FOCUS 14 COMMENT ADVERBS, VIEWPOINT ADVERBS, FOCUS ADVERBS
Comment adverbs
Some comment adverbs
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indicate our attitude to or opinion of what is said: frankly, generally, honestly, luckily, naturally, personally, unbelievably
show our judgement of someone’s actions: bravely, carelessly, foolishly, kindly, rightly, stupidly, wrongly.
Most common adverbs can occur at the front, middle or end of a sentence.
Viewpoint adverbs
We use viewpoint adverbs to make it clear from what point of view we are speaking.
Financially, the accident has been a disaster for the owners of the tunnel.
Other examples include: biologically, chemically, environmentally, ideologically, logically, morally, politically, visually.
Focus adverbs: even, only, alone
Even and only usually go in mid positions, but if they refer to the subject they come before it.
My mother has only brought some food.
Only my mother has brought some food.
Even Sue can speak French.
Sue can even speak French.
When we use alone to mean only it comes after a noun.
It isn’t possible to become a great artist by hard work alone.
EXERCISES
Ex.1 Replace the underlined part of each sentence by a comment adverb:
Apparently, frankly, generally, in theory, luckily, naturally, personally, sadly, typically, unbearably.
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you can park anywhere, but in practice there are rarely any spaces left by 9 o’clock.
Ex.2 Choose an appropriate viewpoint adverb from a) and a sentence ending from b) to complete the sentences from c)
a) economically, mechanically, traditionally, globally, statistically.
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b) … it has been produced in Scotland.
… it has without doubt caused climatic warming.
… it seemed to be in good condition.
… it is highly unlikely.
… it needs the support of its larger neighbours
c)1. Although there was a lot of rust on the body of the car … .2. Although we don’t notice the effects of industrial pollution at a local level, … .3. Although whisky is now made in countries such as Japan and New Zealand, … .4. Although the country has had political independence for over a century, … .5. Although it is possible to contract malaria in England, … .
Ex.3 Put even, only or alone.
When he died, … his political enemies … agreed that he was a good man.2. I didn’t expect her to do anything, but when I came down … Ella had tidied up and … made tea.3. 30 000 cases of measles were reported during … September … .4. He asked for lots of volunteers, but … Alice … put up her hand.5. … my brother … enjoyed the film, and he doesn’t really like westerns.6. It is often said that … money … can’t bring you happiness.7. … the machine could … analyse its chemical courtiluents – it couldn’t say if the rock was valuable.8. … the tickets … would be more than I could afford. I certainly couldn’t pay the hotel bills, too.
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FOCUS 15 COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADVERBS
a) Could you speak more quietly, please?
The patient is recovering more slowly than other.
I see Peter more often than David.
This machine works most efficiently when room temperature is constant.
I play squash less often than I used to.
Usually, comparative adverbs are formed with more … than or less … than, and superlative adverbs with (the) most and (the) least.
b) He arrived later than he promised.
Who ran quickest?
A few adverbs can take –or in the comparative and –est in the superlative just like adjectives do. They are one- syllable adverbs, and include late, hard, long, fast, slow, loud, and quick.
c) Alan treated the boy worse than anyone else.
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The film turned out better than I hoped.
There are some exceptions and irregular forms of adverbs in the comparative and superlative.
Well – better – best,
Much – more – most,
Far – further – furthest,
farther – farthest,
Badly – worse – worst,
Little – less – least.
d) He walked as quickly as he could.
I didn’t play as well as other members of the team.
As + adverb + as can also be used to show the manner in which something is done, or how it is done.
For more information see the corresponding topic in Part II.
EXERCISES
Ex.1 Fill in the comparative form of the adverb in brackets.
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1.Dana speaks French … I do.(well).2. Paul drives … Luke does.(carefully).3. We see our friends … I would like (frequently).4. The water project took … the government anticipated.(long).5. Wooden houses can be built … stone houses.(quick)
Ex.2 Fill in the Superlative form of the adverb in brackets.
1. Joanna works … when she is part of a team (well).2. The student who argued his case … of all was eventually elected president of the student’s union (convincingly).3. The consequences of drug abuse can be presented … by bringing a former addict into the classroom to talk to pupils (dramatically).4. Road accidents occur … within five miles of your own home, according to government statistics(frequently).5. The people who reacted … to the new income tax were, in fact, the wealthiest (violently).
