Adjectives

What is an Adjective?

Adjectives are words that describes a person, a place or a thing.

Of Quality

Answer the question Of what kind? Answer the question How much?

Large, Small, Intelligent, Beautiful

Of Quantity

Some, Little, Any, Enough

Two, Seven, Second, Third This, That, These, Those What, Which, Whose

Types of Adjectives

Of Number

Answer the question How Many?

Answer the question Which Ask questions about a noun

Demostrative

Interrogative

Uses:
Adjective are used to describe things or people. Theyre the same before singular and plural nouns. Most adjective can be used after a verb and before a noun.

Martin Paxman is rich.

(Used after a verb)

He had rich parents.

(Used before a noun parents)

 The following adjectives arent normally used before a noun: afraid, alive, alone, apart, ashamed, asleep, awake, aware, glad, ill, pleased, ready, sure, unable, upset, well.

Martin isnt ashamed.

(You cant say An ashamed person)

He rarely gets ill.

(You cant say An ill person)

 Some adjectives arent normally used alone after a verb. The most common are: eventual, existing, countless, indoor, main, maximum, neighbouring, occasional, only, outdoor, principal.

It isnt his only home.

(you cant say The home is only)

A neighbouring village.
(NOT The village is neighbouring)

 Sometimes when we talk about a group of people in general, we can use the + Adjectives as a noun. The + adjectives is followed by a plural verb.

The rich sometimes feel embarrassed.

(= rich people)

When they see the homeless.

(= homeless people)

When they read about the unemployed.

(= unemployed people)

The order of adjectives

When we use more than one adjective, we put the adjective that give our opinion before the adjective that gives factual information.

Martin is a pleasant young man.

(NOT A young pleasant man)

Martin is pleasant = an opinion Martin is young = a fact

 Adjectives usually go in a particular order:

1 2 (opinion) (size) 3 (shape) 4 (age) 5 (colour) 6 (material/type)

A
A beautiful long serious

big
slim

new
dark-haired black

wooden
American silk financial

bed.
Girl. Dresses. Problem.

beautiful

little

round

new

red

plastic

ball.

 Two adjectives together are joined by and.

When there are two colour adjectives.

He also bought a red and gold duvet cover to go on the bed.

When there are two adjectives alone after a link verb.

Hes always pleasant and generous.

 When there are three adjectives alone after a link verb, we usually put a comma after the first, and between the last two.

Shes lively, warm and intelligent.

 When we give measurements, we put the adjectives deep, high, long, old, tall, thick, wide after measurement nouns.

Martin is 25 years old. Hes 2 m tall. The bed is 2.5 m long and 3 m wide. The mattress is 75 cm thick.
Note: We dont say Im 65 kilos heavy. We say Im 65 kilos in weight.

Physical Appearance What does she / he look like?

Beautiful or not? Age? teenager adult Thirties Build? tall slim Fat

Hair? short long blond

B O DY F EAT U R ES Height

He is tall. He is very tall.

He is short. He is quite short.

He is normal height. He is relatively normal height.

Build

She is skinny. (negative) She is underweight. (negative) She is thin. (negative) She is slim. (positive) She is slender. (positive)

She is fat. (negative) She is overweight. (negative) She is chubby. (negative) She is plump. (neutral) She is stocky. (neutral) She is bonny. (positive)

B O DY F EAT U R ES Note: if a man is fat (especially round the waist) we often say he has a beer belly o that hes overweight/plump.

Hair

Blonde fair hair Blonde

Brown hair Brunette

Red hair Redhead

Black hair

Gray hair

B O DY F EAT U R ES

Eyes

Gray eyes

Green eyes

Blue eyes

Brown eyes

Dark eyes

This is a black eye

B O DY F EAT U R ES Type of hair (length)

Long hair

Medium length hair

Short hair

No hair Bald

Type of hair

Straight

Wavy

Curly

kinky

Body Parts
The face

The body

Body Parts

Who is this?

Who is this?

Describe the differences.