6- ] Grammar American & British
Chapter Six .
Adjectives .
An adjective
is a word that qualifies a noun , adds to its meaning but limits its
application .
Example
It is a house
. ( The word“ house” can be used to signify any house . )
It is a big
house . ( The word “big” tells more about the house but limits the application
( it rules out all small houses . )
It is a big
new house . ( The words “ big , new” tell more about the house and narrows the
field still further . )
It is a big ,
new , green house . ( The description “ big , new , green” applies to only a very
few houses . It gives the fullest picture , and the most limited application. )
The Attributive And Predicative
Use Of Adjectives .
Adjectives can
be used in two ways . 1- ] attributive 2- ] predicative .
1- ]Attributive
Use :
Adjectives are
used attributively when they qualify a noun .
Examples
Aly is an
honest , hardworking man .
My friend has
just bought a new , beautiful and very expensive house .
2- ] Predicative
Use :
Adjectives are
used predicatively when they form the predicate with the verb ‘to be’ or other
verbs of incomplete predication .
Examples
With verb “to
be”
The house is
new .
The train is
fast .
After Verbs
of Incomplete Predication
The dog seems
hungry .
I thought him
very intelligent .
The boiler
makes water hot .
His efforts
proved useless .
She has fallen
asleep .
She dyed her
hair brown .
Notes :
1- ] In
interrogative sentences , formed by inversion of subject and verb , the
predicative adjective comes after the subject .
Examples
Is the house
new ?
Was the car
expensive ?
Isn’t the
woman pretty ?
Aren’t these
peaches delicious ?
2- ] Most
adjectives can be used attributively or predicatively , but some adjectives ,
especially those that begin with “a” , can only be used predicatively .
Examples
asleep ,
afraid , awake , alone , aware , alive , afloat , ashamed , content , exempt ,
unable .
We cannot say
‘asleep boy’ . ( wrong )
He fell asleep
.
I am alone .
We are aware
of the danger .
3- ] A few
adjectives can only be used attributively .
Examples
former ,
latter , inner , outer .
The former
president attended the meeting .
We cannot say
“ The president is former .” ( wrong )
Adjectives ,
whether predicative or attributive , are invariable for number , gender ,
person or case.
Adjectives are
used the same with all nouns and pronouns without any change .
Examples
The boy is
‘strong’ .
The girl is
‘strong’ .
They are
‘strong’ .
The dogs are
strong .
The strong men
carried the rock .
The strong man
carried the rock .
Adjectives Functioning As
Nouns .
1- ]Many
English words can belong to more than one part of speech , and the deliberate
use of a word that is normally one part of speech to do the work of a different
part of speech is a characteristic feature of English . Thus words that are
usually adjectives may function as nouns . In this case they are always
preceded by the definite article and if they refer to people are plural in
meaning and take a plural verb .
the
+ adjective forms used as nouns
Examples
Nurses look
after the sick and wounded , the old and the infirm .
Fortune favors
the brave .
The rich must
help the poor and the needy .
2- ] We can
speak of the nationalities , the English , the Irish , the French , the Dutch ,
the Spanish , the Finish , etc.
Examples
The English
like to drink tea .
The French
cook better than the English .
3- ] The
plural noun must be used in the Italians , the Americans , the Indians , the
Egyptians , etc.
Example
The Indians
like spicy food .
4- ] If the
adjective is used as a noun and takes the definite article and a singular verb
, it stands not for people but for an abstract quality .
the
+ adjective ( singular verb ) used as abstract quality
Examples
The good in
him outweighs the bad .
He thought
that the aim of philosophy was to discover the good , the beautiful and the
true .
Nouns Functioning as
Adjectives .
1- ] Words
that are generally nouns can act as adjectives .
Examples
a stone wall , a leather belt , a gold watch , a silver wedding , a
Turkey carpet , the University football match , spring onions , a corner seat ,
a garden table , rubber gloves , a cotton frock , lawn tennis , a London
policeman , a Shakespeare play , rice pudding , etc.
These groups
are distinguished from compound nouns by the stress pattern . They have a
stress on each word .
Examples
stóne wáll /
bláck bird
2- ] Some of the material nouns have another form which is
distinctly adjectival .
Examples
wood – wooden / silver -
silvery / gold – golden / flax - flaxen / brass - brazen
There is a tendency to use the adjectival form for a figurative
meaning .
