis.

There lived an old man strong and wicked. (More emphatic than There lived a
strong and wicked old man.)

In phrases such as those given below, the adjective always comes after the noun.

Time-immemorial
Heir-apparent
God Almighty
President elect

In lines of poetry, too, the adjective is sometimes put after the noun.

O men with sisters dear! (Instead of O men with dear sisters)

Mistakes in the use of adjectives

Here is a list of errors that ESL students often make in the use of adjectives.
 Incorrect: She is more stronger than her sister.
Correct: She is stronger than her sister.

Avoid double comparatives. Adjectives of one syllable usually form their comparatives
by adding er to the positive. Longer adjectives take more.

Incorrect: Bombay is further from Delhi than Agra.

Correct: Bombay is farther from Delhi than Agra.

Further means additional. Farther is used to talk about distance.

Incorrect: You have much books.

Correct: You have many books.

Incorrect: I have many work to do.

Correct: I have much work to do.

Use much with uncountable nouns. Use many with countable nouns.

Incorrect: She is growing strong and strong everyday.

Correct: She is growing stronger and stronger everyday.

The comparative form of the adjective is used in structures like these.

Incorrect: Lets go quiet somewhere.

Correct: Lets go somewhere quiet.

The adjective usually goes after expressions like somewhere.

Incorrect: I cant afford that a big car.

Correct: I cant afford that big a car.

Note the pattern: that + adjective + a/an + noun

Incorrect: Tell me the last news.

 Correct: Tell me the latest news.

Latest means the most recent. Last means the previous one.

Incorrect: I have less worries than you.

Correct: I have fewer worries than you.

Use less with uncountable nouns. Use fewer with countable nouns.

Incorrect: He wasted his all wealth.

Correct: He wasted all his wealth.

Quantifiers like all, both and half go before possessives.

Word order: position of adjectives

Different kinds of words go in different positions in a sentence. For example, nouns
usually go at the beginning of a sentence. Adjectives usually go before nouns. They can
also go after verbs. Nouns, too, can go after verbs. The main factor that determines the
position of a word is its function. For example, a noun used as the subject of the verb
has to go at the beginning of the sentence. A noun used as the object of a verb can only
go after the verb. As the placement of words can significantly affect the meaning of a
sentence it is important to learn the rules regarding the position of words. Here is a
basic guide to word order in English.

Adjectives

Adjectives usually go before the nouns they modify.

Susie is a beautiful girl. (Here the adjective beautiful goes immediately before the
noun (girl) it modifies.)

More examples are given below.

 We met an interesting man.
That was a wonderful experience.
She is a great woman.

Note that we cannot put another word between an adjective and the noun it modifies.
However, we can use any number of adjectives to modify the same noun.

She married a tall, dark, handsome man.

When more than one adjective modify the same noun, we usually separate them using
a comma. No commas are used to separate the last adjective in the series from the
noun it modifies.

Adjectives can also go after linking verbs. Note that the most common linking verbs in
English are: is, am, are, was, were, become, seem, appear, taste, feel, grow and
turn.

When adjectives go after linking verbs, they usually describe the subject.

Susie is beautiful. (Here the adjective beautiful describes the noun Susie.)
The fish tasted funny. (Here the adjective funny describes the taste of the fish.)
The night grew dark.
The milk turned sour.
I felt awful.

Using adjectives
Adjectives are describing words. Adjectives usually go before the nouns they modify
(attributive position). They can also go after the verb be (predicative position). Note that
most adjectives can go in both positions.

Study the example sentences given below.

The flowers are red. (Predicative position)

These are red flowers. (Attributive position)

The car is expensive. (Predicative position)

It is an expensive car.

Exercise

Read the following sentences. In all of them, the adjectives are in the predicative
position. Change them into the attributive position by rewriting the sentence. Note that
the second sentence in the sequence should begin with a pronoun. You will also need
to supply a suitable article.