Ex.3 Rewrite the following sentences using an adverb.
1.Paul plays tennis better than Luke. Luke …
2.The fashion show was not a success because of poor organization. The fashion show failed because
it … .
3.I go to the club several times a week. John only goes once a week. John … .
4.I can run faster than you. You … .
5.She could read his letter, but with great difficulty. She … .
PART 2
TEST YOURSELF
Ex.1 Correct these sentences.
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Ex. 2 Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible to the sentence before
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1.The Apls are a lot higher than the Pindus range.
The Pindus range is nothing ...
2. For me doing menial tasks from 9 to 5 would certainly be preferable to being out of work.
I’d far..
3.We used to be much closer than we are now.
We’re nowhere ...
4.To hear him talk you’d think he owned the place.
He talks as ...
5.They‘re by no means as intelligent as their father.
They’re far...
6.Our special offer was taken up by as many as 70,000 people.
No ...
7.I’m not too keen on watching football but I really enjoy playing it.
I much prefer ...
8. Like many of my friends, I’ve given up smoking.
I’ve given up smoking, as ...
Ex. 3 Fill each of the gaps in the sentences with a suitable word or phrase
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1.She looks much the ... did ten years ago.
2.The longer I study ...I realize what an interesting language it is.
3. I don’t spend anything ... money as my husband.
4. I’d sooner have ten ... children at all.
5. They accepted their award much ... expected it all along.
6. He staggers around nowadays as ... weight of the world on his shoulders.
Ex. 4 Circle the adjectives listed a,b,c or d, that can fill each gap. One, two, three or all of them may be possible
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1.The ... child was comforted by his aunt.
a. sick b. afraid c. frightened d. ill
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2. They had stories ... about their travels through India.
a. unlikely b. galore c. a-plenty d. countless
3. A speedy solution is ... .
a. main b. principal c. chief d. crucial
4. He was taken ... by the ferocity of the criticism.
a. aback b. unawares c. surprised d. unaccustomed
5. The .... train is almost never on time.
a. last b. late c. early d. stopping
6. This is ... reward for twenty years of loyal service.
a. due b. scant c. meager d. proper
Ex. 5 Put one of these words in each of the gaps below, using each as many times as you want to.
That to with at of on for in by
1. I am relieved ... see that they are pleased ... their accommodation. It seems entirely compatible ... their wishes.
2. I am almost embarrassed ... admit that I feel extremely ashamed ... my fellow-countrymen on occasions such as this, particularly when they seem utterly devoid ... any manners at all.
3. I’m afraid ... speak to her about this because I’m frightened ... upsetting her.
4. It is probable ... he will prove to be the most likely person ... the job and the one most likely ... do it properly.
5. I am aware ... your deficiencies and the areas you are lacking practice ... just as I am aware ... you share these weaknesses with many others.
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7. I was interested ... read that many fans had expressed amazement ... the result. Isn’t it amazing ... so many people take interest ...such obscure sports?
8. I know I should be ashamed ... admit that I am saddened ... young Paula’s being written out of my favourite soap. It’s a pretty awful thing ... have to admit, but I really am upset ... she’s leaving.
Ex.6 Put the adjectives and adverbs into the correct order and position.
1. (tall, very) Sandy was.
Sandy was very tall.
2. (blond, soft, large, blue) She had hair and eyes.
3. (often, lonely) She felt because
4. (isolated, rather, country) she lived in a village.
5. (bad, too) The summer weren’t because
6. (crowded, lively) the streets were with tourists who
7. (interesting, quite) made the village.
8. One July afternoon Sandy met (famous, very) the Eileen Ford,
9. (highly, successful) the head of the New York Modelling Agency.
10. (enthusiastic, rather) Mrs. Ford was about Sandy and
11. (discovered, newly) hired her as a model.
12. (totally, different) After that, Sandy lived a life.
13. In fact, (sometimes, overly, peaceful) she missed the days of her youth.
К теме Degrees of Comparison
Ex.7 Complete the sentences by using the correct comparative or superlative form of the adjectives in brackets
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Add as, than or the when necessary.