Examples
golden corn , hair , sunset
/ silvery hair / a silken voice / flaxen curls / brazen impudence
3- ] Sometimes the ‘-en’ ending has the meaning ‘made of’ .
Examples
a wool merchant
- woolen socks
a wood fire
- a wooden box
Proper
Adjectives .
A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun and begins with a
capital letter .
Examples
We attended the Shakespearean Drama Festival .
The Texan barbecue was a success .
The Victorian Era in England lasted from 1837 to 1901 .
The following suffixes , along with others , are often used to form
proper adjectives : ‘-an’ , ‘-ian’ , ‘-n’ , ‘-ese’ , and ‘-ish’ . Sometimes
there are other changes as well . Check the spelling in a dictionary .
Examples
America , American / Egypt , Egyptian / Africa , African / Brazil ,
Brazilian / China , Chinese /
England , English / France , French / Finland , Finish /
Switzerland , Swiss , etc.
Practice
.
Proper
Adjectives .
Rewrite each phrase , changing the noun into a proper adjective .
1- ] the soil of Mexico
2- ] the eruption of Vesuvius
3- ] the language of Spain
4- ] the coastline of the Atlantic
5- ] the islands of Greece
6- ] the people of the Netherlands
7- ] a citizen of China .
8- ] the largest lake of Russia
9- ] the legislature of Britain
10- ] the food of France
The
Formation Of Adjectives From Nouns .
A suffix is used to form adjectives . The principal suffixes used
are ‘-y’ , ‘-ly’ , ‘-ful’ , ‘-less’ , ‘-en’ , ‘-ous’ , ‘-able’ , ‘-some’ ,
‘-ic’ , ‘-ed’ , ‘-like’ , ‘-al’ , ‘-an’ , ‘-ian’ , ‘-ical’ , ‘ish’ .
Examples
Noun
|
Adjective
|
Noun
|
Adjective
|
storm
|
stormy
|
good nature
|
good-natured
|
friend
|
friendly
|
child
|
childlike , childish
|
harm
|
harmful
|
god
|
godlike
|
care
|
careless
|
brute
|
brutal
|
wood
|
wooden
|
education
|
educational
|
danger
|
dangerous
|
America
|
American
|
fame
|
famous
|
republic
|
republican
|
honor
|
honorable
|
Shakespeare
|
Shakespearian
|
trouble
|
troublesome
|
Edward
|
Edwardian
|
quarrel
|
quarrelsome
|
history
|
historic , historical
|
Iceland
|
Icelandic
|
economy
|
economic , economical
|
atom
|
atomic
|
Turk
|
Turkish
|
talent
|
talented
|
girl
|
girlish
|
Participles
Used Adjectively .
Many participles ; both present participle and past participle have
all the characteristics of adjectives , thus they can be used attributively and
predicatively ; they can be modified by adverbs like ‘very’ , ‘too’ , ‘quite’ .
They form their comparative by adding ‘more’ , and their superlative by adding
‘most’ .
Examples
He told a very amusing story .
That book has made a lasting impression on my mind .
Hassan is a more promising child than Nader , but Aly is the most
promising of them all .
He is a never-failing help in time of trouble .
My flight from London to Paris in a small plane was a terrifying
experience .
- These participles with purely adjectival characteristics are
sometimes called ‘participials’ . Though they have exactly the same form
as participles forming part of a verb , their function is not the same .
Examples
The present participle
The hour’s delay was most ‘annoying’ . ( adjective )
Is the smoke ‘annoying’ you ? ( Participle helping to form the
present continuous tense )
A ‘singing’ bird in the cage fills me with anger . ( adjective )
The bird was ‘singing’ on the tree . ( Participle helping to form
the past continuous tense )
He told an ‘amusing’ story . ( adjective )
The kind teacher was in the nursery ‘amusing’ the little children .
( Participle helping to form the past continuous tens )
The past participle
There were a lot of ‘broken’ bottles on the road . ( adjective )
The glass was ‘broken’ by the girl’s carelessness . ( Participle
helping to form the past simple passive voice )
A ‘confused’ mob stormed the government buildings . ( adjective )
You have ‘confused’ the meanings of the two words . ( Participle
helping to form the Present Perfect tense )
Practice
.
