ADJECTIVES

PRIVATE CLASSES
Adjectives
An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e., describes) a
noun or pronoun. Adjectives may come before the word they modify.
• My dog is slow.
• That is a cute puppy.
Slow is an adjective since it describes the noun (my dog).
• How is my dog? Slow
• Adjectives come in three forms, also called degrees. An adjective in its normal or usual form is
called a positive degree adjective. There are also the comparative and superlative degrees,
which are used for comparison, as in the following examples:
Positive Comparative Superlative
sweet sweeter sweetest
bad worse worst
efficient more efficient most efficient
IMPORTANT RULES
No gender
• a good boy (um bom menino)
• a good girl (uma boa menina)
• a new house (uma casa nova)
• a new book (um livro novo)
No numeral
• one fat man (um homem gordo)
• Five fat men (cinco homens gordos)
• one big car (um carro grande)
• ten big cars (dez carros grandes)
Rules continuation
Used after the following verbs:
• to be (ser, ficar)
• to get (tornar-se, ficar)
• to become (tornar-se, ficar) Mr Brown was pleased (O sr. Brown estava (ficou) satisfeito)
• to look (parecer) Are you getting tired ? (Você está ficando cansado(a)?)
• to seem (parecer) The pudding tastes strange (O pudim está com um sabor estranho)
• to feel (sentir) The boss sounded angry (O chefe falou em tom zangado)
• to taste (ter o gosto de)
• to sound (falar como se, em tom de)
• to smell (cheirar)
Come before the word they modify
• a difficult lesson (uma lição difícil)
• a deep river (um rio fundo)
• a wonderful tropical country (um maravilhoso país tropical)
• a charming, elegant, blond-haired girl (uma garota loira, charmosa e elegante)
• a beautiful big round wooden table (uma linda mesa de madeira grande e redonda)
 Noun as adjective
Sometimes we use a noun to describe another noun. In that case, the first
noun "acts as" an adjective.
The "noun as adjective" always comes first
The "noun as adjective" is singular
The "noun as adjective" can be writing in several different ways
Can we have more than one "noun as adjective"
If you remember this, it will help you to understand what is being talked about:
• a race horse (real noun) is a horse that runs in races
• a horse race is a race for horses
• a love story is a story about love
• bicycle shops are shops that sell bicycles Not: bicycles shop
• an eight-page chapter “Writing with two hyphenated words (normaly numerals)
• government road accident research center a center that researches into accidents on the road for the government
Adjectives formed with Past Participles(ED) and Present
Participle(ING)

• I found the instructions rather confusing (Achei as instruções um tanto confusas)

• I was confused by the instructions(As instruções me deixaram confuso)

• The actor's performance was fascinating.(O desempenho do ator foi fascinante)

• We were fascinated by the actor's performance(Ficamos fascinados com o desempenho
do ator)

• It was a terrifying experience (Foi uma experiência aterrorizante)

• She was terrified by the scene she saw (Ela ficou aterrorizada com a cena que viu)
 Adverbs
• An adverb is a word or set of words that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs
answer how, when, where, why, or to what extent—how often or how
much (e.g., daily, completely).
Examples:
• He speaks slowly (tells how)
• He speaks very slowly (the adverb very tells how slowly)
• She arrived today (tells when)
• She will arrive in an hour (this adverb phrase tells when)
• Let's go outside (tells where)
• We looked in the basement (this adverb phrase tells where)
• Bernie left to avoid trouble (this adverb phrase tells why)
• Jorge works out strenuously (tells to what extent)
• Jorge works out whenever possible (this adverb phrase tells to what extent)
 Adverbs Word Order
Adverbs are usually placed after the verb:
• He speaks clearly.
When there is an object, the adverb is usually placed after the verb + object:
• I put the vase carefully on the table.
However, adverbs are never positioned between the verb and the
object.
• I read the book quickly. - (Correct)
I read quickly the book. - (Incorrect)
Sometimes adverbs are placed at the beginning of a clause.
• Quickly, I changed my opinion.
Adverbs and Adjectives with the same form
There are a number of adjectives / adverbs that take the same form. It
therefore depends on the sentence context as to whether it is an
adjective or an adverb.
The adjectives / adverbs that take the same form include:
fast, hard, early, late, high, low, right, wrong, straight and long.
• Adam has a fast car. (Adjective)
• Adam speaks fast. (Adverb)
Good vs. Well
Good and Well are two words that tend to create confusion for learners of
English.
Good is an adjective
Well is an adverb.
• You did a good job. - Good describes the job.
• You did the job well. - Well answers how.

Though sometimes we use well as an adjective when we are talking about

health and well-being.
• A: How are you today?
B: I'm well, thanks.

(I'm well is a better and more common answer to this question than 'Fine' or
'Good', although these are also reasonably common.)
 Types of Adverbs
There are many types of adverbs, such as:
• Adverbs of Frequency - always, sometimes, never, once a week, hourly, etc.
• Adverbs of Manner - carefully, slowly, loudly
• Adverbs of Time - tomorrow, now, this year, next week, soon, then
• Adverbs of Place/Location - here, there, above, everywhere
• Adverbs of Degree - very, extremely, rather, almost, nearly, too, quite
• Adverbs of Quantity - a few, a lot, much
• Adverbs of Attitude - fortunately, apparently, clearly
 Adverbs Spelling -LY
Adverbs are normally formed by adding -LY to the end of an adjective.
• E.g. Quick – Quickly
For adjectives that end in -l or -e, we simply add -ly:

There are of course some

exceptions:
 Adverbs ending in -Y
For adjectives that end in -y, we remove the -y and add -ily:
crazy crazily
happy happily

For adjectives that end in a consonant + le we remove the -e and add -y:

terrible terribly
horrible horribly
noble nobly
idle idly

If the adjective ends in -ic, we add -ally

ironic ironically
enthusiastic enthusiastically
realistic realistically Except: public - publicly
Irregular Adverbs