1. The necklace was expensive. .

2. The question was tough. ..

3. The flowers are fresh. ..

4. The experience was enjoyable. ..

5. The job was tedious.

6. The memory was painful. ..

7. The woman is experienced. .

8. The workmen are skilled. ..

9. The development was unexpected.

10. The decision was foolish.

Answers

1. It was an expensive necklace.

2. It was a tough question.

3. They are fresh flowers.

4. It was an enjoyable experience.

5. It was a tedious job.

6. It was a painful memory.

7. She is an experienced woman.

8. They are skilled workmen.

9. It was an unexpected development.

10. It was a foolish decision.

The positive, comparative and superlative

degrees
An adjective can exist in three forms positive, comparative andsuperlative. The
positive form is the base form of the adjective. The comparative form expresses a
higher degree of some quality. The superlative form expresses the highest degree.

Fill in the blanks with the comparative or superlative form of the adjective given in the
brackets.

1. How is your mother today? Is she any ..? (Good)

2. In India May is than June. (Hot)

3. Julie is .. than her sister. (Pretty)

4. Who is the girl in your class? (Beautiful)

5. Which is the .. of all metals. (Precious)

6. Her husband is ten years than her. (Old)

7. All of us are bad singers, but I sing the .. of all. (Bad)

8. I think you require a .. diet. (Nutritious)

9. Which is the part of India? (Dry)

10. It was the .. moment of my life. (Proud)

Answers

1. Is she any better?

2. In India May is hotter than June.

3. Julie is prettier than her sister.

4. Who is the most beautiful girl in your class?

5. Which is the most precious of all metals?

6. Her husband is ten years older than her.

7. All of us are bad singers, but I sing the worst of all.

8. I think you require a more nutritious diet.

9. Which is the driest part of India?

10. It was the proudest moment of my life.

Notes

The comparative adjective is usually followed by the prepositionthan. The superlative

adjective should be used with the article the.

Relative pronouns used to introduce

adjective clauses
We have already learned that an adjective clause is a group of words that works like
an adjective. Adjectives are used to modifynouns. In the same way, adjective clauses
are also used to modify nouns.

In this lesson we will take a look at the five relative pronouns used to introduce
adjectives clauses. Note that adjective clauses are also called relative clauses.

The most common adjective clauses begin with the relative pronouns who,
which and that. Note that who is only used to refer to people and which is only used to
refer to things. That can be used to refer to both people and things.

The other two relative pronouns used to introduce adjective clauses

are whose and whom. Whose is the possessive form of who.Whom is the object form
of who.

The girl, whose brother we met in the morning, is my sisters classmate.

Here the relative pronoun whose shows the relationship between the girl and her
brother.
Whom can replace object pronouns (him, her, them etc.) Who andwhom are often
confused. Although it is possible to use whom instead of who in a less formal style, you
have to keep the distinction between these forms in academic writing.

Note that when whom is used in a sentence, it will be immediately followed by another
noun / pronoun and verb. Who, on the other hand, acts as the subject of the relative
clause and hence it is not immediately followed by another noun.

She married a rich guy whom I have known for quite some time. (Note that whom
is immediately followed by another pronoun.)
She married an engineer who was my senior at university. (NOT She married an
engineer whom was my )

Absolute adjectives
Some adjectives express ideas that cannot be graded. For example, a person cant
be more or less dead. In the same way, a sphere cant be more or less round. In
grammars these adjectives are called non-gradable or absolute adjectives.

Non-gradable adjectives do not have comparative or superlative forms. There are very
few non-gradable adjectives, so you can learn them by heart if you really want. Here is
a list of common non-gradable adjectives in English. Note that this is not a
comprehensive list.

Absolute, impossible, principal, adequate, inevitable, sufficient, complete, main,

unanimous, unavoidable, entire, minor, fatal, unique, final, universal, ideal, whole,
preferable, dead etc.

Exceptions

Although the adjectives given above are not normally used in comparative and
superlative forms, you might still hear expressions like more complete or most
perfect. Though incorrect, these expressions are quite common in speech and they
have become sort of acceptable, too. However, if you are a careful user of the
language, you must avoid them especially in writing.

Also be careful, not to use more along with a comparative adjective ending in
er and most with a superlative adjective ending in -est. Do not write more
taller or most smartest. These are examples of double comparatives and superlatives.
They are always wrong and must be avoided.

She is prettier than her sister. (NOT She is more prettier thanher sister.)

Some compound adjectives have two possible comparatives and superlatives.