Adjectives
Write each adjective and the word it modifies .
1- ] The apple pie is delicious .
2- ] Several large trees fell in the storm .
3- ] Strong winds radiate from the eye of a hurricane .
4- ] His left arm is in a soft cast .
5- ] Recycling makes good use of throwaway items .
6- ] The devastating poliovirus has been nearly eradicated in the
United States .
7- ] I seldom wear my dress shoes .
8- ] Quiet music is soothing to babies .
9- ] A good stylist could hide that stubborn cowlick .
10- ] Fifty years is a short time in history .
The
Formation Of The Negative ( Opposite ) Of Adjectives And Adverbs .
The negative ( opposite ) of adjectives ( and adverbs ) is
frequently formed by the use if ‘prefixes’ or ‘suffixes’ .
Examples
‘prefixes’
‘un’ : unhappy , unfortunate( ly ) , unpleasant( ly )
‘in’ inaccurate ( ly ) , inartistic , inattentive .
‘im’ impossible , irregular ( ly ) , irresolute .
‘il’ illegal ( ly ) , illiterate , illegitimate ( ly )
‘dis’ disagreeable , disrespectful , dishonest .
‘suffixes’
‘-less’ ( to the stem of adjectives , especially adjectives
ending in ‘-ful’ .
helpful X helpless , hopeful X hopeless , useful X useless ,
valuable X valueless .
Exercise
.
Supply suitable attributive adjectives for those nouns .
1- ] tyrant 2- ] sunset 3- ] crossing 4- ] pianist
5- ] fox 6- ] hermit 7- ] prayer 8- ] suitor 9- ] disaster 10 - ] legend
.
Exercise
Which of the following adjectives can be used 1- ] only
predicatively , 2- ] only attributively 3- ] either predicatively or
attributively ? List them under the three headings mentioned above and then
construct sentences to illustrate their use .
1- ] dyed 2- ] astonished 3-
] former 4- ] unwell 5- ] disturbed 6- ] major 7- ] lonely 8- ] agog
9- ] happy 10- ] dutiful .
Exercise
.
Form the negative of the following adjectives by adding or changing
a prefix or a suffix .
1- ] happy 2- ] pleasant 3-
] attentive 4- ] perfect 6- ] regular 7-
] legal 8- ] honest
9- ] useful 10- ] careful 11- ] pure 12- ] patient 13- ] ordinary
14- ] hopeful 15- ] safe 16-] human
16- ] fruitful 17- ]
respectful 18- ] religious 19- ] valuable 20- ] merciful
Comparison
Of Adjectives .
When one thing is compared or contrasted with another ( or others )
in respect of a certain attribute we call this comparison and we use an
inflection ( -er than / more ( +
adjective + than ) . Comparison can express equality , superiority or
inferiority ; that is to say it can state whether two people or things possess
some quality in the same degree ( equality ) or in different degrees (
superiority or inferiority ) . It can also express supremacy of one person or
thing in respect or an attribute .
There are three degrees of comparison : Positive Degree , Comparative Degree , Superlative Degree .
Examples
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
old older ( than ) ( the )
oldest
hot
hotter ( than ) ( the )
hottest
careful (
more ) careful ( than )
( the most ) careful
The Positive Degree :
The positive degree of an adjective or adverb is the form that
cannot be used to make comparison . This form appears as the entry word in a
dictionary .
Examples
My dog is small .
The cat ran swiftly .
Equality is expressed by the Positive Degree ( as + adjective + as
)
Examples
Hassan is as old as Aly .
It is just as hot today as it was yesterday .
The girl is as careful as her mother .
Superiority is expressed by the Comparative Degree ( adjective + er
+ than / more + adjective + than ) .
Examples
Hassan is older than Adel .
It is hotter today than it was yesterday .
The girl is more careful than her sister .
Inferiority is expressed by using less + adjective + than .
Examples
The girl is less careful than her sister .
It is less hot today than it was yesterday .
Note : This construction is rarely used ; it would be far more usual to
say not + so ( as ) + adjective + as
Examples
The girl is not so ( as ) careful as her mother .
It is not so ( as ) hot today as it was yesterday .
Note : In affirmative sentences the construction ( as ……..as ) is always
used .
