THE ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH

What are adjectives?

Adjectives describe how something is or appears, while adverbs describe how / where / when something is done.

 

What do adjectives modify?

Adjectives can modify nouns or pronouns/names.

person	thing
Susan is a CAREFUL girl.	This is a NICE car.
She is CAREFUL.	It is NICE.
Susan is CAREFUL.

Where do adjectives go?

An adjective can be put before the noun. Then it is an attribute.

person	thing
Susan is a CAREFUL girl.	This is a NICE car.

An adjective can be put after the verb to be (is). Then it is part of the predicate.

person	thing
The girl is CAREFUL	This car is NICE.

Adjectives can go after the following verbs: appear, become, feel, get, go, keep, turn.

When we speak about what something looks like, smells, sounds and tastes - we use the adjective. Watch the difference between adjective and adverb.

 

I feel GREAT.
She looks GOOD.
It seems IMPOSSIBLE.
The steak smells FANTASTIC.

 

Can adjectives be used without nouns?

 

Yes, adjectives can be used without nouns. Watch the definite article "the":

the RICH= RICH people

Here is an example from the fairy tale "Cinderella":

“The GOOD must be put in the dish,
The BAD you may eat if you wish.”

Here is another example with nationalities in the plural:

The SCOTTISH live in the North of the United Kingdom.

 

Can two or more adjectives used together?

 

Yes, if you use more adjectives you can put them in front of the noun:

a FAT OLD cat

or you can put them after the verb (eg. to be). Then AND is placed between the last two adjectives.

It was COLD, WET and WINDY.

 

Adjectives, ending in -ing and -ed

 

There are adjectives ending in -ing and -ed. These are participle constructions, used like adjectives. Here are some examples:

 

A) Here the adjective is put before the noun:

Yesterday I read an AMUSING story in a magazine.
Doris has a BORING job.
We watched the group of EXCITED people.

B) Here the adjective is put after the verb:

I was not at all AMUSED by the dicussion.
Children get BORED very quickly.
The end of the film was really EXCITING for me.

 

Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs

 

As you may have noticed, adverbs often end in '-ly'. In fact, you can often change an adjective into an adverb by simply adding '-ly'. For example, slow - slowly / careful - carefully / patient - patiently

He drove a slow car. -> He drove the car slowly.
She's a very careful student. -> She does her work very carefully.
That patient man has been waiting in line for two hours. -> The man waited patiently in line for two hours. 

However, there are a number of adjectives that end in '-ly' which can be confusing. Here are some of the most common:

 

Adjectives with '-ly'

 

chilly- It was a chilly afternoon in the country.
costly - He made a costly mistake.
cowardly - The cowardly man refused to help his neighbours.
curly - Alice has curly red hair.
deadly - The agent was not afraid to use deadly force.
friendly - There are many friendly people in Portland.
jolly - Peter's a very jolly fellow.
likely - I'm sure he's a likely candidate for the position.
lively - We'll have a lively evening and then spend the weekend relaxing on the beach.
lonely - Some lonely people are not really lonely, but like being alone.
lovely - What a lovely surprise to see you again!
manly - Manly behaviour has changed greatly compared to fifty years ago.
silly - The silly boy got in trouble for bothering the people with his laughter.
stately - The stately house sits upon a hillside.
ugly - The ugly dog is actually very nice.
unlikely - In the unlikely event of an emergency, the system will sound an alarm.
womanly - Her womanly figure attracted many a man.

 

Adjectives and Adverbs with the Same Form

 

There are a number of adjectives and adverbs that have the same form. The two most common are 'hard', and 'fast'. 

She had a hard time at school. - Adjective
She works very hard at her job. - Adverb

Jack has a fast car. - Adjective
Anna ran to the store fast. - Adverb

Here are some of the more uncommon adjective / adverb words that are the same, or can be used in informal English with the same meaning.

 

Clean

Alan is a very clean man. - Adjective
Make sure to play clean. No cheating allowed. - Adverb

Clear

He has a clear chance of winning the election.- Adjective
He drove clear to Los Angeles. - Adverb

Easy

He said it was an easy test. - Adjective
Please take it easy and relax. - Adverb

Fair

She has fair skin and blonde hair. - Adjective
Play fair and the most deserving will win. - Adverb 

Just

He is a just man. - Adjective
I just missed the bus. - Adverb

Late

The late report speaks about problems in the south.- Adjective
Hurry up or you'll arrive late. - Adverb

Sharp

The sharp stick hurt his hand. - Adjective
Make sure to be there at eight o'clock sharp. - Adjective