ADJECTIVES
What is an Adjective?
An adjective modifies a noun or
a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective
usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.
• Look at the sentences. The Lazy boy
was punished. The boy is lazy. In sentence 1 the adjective lazy is used
along with the noun boy as an attribute, so it is said to be attributively.
In sentence 2 the adjective lazy is used along with verb is, and
forms part of the predicate. It is, therefore, said to be used predicatively.
Adjectives may be divided into the
following classes: 1) Adjectives of quantity (or Descriptive Adjectives), 2)
Adjectives of Quantity, 3) Adjective of Number (or Numeral), 4) Demonstrative
Adjectives and 5) Interrogative Adjectives.
1.
Adjectives of Quantity:
• These kinds of adjectives show the kind
or quality of a person or thing. Ex. Vijayawada is a hot city.
She is an honest woman. The foolish crow tried to sing a song.
This is the grammar of the English language. (Adjectives formed from
Proper Nouns ex. French wine, Turkish Tobacco, Indian Tea, Tamilnadu paper
etc. are sometimes called Proper Adjectives. They are generally
classed with Adjectives of Quality).
• Adjectives of quality answer the
question: Of what kind?
2.
Adjectives of Quality:
• These kinds of adjectives show how
much of a thing is meant. Ex: I ate some rice. He showed much patience.
He has little intelligence. We have had enough exercise. Antonio
lost all his wealth. Of course, this horizontal
donkey has no sense. He did not eat anything when his mother had
scolded him.
• Adjectives of Quality answer the
question: How much?
3.
Adjectives of Number (or Numeral Adjectives):
• This kind of adjectives show how
many persons or things are meant, or in what order a person or thing
stands. Ex: The man has six fingers. My sister taught me many
things. Most of the people are ready to take care of you. All men
(also women) must die.
• Adjectives of Number answer the
question: How many?
• Adjectives of Number are of three kinds-
Definite Numeral Adjectives:
which
denote an exact number.
Ex: One, two, three…
These are Called Cardinals.
First, second, third… These are called Ordinals.
Indefinite
Numeral Adjectives: which do not denote exact
number.
Ex: all, many, some, any, certain, several, few, little
etc.
Distributive Numeral Adjectives:
‘which’
refer to each one of a number.
Ex: Each
boy must take his turn. Everyone must go there.
|
Adjective of Quantity |
Adjective of Number |
|
I ate some rice |
Some boys are clever |
|
He has lost all his wealth |
All men must die |
|
You have no sense |
There are no pictures in the
book |
|
He did not eat any mango |
Are there any mangoes on the
table |
Some adjectives may be classed as of quantity
or number, according to its use
4.
Demonstrative Adjectives:
• This kind of adjectives point out
which person or thing is meant. Ex: This boy is stronger than
Hari. That boy is industrious. These mangoes are sour. Don’t be
in such a hurry.
• Demonstrative Adjectives answer the
questions: Which?
5.
Interrogative Adjectives:
• What, which and whose, when they are used
with nouns to ask questions, are called Interrogative Adjectives.
Ex: What is the matter? Which way shall we go? Whose
book is this?
• What is used in a general sense and
which in a selective sense.
Agreement Features (ADJECTIVES):
·
Do not use any Adjective in the comparative degree when no
comparison, expressed or implied, is made -
o He is more intelligent student in the
class (wrong: say, he is a very intelligent student or He is the most
intelligent student)
·
The following words are not compared nor can most be used
with them-
o
Perfect, unique, full, infinite, chief, perpetual, extreme, ideal,
entire, complete, universal, empty, impossible, preferable, unanimous, square,
round, olden, etc.
Thus -
o He is more prefect than his brother
(Wrong)
o He is perfect. (Correct, because perfect
expresses the quality to the utmost extent)
·
The comparative adjectives superior, inferior, senior, junior,
prior, anterior, exterior, posterior, prefer, preferable are followed by
‘to’ instead of ‘than’.
o He is senior than me (Wrong), He is
senior to me (Correct)
·
Avoid double comparatives. Ex.,
o He is rather more important person.
(Wrong: Say, He is rather important person, or He is more important
person)
o His brother is a more better singer
than me. (obviously wrong)
o His brother is a better singer than
me.
·
When two persons are things are compared, it is important to see
that the comparison is restricted to the only two that are compared.
o
The population of India is greater than the USA. (is obviously
wrong. Say: The population of India is greater than that of the USA,
otherwise, the sentence will give the impression that you are comparing Indian
population with the USA country).
·
When a comparison is introduced, followed by ‘than’ the
thing compared must always be excluded from the class of things with which it
is compared, by using ‘other’ e.g.
o Calcutta is larger than any city in
India. (Wrong: say, Calcutta is larger than any other city in India)
·
Do not use other or any in the superlative degree.
Ex.
o He is the wisest of all other students
in his class (Wrong Say, He is the wisest of all).
·
Use an Adjective of the superlative degree, only when the noun it
qualified indicates the possession of a quality to a higher degree than any
other member of the same class.
o He wrote a best book (Wrong, Say, He
wrote an excellent book).
o
This is a worst example of incompetence I have ever come across.
(Wrong, say, This is the worst example of incompetence I have……)
·
When to adjectives refer to the same noun and one of them is in
the superlative degree, the other adjective must also be in the superlative
degree. The same is the case with comparatives.
o He is both charitable and richer than
you (wrong, say …more charitable and richer)
o He is the best and honest minister in
Parliament (wrong, say …the most before honest)
·
“The two first” is a meaningless expression, for it implies that two things may be
first. So is “the two last”.
o The two first chapters of the novel
are dull (Wrong, say, The first two chapters….)
·
Use “some” in affirmative sentences and ‘any’ in
negative and interrogative sentences.
o I shall buy some books, (correct, do
not use any)
o I shall not buy any books, (correct,
do not use some)
o Have you bought any book? (correct, do
not use some)
·
‘later’ and ‘latest’ refer to time. Latter and last refer
to position
o
He came latter than I (wrong, say, later)
o Between these two books the later is
more interesting (wrong, say, the latter)
o Of the three, tea, coffee and cocoa,
the latter is my favorite, (wrong, say, the last)
·
Farther means more distant and advanced, ‘further’ means
additional,
o Calcutta is farther (not further)
from the equator than Colombo
o After this, he made no further (not farther)
remarks
o Do not speak of farther places,
(Wrong, farther is not used as an adjective in the positive degree, say,
distant instead)
·
Older and oldest may be used for persons or things, but elder and
eldest apply to persons only-
o He will inherit the property after the
death of his elder (not older) brother
o He is the oldest (not oldest)
inhabitant of this village
o My brother is elder to (not than)
me
·
Little, a little, the little are correctly used as follows-
o There is little hope of recovery
(means not likely to recover, ie, hardly any hope)
o There is a little hope of recovery
(may possibly recover)
o Do not waste the little energy you
possess (the small amount whatever it is)
·
Few, a few and the few are correctly used as follows-
o Few women can keep a secret, (hardly
any woman can keep a secret)
o A few were present ( ie, some)
o The few members who came for the show
had to return disappointed, (not many, but whoever there was).
·
Less refers to quantity, whereas fewer denotes number eg,
o No less than 50 persons were killed in
the accident, (wrong, say, No fewer than….)
o We do not sell fewer than 10kg of
ghee, (wrong, say ‘less than’)
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