1. Your son is the tallest in the class. (tall)
2. The grass in summer is not ... the grass in spring (green)
3. Soccer is ... game in the world. (popular)
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5. I found Forman’s last film ... than his previous ones. (good)
6. Tim is a lot ... he used to be. (responsible)
7. The president seemed ... as usual (confident)
8. These are ... cherries I have ever eaten. (sweet)
9. Why do you think Heather is ... Janet? (pleasant)
10. In my opinion Tom Cruise is ... actor of all. (attractive)
Ex.8 Select the right adjectives.
1. (little, less) We have less money than last year.
2. (good, well) Mother Theresa of Calcutta is world-famous for being a ... person.
3. (oldest, eldest) The ... sister took care of the family after the parents died.
4. (nearest, next) The ... petrol station is behind those buildings.
5. (good, well) Despite her advanced age, she is ... .
6. (latest, last) This is the ... time I am going to invite her.
7. (much, many) There isn’t ... news this morning.
8. (farther, further) The company provides ... assistance on request.
9. (nearest, next) The ... concert is in August.
10. (older, elder) This painting appears ... than that one.
Ex. 9 Transform the adjectives in brackets into their correct adverbial form, and then build comparative sentences. In some cases there is more than one possibility.
1. Gween Smith signs (beautiful). Sal Collins does, too.
Gween Smith signs aas beautifully as Sal Collins.
2. This motor runs (fast). That other one does, too.
3. Our children behave (good). So do theirs.
4. Arlene studies (hard). Philip doesn’t study as hard.
5. Miss Modison writes (good). Mr. Carter does not.
6. The applicant speaks Enflish (fluent). The head of our department does not.
7. Jash arrived (early). Victor arrivedon time.
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9. The Hardy brothers carry out their investigations (logic). So does Nancy Drew.
10. The Weavers fared (bad). The Carters did not.
Ex. 10 Translate into English.
1. Вы самый медленный бегун, какого я когда-либо встречал. 2. Вечером море стало еще красивее. 3. Он был самый добрый и самый приятный человек, которого я когда-либо знала. 4. Эта комната казалась больше и удобнее, чем та. 5. Я думаю, что Джейн самая красивая девушка из всех. 6. Я рада, что вы более добрый человек, чем я, Том. 7. Ее назвали Эллой, так как это было самое модное имя для девочек в то время. 8. Этот цветок желтее того. 9. Вам следует помнить, что Том на десять лет моложе Джека. 10. Она учила его, где находится Черное море, какая самая длинная река и как называется самая высокая гора в России. 11. Я сейчас больше устала, чем когда-либо. 12. Мой отец, бывало, говорил, что он был самым способным человеком из всех его друзей. 13. Он увидел, что бледное лицо его двоюродного брата стало еще бледнее. 14. Вы самая храбрая женщина, которую я когда-либо знал. 15. Мой младший брат умнее Джона. 16. На столе стояла тарелка с печеньем, две чашки и сахарница. Печенье было самое дешевое. 17. Он самый лучший пианист, не правда ли?
Ex.11 Put in the missing adjectives and adverbs. Use the following words: beautiful, best (twice),careful, cheap, early, far, fast, full, hurried, important, last, new, past, quick, rapid, silly,
A SPLASH OP COLOUR
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Test 1
1. One of ... games is chess, which originated in India or probably China. It is a game of ... tradition and is ... popular.
a) old, the oldest, international
b) the most ancient, old, internationally
c) the more ancient, older, internationally
d) ancient, the oldest, the most international
2. You know still waters run ..., but ... I get to know him, ...embarrassed I feel. I would like to have ... information because I don’t know what his ... move is going to be.
a) deeply, the better, the more, farther, next
b) deep, better, more, further, nearest
c) deeper, the best, the most, father, near
d) deep, the better, the more, further, next
3. She did not have to change trains and went to Glasgow ... . She felt ... and thought if Harry would be able to meet her. But ... had she stepped on the platform in Glasgow ... she saw him with a bundle of flowers.
a) direct, lonely, hardly, when
b) directly, alone, hardly, than
c) more directly, lonely, no sooner, when
d) the most direct, alone, hardly, ___
4. ... they hurried ... it was they would be in time to see him off. They came ... after his departure.
a) The more, the less obvious, short
b) The more, the more obviously, shortly
c) The more, the less obvious, shortly
d) The most, the least obviously, short
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5. She opened two bottles of perfume. The perfume in the oval bottle smelt ... that reminded her of ... summer; but ... had a strange smell.