In negative sentences ( so ……….as ) is the normal form , but not +
adjective + as ) is frequently found .
Supremacy is expressed by the Superlative Degree ( the + adjective
+ est / the + most + adjective ) .
Examples
Today is the happiest day of his life .
She is tallest girl in the class .
Mohamad Aly was the most famous boxer in the world .
The Positive Degree is the simple form of the adjective .
The Comparative Degree is used when one thing is compared or
contrasted with another or others .
The Superlative Degree is used when one thing or things is / are
superior to others .
Examples
Ali is old ( clean , tall , famous , etc. ) . ( positive degree )
Nader is older ( taller , more famous ) than Ali . ( comparative
degree )
Hassan is the tallest ( youngest , most famous ) man in the village
.( superlative degree )
Formation
Of Degree Of Comparison .
The comparative degree is formed :
1- ] By adding “-er” to the positive .
Examples
Positive
Comparative
clear
clearer
The sky is clearer today than it was yesterday .
tall
taller
The girl is taller than her friend .
high
higher
The mountain is higher than the tower .
2- ] By using more with the positive ,
Examples
Positive Comparative
beautiful more
beautiful than
Sara is more beautiful than her sister .
interesting more
interesting
The film of today was more interesting than the previous one .
The superlative degree is formed :
1-] By adding ‘-est’ to the positive .
Examples
Positive Superlative
long
longest
The River Nile is the longest river in the world .
tall
tallest
He is the tallest boy in the class .
2- ] By using ‘ most’ with the positive .
Positive Superlative
beautiful the most beautiful
She is the most beautiful girl in the village .
exciting the most
exciting
The Final Cup football match was the most exciting .
Method [ 1 ] is used :
1- ] With monosyllabic ( one-syllable ) adjectives ( except ‘right’
, ‘wrong’ , ‘real’ ) .
2- ] With disyllabic ( two-syllables ) adjectives that end in a
vowel sound or syllabic ‘-l’ , or has stress on the last syllable .
Examples
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
pretty
prettier
prettiest
simple
simpler
simplest
narrow narrower
narrowest
polite
politer
politest
3- ] With certain frequently-used disyllabic adjectives that have
their stress on the first syllable .
Examples
Positive
Comparative Superlative
quiet
quieter
quietest
pleasant
pleasanter
pleasantest
handsome
handsomer
handsomest
common commoner
commonest
narrow
narrower
narrowest
Method [ 2 ] is used :
1- ] With most disyllabic ( two-syllable ) adjectives with the
accent on the first syllable .
Examples
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
hopeful more
hopeful than the
most hopeful
porous more
porous than the
most porous
fertile more
fertile than the
most fertile
2- ] With adjectives of more than two syllables ( the
multi-syllabic adjective ) .
Examples
Positive
Comparative Superlative
beautiful more
beautiful than the
most beautiful
dangerous more
dangerous than the most
dangerous
extravagant more
extravagant than the most
extravagant
3- ]With adjectives that begin with ‘a’ that are only used
predicatively .
Examples
afraid , alive , asleep , awake , alone , afloat , ashamed
Certain orthographic points :
1- ] Words ending in ‘-y’ preceded by a consonant letter , ‘-y’ is
changed to ‘i’ in comparative and superlative .
Examples
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
happy
happier
happiest
dry drier driest
This does not happen if the ‘-y’ is preceded by a vowel .
Examples
Positive
Comparative Superlative
grey
greyer
greyest
gay
gayer
gayest
2- ] The final consonant letter of the word is doubled in the case
of words of one syllable
( monosyllabic ) containing one vowel letter followed by one
consonant letter . The role applies to adjectives of more than one syllable (
multisyllabic ) if the accent is on the last syllable .
Examples
Positive
Comparative Superlative
fat
fatter
fattest
wet
wetter
wettest
thin
thinner
thinnest
hot hotter
hottest
big
bigger
biggest
3- ] A final mute ‘-e’ disappears.
Examples
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
fine
finer
finest
ripe
riper
ripest
Uses
Of Than .
Than is used :
1- ] In the comparative to express superiority or inferiority .
Examples
Ali is taller than Adel .
The bicycle is less expensive than the car .
2- ] After rather and sooner .
Examples
He would rather play than work .
She would sooner resign than take part in such dishonest business
deals .
