Adjectives express a quality or attribute of a noun:
a happy child a surly person toxic waste
an old man defective brakes a greedy child
a red flag a dangerous road a large hotel
Typical adjective endings include:
-ble accessible, comfortable, possible, responsible, terrible
-ive constructive, deceptive, defective, furtive, interactive
-ous continuous, delicious, enormous, rigorous, serious
-y funny, greedy, happy, rainy, tasty, weary
Most adjectives can occur before a noun, or after a linking verb :
a violent storm ~the storm was violent
a delicious meal ~the meal is delicious
However, a small number of adjectives are restricted to just one position.The adjective afraid, for instance, can only appear after
a linking verb:
the children were afraid ~the afraid children
Conversely, the adjective chief can only occur before a noun:
the chief result ~the result is chief
In a small number of fixed expressions, an adjective appears immediately
after the noun:
the people responsible
the Princess Royal
the heir apparent
the roadway proper
Adjectives can modify a small number of pronouns ( see 2.6). They always follow the pronoun:
something terrible
someone new
nobody special
nothing unusual
Gradable adjectives
Most adjectives can take a modifying word, such as fairly, very or
extremely, before them:
fairly cold very cold extremely cold
The modifying word locates the adjective on a relative scale of intensity.
In this example, the scale is from fairly cold to extremely cold. This characteristic of adjectives is called gradability.
The modifying words (fairly, very, extremely) are called intensifiers
Comparative and superlative adjectives
The adjective cold has two other forms, colder (the comparative form) and coldest (the superlative form). The form cold is called the base orm. Most adjectives have these three forms.
Here are some more examples:
Base Comparative Superlative
form form form
new newer newest
old older oldest
dark darker darkest
big bigger biggest
The comparative form is produced by adding an -er ending to the base
form. The superlative form is produced by adding an -est ending, again to the base:
Base cold + -er = comparative colder
Base cold + -est = superlative coldest
Some adjectives form the comparative and superlative using more and most respectively:
Base Comparative Superlative
form form form
recent more recent most recent
important more important most important
In general, adjectives with one syllable in the base form take the -er and -est endings, while longer words use more and most:
Base Comparative Superlative
form form form
warm warmer warmest
hopeful more hopeful most hopeful
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
complicated more complicated most complicated
The adjectives good and bad have irregular comparative and superlative forms:
Base Comparative Superlative
form form form
good better best
bad worse worst
Participial adjectives
Participial adjectives have the endings -ed or -ing that we normally associate with verbs :
a complicated process an amazing achievement
a crazed expression a boring book
a disabled person a confusing account
an embarrassed smile a fascinating photograph
an experienced driver a rewarding experience
a talented singer a staggering result
Most participial adjectives have a corresponding verb (to complicate, toamaze, etc) , but some do not.
For example, there is no verb to talent,
corresponding to a talented singer.
Like other adjectives, participial adjectives may be gradable:
a very complicated process
an extremely rewarding experience
They also have comparative and superlative forms:
complicated more complicated most complicated
rewarding more rewarding most rewarding
