Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Department of English Language Teaching

Online Certificate Course in English
Ishari Maduwanthi

Adjectives
What is an adjective?

Adjectives are used almost exclusively to modify nouns, as well as any phrase or part of speech functioning
as a noun.

For example:

 Jehan wears red glasses.

 A loud group of students passed by.
 Excellent writing is required for this job.

Attributive vs. Predicative Adjectives

Adjectives are broken down into two basic syntactic categories:

1. Attributive adjectives
2. Predicative adjectives

Adjectives that appear directly before the noun or pronoun they modify are known as attributive adjectives.
These can appear anywhere in a sentence, and can modify parts of either the subject or the predicate.

 The black dog is barking.

 The large suitcase is full of goods.

Predicative adjectives,on the other hand, always appear after the noun they modify, connected to it by a
linking verb.

 The dog was black.

 The suitcase is large.

Modifying Pronouns

While adjectives usually modify nouns, they can also modify pronouns. This most commonly occurs when
adjectives are predicative.

For example:

 That was great!

 She is very pretty.
Other Categories of Adjectives
There is a huge variety of adjectives in English. While many words are inherently adjectival, such as
colours (red, black, yellow etc.) or characteristics (strong, weak, nice, etc.), there are also several categories
of adjectives that are formed from other sources.

Category of Adjective Definition Examples Examples Sentence

Adjectives
Proper Adjectives Formed from proper Italian, Italian Pizza is very tasty.
nouns to create Shakespearean,
descriptive words. Alaskan, He writes in a Shakespearean
Middle Eastern, style.
Nordic
Compound Adjectives Created from two or top-right, I know this is a last-minute
more words that work last-minute, suggestion, but it’s a good
together to modify the sugar-free, idea
same noun; they are record-breaking,
often joined with one expensive looking It's completely sugar-
or more hyphens. free and contains no artificial
colours or flavours
Adjectives of Quality These adjectives are tall, Marchi plays with a black cat
used to give a quality to boring,
the nouns they black, He is a boring teacher
described. short
Adjectives of Quantity These adjectives are some, Some milk was spread on the
used to describe a any, table.
quantity to the nouns no,
they described. few She has no money to buy
these cards

Demonstrative Adjectives Used to specify what this, These cups are very pretty.
we are referring to and that,
whether it is singular or these, I have never seen such a big
plural, and to give those bird.
more information about
its proximity to the
speaker.
Interrogative Adjectives Usually used to ask what, Whose computer is this?
questions about which,
something. whose, Which dog bit you?
when
Nominal Adjectives Adjectives that perform The best, He wants the red car, but I
the function of a noun the strongest, want the blue.
in a sentence. They are the blue
preceded by the word My friend is strong, but
“the” and can be found Himesh is the strongest.
as the subject or the
object of a sentence or
clause.

1. Underline the most appropriate answer

1. Which of the following parts of speech are adjectives not able to modify?
 a) Nouns
b) Pronouns
c) Adverbs
d) B & C
2. Adjectives that appear after linking verbs are known as:
a) Attributive adjectives
b) Predicative adjectives
c) Demonstrative adjectives
d) Interrogative adjectives
3. Which of the following types of adjectives are formed from two or more words and a hyphen?
a) Compound adjectives
b) Nominal adjectives
c) Proper adjectives
d) Collective adjectives
4. Which of the following is an example of an attributive adjective?
a) A black dog.
b) The dog is black.
c) The dog black.
d) The dog.
5. Which of the following is not an attributive adjective?
a) Sarah is short.
b) The blond girl went to the party.
c) My dear friend James is here.
d) Have you called your poor brother?

2. Underline the Adjectives

Last Sunday I saw a fat man names Peter in a park. He looked quite smart. He was wearing a black dress. He
brought a big sandwich and gulped it up in a minute. Then came in another man names James. He looks even
smarter and fatter than Peter. He had a strong muscular body. He brought two sandwiches and gulped them up in
a half a minute. When I threw a glance at the opposite bench in the same park, I saw another man. He was even
fatter than the second man. He was Mr. Mathew. He was the fattest among them. And to my great surprise, he
gulped up three sandwiches in less than a half a minute.