3- ] It is used but less frequently after other and another .
Examples
The result was quite other than we had expected.
This was quite another result than we expected .
The
Comparative Without Than .
The comparative without than is used :
1- ] With a noun or one .
Examples
I want a better job .
Give me a larger piece of paper .
Bring me a smaller cup ( one ) .
In spring a livelier iris changes on the burnished dove . (
Tennyson , Locksley Hall )
2- ] In a predicative construction .
Examples
He is better now .
It is warmer this morning .
The apples will get redder in the autumn .
3- ] After a noun or pronoun in such construction as :
Examples
They have made the house bigger .
You must keep your work cleaner .
He wants the work done better .
4- ] These words are followed by to .
senior / junior / superior / inferior / anterior / posterior
Examples
He believes he is superior to others .
I am junior to him .
5- ] The following comparatives are used attributively :
inner , outer , upper , former , utter , elder .
Man traveled to the outer space .
The former manager attended the meeting .
They love their elder sister .
Irregular
Comparisons .
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
good ( well )
|
better
|
best
|
bad ( ill )
|
worse
|
worst
|
little
|
less ( lesser )
|
least
|
near
|
nearer
|
nearest ( next )
|
much ( many )
|
more
|
most
|
far
|
farther ( further )
|
farthest ( furthest )
|
late
|
later ( latter )
|
latest ( last )
|
old
|
older ( elder )
|
oldest ( eldest )
|
out
|
outer ( utter )
|
outmost ( utmost )
outermost ( uttermost )
|
up
|
upper
|
uppermost
|
in
|
inner
|
inmost , innermost
|
fore
|
former
|
foremost , first
|
Notes
On The Comparison Of Adjectives .
1- ] ‘Major’ and ‘Minor’ are used attributively and not
predicatively .
Examples
Explaining the lessons well is the major part of his work .
Correction is a minor point .
2- ] The forms ‘good( well )’ , ‘bad ( ill )’ , ‘little’ , ‘much’ ,
‘far’ are not really corresponding forms to the comparative and superlative .
The have a semantic connection but are from different roots .
A- ] ‘Well’ is generally an adverb . It is a predicative adjective
in such expressions as ‘I am very well.’ ‘ He looks / feels well .’
B- ] ‘Ill’ is an adjective in such expressions as ‘to be / feel /
fall ill’ and in ‘ill health / news / luck’ , but ‘bad’ would be more usual .
3- ] The comparatives ‘outer’ , ‘upper’ , ‘inner’ and the corresponding
superlatives are derived from adverbs ; the positive forms are adverbs , the
comparative and superlative forms are adjectives .
4- ] The words ‘utter’ , ‘utmost’ , ‘uttermost’ are historically
comparatives and superlatives of ‘out’ , but their modern meaning has little
connection with ‘out’ .
5- ] ‘Lesser’ is archaic or poetic and is used only in a few
phrases .
Examples
to choose the lesser of two evils
Cibber is one of the lesser poets of the eighteenth century .
the lesser spotted woodpecker , leopard , etc.
the lesser light to rule he night ( Genesis I , 16 )
6- ] ‘Near’ is actually a
comparative form of nigh ( neah ) . ‘Neighbour ( neahgebur , literally nigh
boor - near husbandman ) . ‘Nigh’ is now
practically obsolete , except in the compound ‘well-nigh’.
7- ] ‘Nearest’ refers to distance , but ‘next’ refers to order .
Examples
Where is the nearest bank ?
The next station is Ramses .
8- ] ‘Farther’ generally refers to distance .
Examples
I cannot walk any farther .
Aswan is farther from Cairo than Luxor is .
9- ] ‘Further’ though it can replace ‘farther’ in all contexts has
the specialized meaning of ‘additional’ .
Examples
I will give you further details later .
I will need further help with this .
10- ] ‘farther’ and ‘further’ are interchangeable .
Examples
Aswan is farther / further than Luxor .
11- ] ‘Older’ and ‘oldest’ can be used of people or things .
Examples
Ali is older than Adel .
The citadel is the oldest building in the town .
12- ] ‘Elder’ and ‘eldest’ can but used of persons only , and only
for members of the same family . Moreover , they can only be used attributively
.
Examples
My elder brother is three years older than I .
Ali is Ahmad’s elder brother .
Hassan is my eldest brother .