a) so sweetly, last, latter
b) so sweet, late, the latter
c) such sweetly, the latest, the former
d) such sweet, later, last
6. The almonds, which I bought in the shop ... our office, tasted ... . I threw away ... half of them.
a) nearly, bitterly, almost
b) near, bitter, nearly
c) next to, bitter, near
d) by, bitterly, all but
7. ... had we got out of the car ... he and his ... brother rushed to us. It was ... how they could guess where we were going.
a) No sooner, when, older, strange
b) Hard, and, elder, strangely
c) No sooner, than, elder, strange
d) Hardly, when, eldest, strangely
8. There was an obvious weakness in the argument ... but they were too ... to admit their mistake. The most ... thing was that Nick, the ... friend of theirs, did not support them.
a) presenting, alarming, embarrassing, old
b) presented, alarmed, embarrassed, eldest
c) presented, alarmed, embarrassing, oldest
d) presenting, alarmed, embarrassed, elder
9. It was far ... than expected, so he made up his mind to spend twice as ... money as he had wanted.
a) more cheaper, more
b) more cheap, a lot
c) the cheapest, the most
d) cheaper, much
10. This is ... task and I hope he will cope with it. He remains ... in any circumstances. His results are always ... .
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b) challenging, calm, pleasing
c) challenged, calm, pleased
d) challenged, calmly, pleasing
11. When he saw them standing ... each other, he laughed ... as though a weight had been lifted from him. But his wife cut him ... saying his laughter was not to the point.
a) closely, joyfully, shortly
b) close, joyful, short
c) closely, joyful, short
d) close, joyfully, short
12. What is he backing out? It is not ... . He earns ... money as I do, and maybe even a lot ... than we both.
a) fairly, much, much
b) fair, much, more
c) fair, more, much
d) fairly, many, much
13. ... after she left the village, she felt too tired to go any ... . She took a nap lying ... on the grass.
a) Shortly, further, flat
b) Shortly, farther, flatly
c) Short, further, flat
d) Short, farther, flatly
14. To the ..., ... child this task would be ... .
a) brighter, more advanced, challenged
b) more bright, the most advanced, challenging
c) the most bright, the most advanced, challenged
d) brighter, more advanced, challenging
15. Yesterday I got lost in the forest. I shouted ... and ... but nobody came. Suddenly I felt somebody watching me .. . I ran ... to the right and soon found myself near the spring, which was ... to my home. This was the most ... experience I had ever had.
a) loudly, longly, close, fastly, closely, excited
b) loudly, long, closely, fast, close, exciting
c) loud, long, close, quickly, close, exciting
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16. Many fruits taste ... and delicious, and have the advantage of being relatively ... in calories and ... in nutrients.
a) sweetly, lower, highly
b) sweet, low, high
c) more sweet, more low, more high
d) sweeter, much more low, much more high
17. The most ... accepted theory of the origin of the universe proposed that a huge explosion set ... all the matter and energy in the universe.
a) wide, free
b) widely, freely
c) wide, freely
d) widely, free
18. During the French and Indian War, several colonies had refused to cooperate ... in the war effort when their own borders were not ... at risk.
a) in full, immediately
b) fully, immediately
c) in full, immediate
d) full, immediate
19. The task of drafting the decoration fell to Jefferson, who was known for his ... style.
a) powerfully written
b) powerful written
c) powerful writing
d) powerfully writing
20. These colonies stayed ... to the coastline, never penetrating far inland, and in fact each was linked ... to England than to the other colonies.
a) close, more closely
b) closely, closely
c) closely, more closely
d) close, more closer
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21. Although the British considered the act to be ..., many American colonists saw it as a violation of their rights.
a) perfect fair
b) perfectly fairly
c) perfect fairly
d) perfectly fair
22. ... a land bridge between two continents, Panama developed plant and animal life ... than almost anywhere else on Earth
a) as, more diverse
b) being, diversely
c) like, diverselier
d) as, diversely
Test 2
1. He was a ... promising student in Maths and Physics at Cambridge and always felt a lingering interest in the ... subject.