Positive: good-looking

Comparative: better-looking or more good-looking

Superlative: best-looking or most good-looking

Positive: well-known

Comparative: better-known or more well-known

Superlative: best-known or most well-known

In this case, you can decide which form you want to use, but dont write most best-
known or more better-looking.

Adjective or adverb?
Adjectives are words used to modify nouns. They usually go before nouns. Adjectives
may also go after be (is, am, are, was, were) and copular verbs like become, seem,
look, feel etc.
 I feel happy. (NOT I feel happily.)
She seemed excited. (NOT She seemed excitedly.)
They were upset.

Adverbs are words used to modify verbs. They usually express the manner in which
something is done. Adverbs are also used to modify adjectives and other adverbs.

An adverb used to modify an adjective or another adverb usually goes before

it. Enough is an exception to this rule. It goes after the adjective or adverb it modifies.

Complete the following sentences using the correct words from those given in brackets.

1. Our team played . (good / well) last week.

2. We have not gathered (near / nearly) enough flowers.

3. The old woman was walking (slow / slowly) past.

4. Come to my office as . (quick / quickly) as possible.

5. We had a .. (really / real) great time at the party.

6. Sophia won the first prize . (easy / easily)

Answers

1. Our team played well yesterday. (Here the adverb well modifies the verb played.)

2. We have not gathered nearly enough flowers. (Here the adverb nearly modifies the
adjective enough.)

3. The old woman was walking slowly past. (Here the adverb slowly modifies the verb
walking.)
4. Come to my office as quickly as possible. (Here the adverb quickly modifies the verb
come.)

5. We had a really great time at the party. (Here the adverb really modifies the adjective
great.)

6. Sophia won the first prize easily. (Here the adverb easily modifies the verb won.)

Adjective phrase
A word group that has an adjective as its head is called an adjective phrase. Note that
the adjective in this phrase may be accompanied by other words such as determiners,
modifiers etc.

Adjective phrases can go before a noun (attributive position). They can also go after a
linking verb like be (predicative position).

He was wearing a dark brown suit. (Here the adjective phrase a dark brown
modifies the noun suit.)
The fish tasted awfully funny. (Here the adjective phrase awfully funny says
something about the fish. It goes after the copular or linking verb tasted.

A copular verb does not take an object and it cannot be modified by an adverb. The
word or phrase that follows a copular verb typically says something about the subject of
the sentence.

The fish tasted awful. (NOT The fish tasted awfully.)

Here the adjective awful says something about the fish. It doesnt modify the verb
tasted.

Note that the adjective in an adjective phrase may be modified by an adverb. When it is
modified by an adverb, the adverb goes before the adjective. The adjective may also be
modified by other determiners like articles, possessives and demonstratives.
Consider the phrase my cute little daughter

Here the adjective phrase my cute little consists of a possessive (my) and two
adjectives (cute and little).

Sometimes the idea expressed by an adjective can also be expressed using a noun
phrase. Consider the examples given below.

Brutus is an honorable man. (Here the adjective honorable modifies the noun
man.)

The same idea can be expressed using the phrase: a man of honor

Brutus is a man of honor.

Another example is given below.

Churchill was an eminent man. (Here the adjective eminent modifies the noun
man.)
Churchill was a man of eminence. (Here the noun phrase a man of eminence
means the same as the phrase an eminent man.)

Adjectives exercise
Complete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the adjective given in
the brackets.

1. He is than his neighbors. (rich)

2. The brides were much than the grooms. (young)

3. He is too to be taught. (intelligent)

4. He is than I thought him to be. (clever)

5. When the old woman became , she began to move about. (strong)

6. He is much now. (good)

7. The offer was too to be true. (good)

8. He fishes with success than I do. (great)

9. Shakespeare is the playwright in English. (great)

10. The pain was than he could bear. (much)

11. The thing of all was that his son was rude to him. (bad)

12. Jane was the player of the two. (good)

Answers

1. He is richer than his neighbors.

2. The brides were much younger than the grooms.

3. He is too intelligent to be taught.

4. He is cleverer than I thought him to be.

5. When the old woman became stronger, she began to move about.

6. He is much better now.

7. The offer was too good to be true.

8. He fishes with greater success than I do.

9. Shakespeare is the greatest playwright in English.

10. The pain was more than he could bear.

11. The worst thing of all was that his son was rude to him.

12. Jane was the better player of the two.