13- ] In one phrase ‘elder’ is used as an adjective ; ‘an elder
statesman’ ( a statesman deserving respect for his age and wisdom ) .
14- ] ‘Elders’ can be used as a noun meaning ‘those of an earlier
generation’ ( implying ‘and so wiser than we are ]
Example
You should respect your elders and betters .
15- ] ‘Less’ is used with uncountable nouns , ‘fewer’ with
countable nouns .
Examples
He has spent less time on his work than he ought to have done .
There are fewer boys than girls in my class .
16- ] ‘Latter’ means the second of two and is contrasted with
‘former’ .
Example
He studied French and German ; the former language he speaks very
well , but the latter one only imperfectly .
17- ] ‘Last’ has the meaning ‘final’ .
Example
The Tempest was probably the last play that Shakespeare wrote .
‘Last’ has also the meaning ‘previous’ .
Examples
I think this recent book is better than his last one .
- last week / month / year / night
, etc.
I saw a film last night .
I met my friend last week .
18- ] ‘Latest’ means ‘the most recent’ , ‘the last up to the
present’ .
Example
Have you read the writer’s latest book ? It was written in three
weeks and published two days ago .
19- ] Before an attributive adjective in the superlative degree ,
‘the’ should be used .
Example
This is the most exciting film I have ever seen .
This is the best advice I can give you .
20- ] ‘Most’ + an adjective may express the presence of a quality
in a very high degree , but without thought of a direct comparison . When this
construction is used attributively , the indefinite article or no article is
used .
Example
What you have said is most interesting .
She is a most beautiful girl
.
That was a most extraordinary thing to say .
He wrote me a most interesting letter .
These are most delicious cakes .
21- ] If the superlative without ‘most’ is used , then the definite
article precedes the superlative .
Example
He showed the greatest ( the utmost ) patience .
22- ] When two persons or things are compared , the superlative is
generally used .
Examples
To choose the lesser of two evils .
The greater part of the work.
The latter half of the twentieth century .
She is the older and the more beautiful of the two sisters .
She is the oldest and the most beautiful of the three sisters .
23- ] In conversational English the superlative is often used .
Even in literary English many writers have disobeyed this rule .
Example
She was the youngest of the two daughters . ( Jane Austen )
Idiomatic
Constructions With The Comparative And The Superlative .
The sooner this is done , the better .
The more the merrier .
The harder he tried , the less progress he seemed to make .
If you take a holiday now , you will be all the better for it .
He told a lie about it , and that makes his fault all the worse .
Every day you are getting better and better .
He ran faster and faster .
His voice got weaker and weaker .
The storm became more and more violent .
If he will help us , so much the better .
Jf he doesn’t work , so much the worse for him .
He is rather the worse for drink .
You will be no worse for having had the experience ; in fact , you
are all the better .
I had better go now before it is too late . ( meaning ‘It would be
better if I went now . )
He would rather play than work .
If the worst comes to the worst we can always walk home .
He made a living as best he could .
Practice
.
Adjectives That
Compare .
Write the correct comparative form of the adjective in parentheses
.
1- ] This is the ( good ) choice of the two .
2- ] I am ( tall ) than my brother .
3- ] That is the ( complicated ) math problem I have ever tackled .
5- ] The seniors voted Manuel ( likely ) to succeed .
6- ] This work is 9 difficult 0 than I had originally thought it
was .
7- ] Let’s go to the ( sandy ) beach we can find .
8- ] Mangoes are among the ( sweet ) fruits .
9- ] Your contribution will provide ( good ) programming than we
now have .
10- ] Flu is usually ( bad ) than a cold .
Practice
.
The adjective in brackets at the beginning of each of the following
sentences is compared irregularly . Insert in the blank spaces its appropriate
form .
1- ] ( good or well ) ‘I say , you do look brown and ------------.’
‘Yes , I’ve just returned
from the ------------ holiday I’ve ever had .’
2- ] ( good or well ) ‘ I say , that stew looks ----------- ! . ‘Yes
, it smells ------------ too , don’t you
think ? Let’s try some and see if it tastes as ----------- as it smells .’
3- ] ( bad or ill ) ‘Gorgonzola cheese smells ---------------- but
tastes delicious .’ ‘I agree , but it always makes me --------------. I had
some on board while crossing the Channel , with the-----------
possible results . . It was very rough , and after the mishap some
person with an evil mind accused me of being the ----------- for drink !’