Formation of Adjectives
1. Using proper nouns
 a. America – American
b. England – English
2. By adding different suffixes to common nouns

IC
SOME Atom: Atomic
OUS Hero: Heroic
Tired: Tiresome Glory: Glorious
Fear- Fearsome Victory: Victorious

AL/ICAL
EN Nature- Natural
Gold: Golden LESS
Nation- National
Silk: Silken Care: Careless
Margin- Marginal
Taste: Tasteless

FULL
Success: Successful
Fancy: Facyful
Beauty: Beautiful
3. Complete the following using proper adjectives. First one is done for you.
e.g.: This phone is made in China. It is a Chinese phone.
1. This doll is found in Japan. This is a _______________________ doll.
2. This fruit grows in Australia. This is an _______________________ fruit.
3. I love chocolates which were prepare in Switzerland. I love _______________________ chocolate.
4. My brother likes coffee which is imported from Brazil. My brother likes _______________________
coffee.
5. She brought a can of juice which was made in France. She brought a can of _____________________
juice
4. Complete the list by adding proper suffixes
1. Education: 8. Taste:
2. Hero: 9. Victory:
3. Worth: 10. Force:
4. Wool: 11. Artist:
5. Class: 12. Care:
6. Trouble: 13. Rot:
7. Quarrel: 14. Power:

5. Draw an arrow from each adjective in italics to the noun or pronoun it modifies.
 The first robots were built in the Middle Ages.

1. Some early robots can still be seen today.

2. In Venice, Italy, two human-sized robots dressed in medieval clothing strike the clock tower bell every hou

3. In Germany, figures dance and play musical instruments under a church clock.

4. Although their movements are simple, they are entertaining.

5. These robots get their power from clock parts.

6. Today robots work on land, in outer space, or on the ocean floor.

7. Japanese scientists are creating a crablike robot to work underwater.

8. This robot can take a great deal of underwater pressure.

9. The abilities of this robot are awesome.

10. Robots are important to space exploration.

11. American spacecraft landed robots on Mars in 1977.

12. These robots tested Martian soil and atmosphere.

13. The Soviet Union used robots in 1978 to take the first pictures of the surface of Venus.

14. The pictures showed rust-coloured rocks and an orange sky.

15. The pictures were truly breath-taking.

6. Underline each adjective.

Robots with human shape are called “androids” or “humanoids.”
1. Many androids or humanoids are run by remote control.
2. True robots run on computer power.
3. Some robots perform household chores.
4. However, household robots are rare.
5. Household robots are also expensive.
6. Household robots could easily cost as much as new houses.
7. Future robots will answer doorbells, clear the dinner table, and keep the kitchen cupboard full.
8. Industrial robots are already quite common.
9. In automobile factories, robots paint cars.
10. On assembly lines, robots are run by computers.
11. Large companies often use these robots to deliver mail.
12. Industrial robots are usually strong.
13. They can use various tools.
14. In one Japanese factory, robots are building other robots.
15. One advantage of robots is that they never become tired.

Degree of Comparison of Adjectives

There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives
1. Positive degree
2. Comparative degree
3. Superlative degree

1. Positive degree
This degree shows the amount of specific quality in nouns
⁂ Mr. Fogg is fat
⁂ Miss Ria is beautiful
⁂ This basket is heavy

2. Comparative degree
This degree shows the lesser or more amount of a specific quality between two nouns or pronouns.
⁂ Mr. Henry is fatter than Mr. Fogg
⁂ Miss. Lilly is more beautiful than Miss. Ria
⁂ That box is heavier than this basket
⁂ The tickets for USA are more expensive than the tickets for Canada

3. Superlative degree
This shows the maximum or minimum amount of a specific quality among more than two nouns
or pronouns
⁂ John is the strongest boy in our batch
⁂ Miss Tenna is the most beautiful girl in our class
⁂ Pedro is the oldest of the family
⁂ The tickets for USA are the most expensive of all.

Important!!
Some two-syllable and all three-syllable or more adjectivesuse more or less plus the adjective for
the comparison.
 Less + Two / Three syllable adjectives
More

More + beautiful / intelligent etc.

