Adjective

Adjective is one of the lexical word classes, very common in all registers, but less common than nouns and verbs. Adjectives commonly modify nouns, adding the informational density. Certain characteristics are typical of adjectives, although not all adjectives have all of these characteristics. Adjectives that have these characteristics are called central adjectives. Adjectives with fewer of the common characteristics are peripheral adjectives. All adjectives are invariable for number or gender (a good girl/girls/boys).

Some adjectives have a range of meanings. For instance, old is descriptive of age (My friend John is very old. =old in years) but it can also be used to express evaluation or emotion ((John is an old friend of mine. =I’ve known him for a long time). In any way, central adjectives are descriptive as they characterise the referent (unhappy childhood, black and white movie).

There are two classes of adjectives:

      Gradable adjectives are those that can be graded. We can imagine degrees in the quality and so can modify them with adverbs (very good, good enough, too good). Also we can form a comparative and superlative forms (big – bigger – biggest).

      Non-gradable adjectives are those that cannot be graded. We cannot modify them, nor make comparative or superlative forms (daily, medical).

Syntactic features

Attributive - central adjectives are commonly found as a part of a noun phrase, preceding and modifying the noun. (an ugly painting)

Predicative - these adjectives occur as complements and they are not a part of a noun phrase. (The painting is ugly.) Some adjectives beginning with a- are used only after a verb. (afloat, afraid, alike, asleep, alone)

Subject - adjectives that became nouns can stand as subjects (The rich are often hypocritical.)

  

The formation of adjectives

Participial adjectives - Both -ing and -ed participial forms can be used as adjectives. Most participial adjectives are derived from verbs.

amazing, boring, corresponding, encouraging, exciting, existing, following, increasing, interesting, leading, missing, outstanding, promising, remaining, threatening, underlying, willing, working,…

Adjectives with derivational affixes

Many adjectives are formed by adding an adjective suffix to a noun or verb (read -> readable, smell -> smelly, red -> reddish, crime -> criminal. New adjectives can also be formed by adding a negative prefix to an already existing adjective (illegal, unhappy, nonstandard).

Compounds

Adjective compounds are made from a combination of more than one word, resulting in a compact expression of information.

full-time, life-long, newly-restored, slow-moving, highly-sensitive, classroom-based, eye-catching

Comparison

Central adjectives can take comparative = comparison between two, and superlative = comparison with more than two items involved. The comparison may be by means of inflections (-er, –est) or by the addition of the premodifiers more/less and most/least.

1. We add -er and the -est to one-syllable adjectives (cold-colder-the coldest)

2. Some two-syllable adjectives like happy, clever, common, narrow, pleasant, quiet, simple, stupid have two forms (She’s cleverer than you. She’s more clever than you.)

3. We use more/the most with three-syllable adjectives (more beautiful-the most beautiful)

Irregular forms

good – better – best                                                        bad – worse – worst

much/many – more – most                                          little – less/lesser – least

far – farther – farthest; – further – furthest             old – older – oldest; – elder – eldest

late – later – latest; – latter – last

Confusing forms

1. Further and farther refer to distance (London is five miles further/farther). BUT only further can mean in addition (There’s no further information.)

2. We use elder/eldest before a noun only with reference to people in a family (My elder brother/son, the eldest child.) We use older/oldest for people and things (He is older than I am. This book is older.)

3. Lesser is not a true comparative of less. Lesser means not so great and we use it in fixed phrases like the lesser of two evils.

5. Latest/last (I bought the latest (most recent) edition of today’s paper. I bought the last (final) edition of today’s paper.)

Changes in spelling

1. Final consonants are doubled when the preceding vowel spelled with a single letter (big-bigger-biggest, thin-thinner-thinnest)

2. Final -e is dropped (brave-braver-bravest, large-larger-largest)

3. Ending consonant -y is changed to -i (busy-busier-busiest, but NOT shy- shyer-shyest). Also NOT when –y is precede by vowel (grey-greyer-greyest).

Changes in pronunciation

1. Syllabic [l] ceases to be syllabic before inflections (simple- simpler- simplest)

2. Final -r which was not sounded in the normal forms is sounded in the comparative and superlative (near-nearer- nearest, poor- poorer- poorest)

3. The sound [g] is added after in words as: long-longer- longest, strong- stronger- strongest

Constructions with comparison

AS... AS to show that two people, things are similar

Jane is as tall as Peter. He was as white as a sheet.

NOT AS... AS, NOT SO....AS to indicate lower degree in negative sentences.

Peter is not as/not so suitable for the job as me. Your coffee is not as/so good as the coffee my mother makes.

THAN after the comparative.

Jane is taller than Peter. He is stronger than I expected.

MORE THAN, LESS THAN, WORSE THEN can be used in front of a number of adjectives.

I was more than pleased with my pay rise. This thing is worse than useless.

Gradual increase or decrease is expressed by two comparatives joined by and.

The weather is getting colder and colder. He became less and less interested.

THE + comparative ... THE + comparative expresses parallel increase.

The more money you make, the more you spend. The more expensive petrol becomes, the less people drive.

Comparisons with LIKE, ALIKE.

Tom is very like Bill. Bill and Tom are very alike.

Adjectives used as nouns

1. A few adjectives can be used as if they were nouns with articles.  The listener mentally supplies the missing noun (Don’t be such a silly! = a silly fool. There’s something the matter with the electrics in my car. = the electrical system).

2. THE + adjective

      To represent a group as a whole (the rich/the poor, the young/the old, the unemployed). These adjectives are followed by a plural verb. (The young do not read much these days.)

      The reference can also abstract, in this case followed by the singular verb (The unknown is always something to be feared. The good in him outweighs the bad.)

      Some nationality adjectives, ending in -ch, -sh and -ese are also used after THE (the British, the Japanese)