Adjectives are words that give descriptive information about a noun (blue, black, fast, slow, round, square, large, small, etc.). They are usually placed close to the noun to which they refer.Types of AdjectivesAdjectives can be subdivided into groups according to their position in relation to the noun and according to whether they can be used to make comparisons. Note that some adjectives can be used in one or more positions.Attributive AdjectivesAdjectives that are placed before a noun are termed attributive adjectives (a new car, black clouds, great ambitions, a quiet moment). A number of adjectives can be used only before nouns and not elsewhere in a sentence (the principal component, utter confusion, a former partner).Predicative AdjectivesAdjectives that follow a verb are called predicative adjectives (the ball is blue; time is short). Note that some adjectives may only be used as predicatives:The monster is alive.
The child is asleep. Most of these solely predicative adjectives begin with a- (adrift, afraid, alive, alone, awake, etc.).Postpositive AdjectivesAdjectives that follow a noun or pronoun are called postpositive adjectives (the president elect, times past, nothing serious). These may take the form of a verb with an -ed ending (something borrowed, those concerned). Note that some adjectives may be used only as postpositives and cannot be placed elsewhere in a sentence (food aplenty, time immemorial).Gradable/Ungradable AdjectivesAdjectives can be categorized as either gradable or ungradable. Gradable adjectives are capable of varying in amount or quality, whereas ungradable adjectives are not. Gradable adjectives can be qualified by such modifiers as completely, fairly, quite, too, totally, and very (completely empty, fairly warm, quite expensive, too high, totally disorganized, very stupid). Ungradable adjectives (impossible, real, unique, etc.) cannot normally be qualified by such modifiers.Comparative and SuperlativeMany adjectives may be rendered in comparative and superlative forms that allow two or more nouns to be compared. The superlative form denotes the relationship between three or more nouns:This is the fastest of the three locomotives.
That is the best track on the CD. The comparative form refers to the relationship between two nouns:This beer is stronger than that one.
That is the better of the two paintings. In their simplest form comparative and superlative forms are created through the addition of the suffix -er (the comparative form) or -est (the superlative form) to the stem word:This is the larger of the two houses.
That is the broadest part of the structure. When creating comparative or superlative, if the adjective ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant, the consonant is doubled:Give her the bigger coat.
Fold the pastry where the dough is thinnest. When the adjective ends in a consonant and -y, the final letter becomes an -i before the addition of the suffix:She was the prettiest girl in her year.
That certainly looks like the easier option. Note that in a small number of cases it may be acceptable to leave the final -y unchanged (as in drier or dryer). In the case of adjectives that end in a consonant and -e the final e is not doubled (closer, palest).Alternatively, an adjective may be preceded by more (the comparative form) or most (the superlative form) rather than having a suffix added.He is the more talented of the two brothers.
The emperor controls the most powerful army in the field. The general rule is that the suffixes -er and -est are always employed in the case of one-syllable words and of two-syllable words ending in -y (dirty, filthy), -le (feeble, subtle), -ow (hollow, shallow), and -er (clever), whereas the words more or most (or less and least) are applied to other two-syllable words and to words of three or more syllables (more horrific, most beautiful, less harrowing, least attractive). Some adjectives are correct in either form (heavier/more heavy, flakiest/most flaky). In the case of compound adjectives (see below), similarly, either method may be used (more strong willed, stronger-willed). There are various circumstances in which these rules do not apply, however, as is the case sometimes when two adjectives (even monosyllabic ones) are compared with each other (less arrogant than cheeky) or when the accuracy of an adjective is being questioned (no more wise than I am).Note that there is also a small number of irregularly formed comparatives and superlatives, such as good/better/best and bad/worse/worst.Particular care should be taken not to confuse comparatives and superlatives or to use them in the wrong context. Comparatives should be confined to comparisons between two persons or things, while superlatives should be used when referring to more than two things:He is one of the most talented artists on the scene.
He is the more talented of the two artists.
This is the less desirable of the two possible outcomes. In addition, there is a third category of adjective used to make comparisons of persons or things judged to be on a similar level with each other. These usually employ the formula as [adjective] as:This tree is as old as that one.
His explanation is as good as yours. Comparatives and superlatives are frequently employed in advertising slogans in order to proclaim the advantages of a particular product or service (a better solution, a fuller flavor, the simplest way).Absolute AdjectivesMany adjectives, such as complete, empty, or total, have no comparative or superlative senses and are generally incapable of being modified by such words as slightly, very, or quite. Note, however, that some absolute adjectives are capable of being modified by the addition of almost, nearly, or virtually:The venture was an almost total loss.
The tiger is a nearly extinct species in this part of the world.
This was a virtually unparalleled achievement. In the remainder of cases modifiers are only rarely applied to absolute adjectives, usually either for effect or to emphasize an even closer approach to perfection than that already attained:His hopes are very much alive.