Less + difficult / important etc.
This problemseemsmore difficult than that one.

NOTE
Important!!
Never combine more and the [adjective + er ] form.

INCORRECT: more happier / more friendlier

CORRECT: happier / friendlier

Two-syllable adjectives ending in the following suffixes usually use more or less plus theadjective to
express the comparative:
- ish- ant- like- act
- ous- ive- ward- er- ful- less- ose
- ic- ing- al

More + foolish / careful

Less + boring / caring

7. Underline the adjective in parentheses that best completes each sentence.

Example: Brian is (taller, tallest) than his brother.
1. The park by the ocean is the (peacefulest, most peaceful) place I have ever been.
2. Jimmy Carter is a (more recent, recentest) president than John F. Kennedy.
3. Granite is the (most hard, hardest) rock nature makes.
4. Mt. Shasta is the (higher, highest) mountain I have ever seen.
5. An airplane moves at (greater, more great) speed than a car.
6. The (most big, biggest) problem we have is reading the German book.
7. My brother thinks New York is the (most exciting, excitingest) city in the world.
8. Joseph was (later, more late) than Juan.
9. The English test was (more difficult, difficultest) than the math test.
10. Yellow is the (most light, lightest) color on Brenda’s painting.
11. We had the (thrillingest, most thrilling) time at the amusement park!
12. Apples have (most smooth, smoother) skin than cantaloupes.
13. The bananas were the (more ripe, ripest) fruit in the store.
14. The (most short, shortest) path is the one through the parking lot.
15. The newspaper is (more current, currenter) than the magazine.

8. Write in the blank the correct form of the adjective in parentheses.

Example: A sweater was the warmest thing she had to wear. (warm)
1. I think this is the ………………………. shirt I own. (nice)
2. Of all the ideas, Emily’s was the ………………………. to happen. (likely)
3. Gasoline is ………………………. than water. (explosive)
4. Mount Everest is the ………………………. mountain in the world. (high)
5. The salad bar lettuce seems ………………………. today than yesterday. (fresh)
6. This is the ………………………. forest I have ever seen! (green)
7. The flowers outside are much ………………………. than the ones in the vase. (fragrant)
8. We walked barefoot through the ………………………. grass imaginable. (thick)
9. The kitten was ………………………. than I remember. (adorable)
10. The shortstop has the ………………………. arm on the team. (strong)
11. This song is far ………………………. than the one they just played. (popular)
12. The cushion was ………………………. than the chair. (old)
13. I think the lamb is the ………………………. of our farm animals. (gentle)
14. Spider webs are among the ………………………. things in nature. (delicate)
15. This grammar test is the ………………………. one so far. (hard)

9. Write five sentences about your favorite novel / film. Use adjectives to compare it with others you
have read / watch.
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The comparative and superlative forms of some adjectives are not formed in the regular way. Never
add more or most before these adjectives.
ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
Good Better Best
Bad Worse Worst
Much/Many More Most
Little (amount) Less Least

10. Write in the blank the correct form of the adjective in parentheses.
Example: There is less corn than spinach in the pantry. (little)
1. My cold is ……………………… today than it was yesterday. (bad)
2. Many old books are very ……………………… (good)
3. Felicia had ……………………… money in her pocket than she thought. (little)
4. Nelson did the ……………………… amount of work possible. (little)
5. A computer costs far ……………………… money than a typewriter. (much)
6. Baking bread has the ……………………… smell in the world. (good)
7. That movie was the ……………………… one of the two. (good)
8. That was the ……………………… team we played all year. (bad)
9. The score was far ……………………… than the last time we lost. (bad)
10. There is ……………………… help we can give her. (little)
11. The creamy chocolate pie is ……………………… than the apple pie. (good)
12. All the apples in that bag were ……………………… (bad)
13. ……………………… glazed doughnuts were left than plain doughnuts. (many)
14. While ……………………… students preferred spring, a few preferred summer. (many)
15. Is it ……………………… to coach softball than to play it? (good)
16. Our team has ……………………… players than theirs. (good)

11. Write a short paragraph that describes your neighborhood or a favorite place. Include comparative
and superlative forms of the adjectives good, bad, much, and little.
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