4- ] ( little ) ‘Of the two evils , let us choose the -----------
.’ ‘I don’t think it matters in the ---------
which alternative you accept ; there is ---------------- to choose
between them .’
5- ] ( little ) Noble birth is of ------------ account than solid
worth .
6- ] ( near ) ‘Can you
direct me to the ---------------- post-office ?’ ‘Yes , it is just over the
road , --------------- door to that baker’s .’
8- ] ( much , many ) ‘Do the French eat ------------ bread ?’ ‘Yes
, ----------- than we do .’ ‘Do they eat --------- ------------- ?’ ‘Oh yes ; -------------
people have remarked about it to me .’
9- ] ( far ) ‘How --------- is it from here to Alexandria ?’
‘Twenty miles by train ; by road it is -------.’
10- ] ( far ) The good pupil at school should by rights go -------
in life than the bad one . Alas , it is not always so . Indeed , a cynic would say that the most unscrupulous go
---------- in life.
11- ] ( late , latter ) Jones and Brown are two important members
of the community ; the former is the village postman and the ------------ the police
constable .
12- ] ( late ) Have you seen the ---------edition of this
dictionary ? It has over a thousand pages , the ---------------one being numbered
1075 .
13- ] ( old ) My wife has three brothers , all ----------- than she
. The -----------, Adel , is a doctor .
14- ] ( out ) Please , take the ------------ care of this bracelet
.
1- ] out ) Don’t talk such --------- nonsense .
16- ] ( out ) Journeys into ---------- space will soon be possible
.
17- ] ( up ) Keep a stiff ------------ lip in adversity .
18- ] ( in ) ‘The only real happiness comes from --------------
peace .
Adjectives
Not Admitting Of Comparison .
1- ] There are some adjectives that , on account of their meaning ,
do not really admit of comparison at all .
Examples
perfect , unique , matchless , full , empty , square , round ,
circular , triangular , wooden , monthly , daily , etc.
2- ] Comparative and superlative forms of some of the previously
mentioned adjectives are used because we are not considering them in their
literal sense .
Examples
perfect / full
This is a more perfect specimen than that one . ( we really mean :
This is nearer to perfection than that )
My glass is fuller than yours .
He says he has given me full details , but I want him to give me
fuller particulars .
The
Position Of Adjectives .
Where adjectives are used attributively they generally come before
the noun they qualify .
Examples
a brown horse , a hot day ,
a new car , an active man , a delicious meal , etc.
There are occasions , especially in literary English when the come
after the noun that they qualify .
1- ] When accompanied by a phrase expressing measurement .
Examples
a river two hundred miles long
a road fifty feet wide
a man eighty-five years old
a building ten-storeys high .
2- ] When more adjectives than one are used with the noun .
Examples
He is a writer both witty and wise .
The hymnal we use is ‘Hymns Ancient and Modern’ .
He climbed the mountain by a route uncharted , steep and dangerous
.
He had a face thin and worn , but eager and resolute .
3- ] When the adjective is followed by a prepositional phrase .
Examples
He is a man greedy for money
The ruler was a King anxious for his people’s welfare
All these are matters worthy of attention .
4- ] In a few fixed expressions ( mainly from French ) .
Examples
Theatre Royal / The Poet Laureate / the heir apparent / from time
immemorial / court martial / all the people present / by all means possible
/letters patent / proof positive / the Postmaster General / Knight errant
5- ] ‘Last’ and ‘next’ may follow , though they generally precede .
Examples
last Friday , or Friday last / next Monday or Monday next .
6- ] When used with ‘something’ , ‘ someone’ , etc. , ‘anything’ ,
‘everything’ , ‘nothing’ .
Examples
I will tell you something very important .
There is nothing new .
He will provide everything necessary .
There is someone hurt , I think .
7- ] Adjectives preceded by ‘the’ may also follow a proper noun .
Examples
Alfred the Great , William the Silent / Ivan the Terrible .
8- ] Participles that are predominantly verbal in meaning follow
the noun .
Examples
I have answered all the letters received .
After the accident the
policeman took the names of the people involved .
We went through a door opening on the garden .