A fuller account of the battle will never be written. Use of AdjectivesCare should be taken not to use adjectives too frequently, as they tend to slow down a reader and may bury the essential facts of a sentence in too much detail. They should also be avoided where they are tautological and add nothing to the meaning of a sentence. Some adjectives are more precise in meaning than others: The adjective nice should be treated with particular caution because it tends to be greatly overused (nice food, a nice house, a nice person), despite the fact that it conveys relatively little in terms of hard information. It is usually possible to find an alternative for such adjectives with a little effort (tasty food, an attractive house, a pleasant person).It is generally good policy to avoid using several adjectives together, except where they are used to convey precise factual information (a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman). They should also be used with restraint in formal or factual writing, since many adjectives tend to have emotional or judgmental overtones.Adjectives are sometimes employed as nouns (the homeless, the Japanese, the rich). The technical term for such adjectives (which are usually used in the plural form) is nominal adjectives. Exceptions in which nominal adjectives appear in the singular include various words ending in -ed (one's beloved, the accused) and certain abstract terms (attempt the impossible). Nouns, in return, are sometimes employed as attributive adjectives, in which role they are known as adjectival nouns (a plastic fork, a steel helmet, a wood panel).Some adjectives may also be employed as adverbs (wipe clean, laugh loud), while similarly some adverbs function as adjectives (a slow process, a late arrival). It is not always easy to distinguish whether a word is an adjective or an adverb: The most practical test is to check whether the verb be in the sentence can be replaced with another verb, such as seem or appear. If it can, then the word in question is an adjective (he is annoyed, they are rich). If it cannot, then the word in question is an adverb (he is absent, they are inside).Many verbs can also be adapted for use as adjectives. These are commonly characterized by -ed or -ing endings and are technically known as participial adjectives (the elected representative, interesting discoveries). They may also include irregular -en endings (a broken engagement, a fallen tree). Note that participial adjectives may also be encountered in comparative and superlative forms (a more promising plan, his most battered hat). They can be used in both attributive and predicative contexts:It was a most entertaining show.
The show was most entertaining. Some participial adjectives may take the prefix un- in order to form new words (unbroken, unsold, untied).Adjectives are not always embedded in sentences and may sometimes be employed on their own as one-word exclamations, usually followed by an exclamation mark (Great! Sensational! Wonderful!). They may also be encountered in verbless clauses in which the verb is implied but not actually written:Reply today, if [that is] possible.
Ignore this section, where [it is] inapplicable. Order of AdjectivesWhen two or more adjectives are strung together before a noun, the order in which they are placed is subject to various conventions. The usual practice is to place more general adjectives referring to size, shape, age, and so on (close, large, thick, old, etc.) before adjectives derived from verbs (deadly, flattened, interesting, worrying, etc.). The latter in turn come before adjectives denoting color (dark, green, yellow, etc.), adjectives referring to nationality or region (northern, South American, etc.), and nouns used as adjectives or adjectives derived from nouns (steel, woolen, etc.).He served them a delicious yellow Thai curry in his comfortable, brightly-lit uptown steel-and-chrome apartment. Note, however, that these rules are not set in stone, and that the order may be altered for poetic effect or where a particular adjective is more closely linked to the noun, among other reasons.Conventions vary concerning the punctuation of strings of adjectives. The usual rule is to place commas between two or more adjectives where they all refer directly to the same noun (in other words, and could be inserted between them without disrupting the meaning): a soft, sweet voice; deep, dangerous waters. Commas are not employed, however, where one or more of the adjectives form a compound with the noun (in other words, and could not be inserted without disrupting the sense): an imposing country house, an epic adventure film.Adjectives are sometimes connected through such linking words as and, but, if, and or. Such connections can link both predicative and attributive adjectives:The atmosphere was lively but friendly.
She seemed anxious and afraid.
He moved into an apartment of convenient, if modest, character.
They are looking for pots of white or cream paint. Certain adjectives are so commonly linked that they are almost automatically associated with one another, even to the point of being considered clichés, and thus should be used sparingly, if at all, in formal contexts (bright and early, nice and hot, right and proper).Compound AdjectivesCaution should be exercised in the use of compound adjectives, which consist of two or more words (dark-haired, first-class, heat-resistant, mud-covered, off-white, wine-colored). Compound adjectives are often useful as a means of providing more exact information about something and in most cases are unlikely to meet with disapproval, but some examples are prone to overuse and many of the more recently coined versions are considered jargonistic or slangy. Such inventions as user-friendly (and its many subsequent variants, from eco-friendly to family-friendly) and euphemistic constructions such as financially challenged or stylistically challenged (spin-offs of physically challenged) have acquired the status of clichés and should be used sparingly, if at all, in formal writing.Note that some compound adjectives are conventionally written with a hyphen (English-speaking, house-owning, well-known), while others are usually written as one or two separated words (carsick, coal black, sky blue).
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