a) very, last
b) ___ , latest
c) highly, latter
d) quite, later
2. Pencil marks, ... those made by writing implements using fluids, can be ... erased.
a) different, easily
b) not, easy
c) unlike, easily
d) unlike, easy
3. The name mountain is usually applied to region of land that is raised rather .... above the surrounding terrain. Temperatures in the mountains are generally ... than at sea level.
a) highly, much low
b) high, far lower
c) high, a lot more lower
d) highly, more lower
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4. Mr. Rochester, as he sat in his damask-covered chair, looked ... to what I had seen him look before – not quite so ... , ... .
a) differently, stern, much gloomy
b) differently, sternly, much more gloomy
c) different, stern, much less gloomy
d) different, stern, much more gloomier
5. Computerized tests adapt to the skill level of the individual test-taker. Each correct answer given by a student is followed by a ... question, and incorrect answers are followed by ... questions. ... the question, ... points the student can score.
a) more difficult, less difficult, The more difficult, the more
b) less difficult, less difficult, More difficult, more
c) more difficult, more difficult, More difficult, the most
d) more difficult, less difficult, The more difficult, the most
6. According to the legend, Fuji arose from the plain during a single night in 286 BC. ... the mountain is ... than the legend asserts.
a) From a geological point of view, far more old
b) Geologically, a lot elder
c) From a geological point of view, quite more older
d) Geologically, much older
7. All members of the cat family are .... in physical characteristics, ... vision and hearing, and claws and teeth that are ... for grasping and tearing.
a) closely similarly, acutely, highly adapting
b) close similar, acute, high adapting
c) closely similar, acute, highly adapted
d) close similar, acute, high adapted
8. The islands were named after British explorer and navigator James Cook, who ... sighted them in 1773.
a) firstly
b) at first
c) first
d) at the first
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9. Unlike the .... regulated and industrialized societies, American public education is ... the responsibility of the states and ... school districts.
a) nation’s, firstly, individually
b) national, chiefly, individual
c) nationally, primarily, individual
d) nation, mainly, individually
10. The structural design of a building depends .... on the nature of the soil and ... geologic conditions and modification by man of ... of these factors.
a) essentially, underlied, both
b) mainly, underlying, any
c) greatly, underlying, either
d) in the shortly run, underlying, every
11. Books differ from periodicals and newspapers because they are not published on a ... schedule.
a) strictly daily, weekly, or monthly
b) strict day, week, or month
c) strictly day’s, week’s, or month’s
d) strict daily, weekly, or monthly
12. In the .... 1990s several companies introduced electronic books, or e-books. These ... devices display the text of the books on a small screen designed to make reading ... .
a) late, computerized, easily
b) last, computerizing, easily
c) late, computerized, easy
d) latest, computerizing, easily
13. People have ... climbed mountains for ... activities such as retrieving lost animals and hunting, but technical climbing as a sport has a much ... history.
a) for long, necessarily day, shorter
b) long, necessary daily, shorter
c) longly, necessary daily, shorter
d) long, necessarily day’s, more shorter
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14. It used to said that oil-exporting countries depended on the oil-importing countries just as ... as the .... depended on the ... .
a) much, latter, former
b) much, last, first
c) the same, first, former
d) great, latter, first
15. She stretched herself out ... on the sofa and looked at the barometer. She knew that ... falling pressure usually meant a storm was approaching.
a) flat, rapid c) flat, rapidly
b) flatly, rapidly d) flatly, rapid
16. Although some ... cigars are made .... by hand, most cigars are manufactured by machine.
a) highly-quality, entirely
b) high-quality, entire
c) highly-quality, entire
d) high-quality, entirely
17. ... , the results presented were not in accord with the ... precise calculations
a) Interestingly enough, rather
b) Interesting enough, prettily
c) Enough interestingly, rather
d) Enough interesting, pretty
18. ... high mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevada in the U.S., the Andes in South America, and the Himalayas in Asia, ... affect climate and weather patterns over vast areas of the earth because they stand as barriers to ... circulating air masses.
a) Enough, distinctly, regular
b) Especially, markedly, regularly
c) Particular, clear, to regulate
d) In particular, evident, regular
19. The various islands gained their independence ... , and not always ... , units.
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b) as separate, viable,
c) as separately, viably
d) like separate, viable
20. The ... and most rural sections of Missouri are the Ozark Upland and the north central section of the Northern Plains.