A penny saved is a penny gained . ( Proverb )
The words mentioned below / before
Note : Participles that are predominantly adjectival in meaning precede
the noun .
Examples
a broken bottle / a painted table / a crying child
9- ]‘All’ and ‘both’ precede a noun , a possessive adjective ,a
demonstrative adjective ( or pronoun ) and the definite article .
Examples
All ( Both ) his friends are gone .
All ( Both ) these statements should be quite clear .
All ( Both ) the boys have gone home .
- They follow a personal pronoun .
Examples
When they saw the policeman , they all ( both ) ran away .
We all ( both ) hope you will be successful .
10- ] ‘Half’ and ‘double’ precede the noun when they are used in a
descriptive sense .
Examples
He drank a half bottle of juice .
He drank half a bottle of juice .
He is my half-brother .
He gave half-a-crown for a half-crown book .
The stockings were sold at half price . ( half the original price )
He drank a double whisky .
I want a double room .
11- ] ‘Half’ , ‘double’ ( and ‘twice’ ) are often followed by the
definite article or a possessive adjective .
Examples
I bought the stockings at half the ( that ) price . ( = half the
price you mentioned )
That will cost half ( double , twice ) the money .
Half his time he does no work .
That would cost double ( twice ) his capital .
12- ] When an adjective is qualified by ‘rather’ or ‘quite’ , these
words sometimes follow and sometimes precede the definite article without any
difference of meaning .
Examples
He played quite a good game .
He played a quite good game .
That is rather a valuable picture .
This is a rather valuable picture .
13- ] ‘Enough’ normally comes before the noun but can come after it
with no difference of meaning. It can be used with singular or plural nouns .
Examples
We don’t have enough time .
We don’t have time enough .
We have done enough work for today .
There are enough chairs to seat everybody .
Possessive
Adjectives .
The possessive adjectives with their corresponding personal
pronouns :
Personal Pronoun
|
Possessive Adjective
|
Personal Pronoun
|
Possessive Adjective
|
I
|
my
|
we
|
our
|
he
|
his
|
she
|
her
|
it
|
its
|
they
|
their
|
you
|
your
|
one
|
one’s
|
Thou ( archaic )
|
they
|
||
1- ] The possessive adjectives change according to the gender and
number of the possessor .
Examples
The man carries his bag .
The girl cleans her room .
They go to their school every day .
2- ] There are certain idiomatic phrases where the definite article
‘the’ is used instead of the possessive adjectives .
Examples
I have a cold in the head .
She was shot in the leg .
He got red in the face .
She took me by the hand .
The ball struck him in the back .
3- ] Occasionally ‘own’ is used with the possessive adjectives
usually to express or imply a contrast .
Examples
I have bought my own book , I don’t need yours .
Do your own dirty work ; don’t ask me to do it for you .
Here’s a book called ‘Every man his own lawyer’ .
Other
Types Of Adjectives .
Interrogative , distributive and indefinite adjectives may
generally function also as pronouns . They are dealt with ‘Pronouns’ .
Exercise
Complete these sentences by means of a possessive adjective or
definite article :
1- ] I live in the country ; ----------- house stands alone near a
stream .
2- ] Love -------------- neighbor as thyself !
3- ] Jamal has a car but ------------ sister hasn’t .
4- ] Suzan has a bicycle but ---------- brother has a motor cycle .
5- ] They have sold ------------ house .
6- ] This is a slow train ; ------------- engine is out of date .
7- ] We have passed ------------- examinations .
8- ] She has failed ---------- examination .
9- ] He was stabbed in ---------- back by a cowardly assailant .
10- ] They were blue in ---------- face with cold .
11- ] You can’t trust him ; he never keeps ----------- promises .
12- ] ------------ wife and I celebrate ----------- silver wedding
next month .
13- ] Do come and bring ---------- friend with you .
14- ] Farmers like ----------- crops to be gathered in as soon as
possible in autumn .
15- ] You must allow this matter to take ---------- proper time .
Exercise
Introduce the word ‘own’ into each of the following sentences :
1- ] I can surely do as I please with my money .
2- ] You must do your work and not copy from your neighbor .
3- ]She has no servant and so she has to do all her housework .
4- ] Each guest must bring his supply of drinks with him .
5- ] They don’t pay any rent because they live in their house .
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