An adjective is a word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can be used to describe the qualities of someone or something independently or in comparison to something else. They are usually placed before the noun or after the verb "to be".
Examples
I like old houses.
The boy is tall and skinny.
Jane is smarter than her brother.
They can be attributive (occurring before the noun):
The proud soldier is home.
The dedicated employee starts early.
Or predicative (occurring after the noun): Predicative adjectives typically follow a linking verb (such as forms of the verb “to be”) that connects the subject of the sentence to the adjective.
The soldier is proud.
The employee is dedicated.
While most adjectives can occur in both the attributive and predicative position, some can only be used in one position. For example, the word “main” can only be used in the attributive position, while the word “asleep” can only be used in the predicative position.
- The main reason is that …
- The reason is main.
- The man is asleep.
- The asleep man is …
Comparative and superlative adjectives
We use comparative adjectives to show change or make comparisons.
We use "-er/-ier" or "more... than" or "less ... than" when we want to compare things that are different and "as...as" when they are the same.
We use "the"+ "-est/-iest" or "most"or "least":
- Our house is the biggest.
- This restaurant is the best but it's the most expensive.
- This exercise is the easiest.
- Our house is the least big.
- This restaurant is the least good but it's the least expensive.
- This exercise is the least easy.
We usually add –er and –est to one-syllable words to make comparatives and superlatives of superiority:
old older the oldest
long longer the longest
If an adjective ends in –e, we add –r or –st:
nice nicer the nicest
large larger the largest
If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant:
big bigger the biggest
fat fatter the fattest
If an adjective ends in a consonant and –y, we change –y to –i and add –er or –est:
happy happier the happiest
funny funnier the funniest
We use more and the most to make comparatives and superlatives for most two syllable adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables:
important more important the most important
interesting more interesting the most interesting
However, with these common two-syllable adjectives, you can either add –er/–r and –est/–st or use more and most:
ex: handsomer/more handsome handsomest/the most handsome
For inferiority and equality the rule is the same for all adjectives.
Inferiority
Comparative : less+ adjective (+than)
Superlative: the least + adjective
Equality: as + adjective + as
Claire's essay is not as long as Simon's.
The room is cozier with the fire lit and less cozy without it.
Your guess is as good as mine.
All the courses were delicious, but the dessert was the tastiest/the least tasty.
Alicia is the most charming person at the party, but her partner is the least charming.
We can use intensifiers before comparatives such as "much, a lot, far, ...":
Our house is much bigger than theirs.
This restaurant is a lot better and far more expensive
This exercise is far less difficult than the previous one
When we want to describe how something or someone changes we can use two comparatives with and:
The problems got bigger and bigger
Everything is getting more and more expensive
The team is becoming less and less efficient.
We often use the with comparative adjectives to show that one thing depends on another:
The faster you drive, the more dangerous it is
The sooner the better
The higher they climbed the colder it got
Exercises
Adjectives with -ed or -ing
It can be a bit difficult, especially for Spanish speaking natives, to make the difference between -ed or -ing when these are used with adjectives.
We use the ending -ed when the effect is on the subject itself, it generally tells how the subject feels:
I am usually bored in class.
Children aren't generally interested in litterature.
You must feel exhausted after a marathon.
We use the ending -ing when the effect is produced by the subject and it affects other people or things;
Classes are usually boring.
Litterature is not generally interesting for children.
A marathon must be exhausting.
Adjectives vs. adverbs
Adverbs can be used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, whereas adjectives only modify nouns and pronouns. When used to modify a verb, an adverb describes how an action is being performed (e.g., Brandon runs slowly).
Adverbs are often formed from adjectives by adding the suffix “-ly.” However, not all words ending in “-ly” are adverbs (e.g., “ugly” is an adjective).
Adverbs can be formed from adjectives in numerous other ways, depending on the ending.
Some words can be used as either an adjective or adverb without being changed (e.g., “fast,” “late,” “early”).
If you are unsure whether a word is being used as an adjective or an adverb, check the word that it’s modifying. If it’s modifying a noun or a pronoun, it’s an adjective. If it’s modifying a verb, adjective or adverb, it’s an adverb.
For example, in the sentence “the man left early,” the word “early” is an adverb because it’s modifying the verb “left.”
In the clause “an early dinner,” the word “early” is an adjective because it’s describing the noun “dinner.”
Exercises
Other types of adjectives
There are many types of adjectives in English. Some other important types of adjectives are:
An absolute adjective is an adjective describing an absolute state that cannot be compared. For example, the word “dead” is often considered to be an absolute adjective because it’s not possible to be “deader” than someone else.
However, actual usage varies, and absolute adjectives are often modified by words such as “almost.”
An appositive adjective is an adjective (or series of adjectives) that occurs after the noun it modifies. It is typically set off by commas or dashes. It works similarly to an appositive noun.
Example:
Then the cliffs, ominous and dark, came into view.
A compound adjective is an adjective that is formed using two or more words that express a single idea (e.g., in-depth). When a compound adjective occurs before the noun it modifies (attributive), the individual words are typically connected by a hyphen. Frequently, no hyphen is needed when the compound adjective is placed after the noun (predicative).
Examples:
A well-known man lives here.
Mark is well known.
A participial adjective is an adjective that is identical to the participle form of a verb (typically ending in “-ing,” “-ed,” or “-en”).
Examples:
The light produced a blinding effect.
Eva was pretty confused.
When a compound adjective is formed using an adverb that ends in “-ly,” no hyphen is used regardless of its position.
- A highly-respected public official.
- A highly respected public official.
A proper adjective is an adjective formed from a proper noun and used to indicate origin. Like proper nouns, proper adjectives are always capitalized.
Examples:
There is a popular Indian restaurant nearby.
Liza is not a fan of Shakespearean drama.
A denominal adjective is an adjective formed from a noun, often with the addition of a suffix (e.g., “-ish,” “-ly,” “-esque”).
Example:
Amira thinks Han is childish, but at least he’s friendly.
A nominal adjective (also called a substantive adjective) is an adjective that functions as a noun. Nominal adjectives are typically preceded by the definite article “the.”
The candidate appealed to both the rich and the poor.
It’s important to take care of the elderly.