a) most thinly populated
b) most thin populating
c) most thinly populating
d) mostly thin populated
21. The first schools in the area were opened by French settlers at St. Louis in the ... part of the 18th century
a) later c) late
b) latter d) latest
22. The words cloth and clothing are related, ... meaning fabric or textile, and ... meaning fabrics used to cover the body.
a) the first, the latter
b) the former, the latter
c) the former, the second
d) the first, the later
PART 3
ADJECTIVE
Formation of adjectives
A. Adjectives formed with suffixes
Many adjectives are formed from other parts of speech by adding different suffixes, the most common of which are:
-able comfortable, reliable
-ible sensible, visible
-ant elegant, arrogant
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-al cultural, medical
-ic atomic heroic
-ish foolish, childish
-ive attractive, expensive
-ful useful, careful
-less useless, helpless
-ly friendly, deadly
-ous dangerous, curious
-y dirty, dusty
B. Adjectives formed with prefixes
Some prefixes give the adjectives the opposite meaning.
A prefix (e.g. im-) added to an adjective generally has a negative effect:
I think it’s impossible to solve the problem.
un- uncooked, unimaginable
in- incapable, inhuman
il- illegal, illegible
im- immoral, impractical
dis- dishonest, disagreeable
ir- irresponsible, irregular
counter- counterproductive
anti- antisocial
non- non-violent
Some prefixes give a strong clue to meaning:
inter- between groups - intercontinental
pre- before - prehistoric
hyper- to a large degree - hypersensitive
auto- independent - automatic
ultra- very extreme - ultramodern
uni- one - unilateral
bi- two - bilingual
Compound adjectives
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These are the most common and least restricted patterns for forming compound adjectives.
· adjective or number plus noun plus “-ed”, e.g. grey-haired, one-sided
· adjective or adverb plus past participle, e.g. low-paid, well-behaved
· adjective, adverb, or noun plus present participle, e.g. good-looking, long-lasting
These are less common and more restricted patterns for forming compound adjectives:
· noun plus past participle, wind-blown
· noun plus adjective, e.g. trouble-free
· adjective plus noun, e.g. deep-sea, present-day
· past participle plus adverb, e.g. run-down
· number plus singular count noun, e.g. five-page
Here are some examples of compound qualitative adjectives:
absent-minded, easy-going, good-tempered, light-hearted, narrow-minded, etc.
Here are some examples of compound classifying adjectives:
audio-visual, brand-new, first-class, high-heeled, left-handed, north-east
Here are some examples of compound colour adjectives:
bottle-green, ice-blue, sky-blue, snow-white
A few compound adjectives are made up of more than two words. Compound adjectives of two or more words are often written with hyphens when they are used in front of nouns and without hyphens when they are used as the compliment of a link verb.
.... a down-to-earth approach, life-and-death decisions
Their act is out of date.
Types of adjectives
I. Qualitative adjectives
Adjectives that identify a quality that something or someone has, such as sad, small, pretty, wise, etc, are called qualitative adjectives.
II.
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Adjectives that we use to identify the particular class that something belongs to are called classifying adjectives.
...financial help, ...my daily shower, ... a sufficient amount of milk
Some adjectives can be either qualitative or classifying depending on the meaning that you want to convey.
an emotional person – a qualitative adjective
the emotional needs of children – a classifying adjective
Here is a list of adjectives used both as qualitative and classifying adjectives:
academic, conscious, dry, educational, effective, emotional, extreme, late, modern, regular, religious, scientific, secret, similar, etc.
III. Colour Adjectives
When we want to say what colour is something is, we use a colour adjective:
Here is a list of the main colour adjectives:
black cream orange red white
blue green pink scarlet yellow
brown grey purple violet
If we want to specify a colour more precisely, we can use a submodifier, such as light, pale, dark, deep or bright in front of a colour adjective.
light-brown hair, a pale green suit, a dark-blue dress.
If you want to talk about a colour which doesn’t have a definite name you can:
* use a colour adjective with “-ish” added to the end
...greenish glass, yellowish hair
· combine two colour adjectives, often with “-ish” on the end of the first one
greenish-white flowers, ...the blue-green waves
The colours can also be headwords, and the main colours can also be plural headwords.
The snow shadows had turned to a deep blue.
They blended in so well with the khaki and reds of the landscape.
