FORM
1. Adjectives are invariable:
They do not change their form depending on the gender or number of the noun.
A hot potato Some hot potatoes
2. To emphasise or strengthen the meaning of an adjective use 'very' or 'really':
A very hot potato
Some really hot potatoes.
(BUT see also Modifiers/Adverbs)
3. Position of adjectives:
a) Usually in front of a noun: A beautiful girl.
b) After verbs like "to be", "to seem" , "to look", "to taste":
* The girl is beautiful
* You look tired
* This meat tastes funny.
c) After the noun: in some fixed expressions:
* The Princess Royal
* The President elect
* a court martial
the adjectives involved, present, concerned:
1. I want to see the people involved/concerned (= the people who have something to do with the matter)
2. Here is a list of the people present (= the people who were in the building or at the meeting)
Be careful! When these adjectives are used before the noun they have a different meaning:
* An involved discussion = detailed, complex
* A concerned father = worried, anxious
* The present situation = current, happening now
FUNCTION
Adjectives tell us more about a noun.
They can:
- Describe feelings or qualities:
He is a lonely man
They are honest people
- Give nationality or origin:
Pierre is French
This clock is German
Our house is Victorian
- Tell more about a thing's characteristics:
A wooden table.
The knife is sharp.
- Tell us about age:
He's a young man
My coat is very old
- Tell us about size and measurement:
John is a tall man.
This is a very long film.
- Tell us about colour:
Paul wore a red shirt.
The sunset was crimson and gold.
- Tell us about material/what something is made of:
It was a wooden table
She wore a cotton dress
- Tell us about shape:
A rectangular box
A square envelope
- Express a judgement or a value:
A fantastic film
Grammar is boring.
ORDER
Where a number of adjectives are used together, the order depends on the function of the adjective. The usual order is:
Value/opinion, Size, Age/Temperature, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material
Value/opinion: delicious, lovely, charming
Size: small, huge, tiny
Age/Temperature: old, hot, young
Shape: round, square, rectangular
Colour: red, blonde, black
Origin: Swedish, Victorian, Chinese
Material: plastic, wooden, silver
Examples:
* a lovely old red post-box
* some small round plastic tables
* some charming small silver ornaments
Forming The Comparative and Superlative
Irregular comparatives and Superlatives
The Superlative
Comparative-Than
As Adjective As
Not adjective As