IV. Emphasizing adjectives.
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We can emphasize our feelings about something that we mention by putting an adjective such as complete, absolute, utter, etc, in front of a noun
He made me feel like a complete idiot.
Order of adjectives
1. When several adjectives come before a noun, they usually have to be put in a particular order. Unfortunately, the rules for adjective order are very complicated, and different grammars disagree about the details. Here are some of the most important rules:
An adjective with a more general meaning such as “good”, “bad”, “nice” usually comes before an adjective with a more specific meaning such as “comfortable”, “clean” or “dirty”. Opinion adjectives tell us what someone thinks of something.
Opinion adjectives
1 2
general specific
I sat in a lovely comfortable armchair in the corner.
He put on a nice clean shirt.
It was a horrible dirty room.
Fact adjectives come after opinion adjectives.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
size physical age colour origin material type
shape (purpose)
However, this order is not fixed.
There was a large round wooden table in the room.
The man was carrying a small black plastic bag.
2. You usually put comparative and superlative adjectives in front of other adjectives.
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These are the highest monthly figures on record.
3. When you use a noun in front of another noun, you never put adjectives between them. You put any adjectives in front of the first noun.
He works in the French film industry.
He receives a large weekly cash payment.
4. When two or more adjectives are used as the complement of a link verb we use “and”, usually between the two last adjectives, and commas between the others. With three or more adjectives, you link the last two with a conjunction, and put commas after the others.
The day was hot and dusty.
The room was large but square.
The house was old, damp and smelly.
We felt hot, tired and thirsty.
Position of adjectives
* There are two main positions for adjectives: in front of a noun, or as the complement of a link verb.
* Most adjectives can be used in either of these positions, but some adjectives can only be used in one.
Most adjectives can be used in a noun group, after determiners and numbers if there are any, in front of the noun.
He had a beautiful smile.
She bought a loaf of white bread.
There was no clear evidence.
Predicative Adjectives
Some adjectives are normally used only after a link verb.
| The horse was alone in the field. | ||
| Some adjectives when they describe health and feelings: content, fine, glad, ill (notice that “sick” can be used before a noun), poorly, sorry, (un)sure, upset, (un)well. (However, these words can sometimes be used between an adverb and a noun e.g.”a terminally ill patient.”) | My son felt unwell. |
For example, you can say “She was glad”, but you don’t talk about “a glad woman”.
I wanted to be alone.
We were getting ready for bed.
I’m not quite sure.
He didn’t know whether to feel glad or sorry.
Some of “a-“ adjectives have related adjectives that can be used either before a noun or after a linking verb. Compare:
The animal was alive. and * A living animal.
Other pairs include: afraid-frightened, alike-similar, asleep-sleeping , still-calm, awake-alert, alone-lonely, worth-worthy, aware-watchful, drunk-drunken
Note that very is not often used with some of these adjectives. Instead of *very awake we say wide awake; instead of *very asleep we say fast asleep; instead of * very alone we say very much alone or all alone or very lonely.
Attributive Adjectives
Some adjectives are normally used only in front of a noun.
Classifying adjectives: atomic, cubic, digital, medical, phonetic; chief, entire, initial, main, only, whole; eventual, occasional, outdoor, northern(etc), maximum, minimum, underlying
For example, you talk about “an atomic bomb”, but you don’t say “The bomb was atomic”.
He sent countless letters to the newspapers.
This book includes a good introductory chapter on forests.
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Emphasizing adjectives:
| absolute complete entire | outright perfect positive | pure real total | true utter |
Some of it was absolute rubbish.
He made me feel like a complete idiot.
Elder and eldest are used in expressions like elder brother, eldest daughter (older and oldest are also possible). After a verb, only older and oldest can be used. (e.g. My brother’s three years older than me.)
Live /laıv/ (meaning the opposite of ‘dead’) is only used attributively, mainly to talk about birds, animals etc (for example, a live fish). In predicative position, we use alive (e. g. That fish is still alive). When live has other meanings, it can also be used predicatively (e. g. This broadcast comes to you live from Buenos Aires; you’ll get an electric shock if you touch that wire – it’s live).
Little is mostly used in attributive position. We can say A nice little house, but we would probably say The house is small, not *The house is little.
Compound adjectives like one-eyed are usually used attributively, and adjectives made from nouns (like sports, in a sports car) are also mostly used attributively.
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