Thorough Understanding of 'The Adjectives'

 

Thorough understanding of 'The Adjectives' includes the simplest way of explaining one of the most important parts of speech i.e 'The Adjectives'.

Since it is my pattern that the best way to impart knowledge about any particular topic or subject is that the main skeleton of that particular topic may be placed in first instance in order to make learners/readers/listeners aware about what they are supposed to learn and what the subject contains in it. 

So the comprehensive idea and understanding about the main topic may take place in minds in a first place. 

As we are explaining thorough understanding of 'The Adjectives' today and adjectives are one of the most significant parts of speech.

Thus the layout or the skeleton of the topic is placed below for learners and readers to grasp the idea in advance about what they are going to learn.

The skeleton or main outlines of topic are as under;

1. What is adjective
2. Kinds of Adjectives
3. Comparison of Adjectives
4. Methods of forming degrees ofcomparison
5. Eight important rules about usage of Adjectives
6. Correct use of some confusingAdjectives.

 

What is Adjective?

Adjective is a word which adds to the meaning of a noun or a pronoun.

 

Kinds of Adjectives

There are seven kinds of an Adjective.

Proper Adjective

Adjective of Quality

Adjective of Quantity

Numeral Adjective

Interrogative Adjective

Demonstrative Adjective

Possessive Adjective

 

Proper Adjective

The adjective formed by Proper Noun is called Proper Adjective.

For eg.

Italian, American, Polish, Iranian, Sindhi, Iranian, Pakistani, Indian, Muslim, Hindu, English, Arabic etc

Now see how these proper adjectives qualify noun.

Arabic poetry, Sindhi fabric, Iranian carpet, American tea, Kenyan tea, Pakistani boy, Indian history, Muslim teacher, Hindu lady, Italian speaker, English wool etc.

 

Note: Alike Proper noun, Proper Adjective always begins with capital letter.

 

Adjective of Quality

Adjectives of quality show the kind, quality and state of a noun i.e person or thing.

 

For eg.

nice, fresh, kind, honest, polite, humble, wise, foolish, rich, poor, such, successful, lame, new, old, functional, dysfunctional, mild, molten, hard, slow, fast, healthy, heavy, bold, brave, coward, timid, lazy, lethargic, high, small, big  etc

 

See how these adjectives of quality add to the meaning of nouns in terms of their kind, quality and state.

coward animal, lazy man, fresh milk, rich man, poor lady, healthy dog, heavy load, bold lady, brave person, fast pace, honest leader, wise teacher, foolish man, lame excuse, new car, old story, molten ice, mild steel, hard stone, slow movement, functional machine, dysfunctional office, lethargic attitude, high altitude etc.

 

Adjective of Quantity

Adjective of quantity represents how much of a thing is meant.

For eg.

much, some, little, half, full, whole, large, long, and short

 

Now see how these adjectives of quantity qualify noun

much space, little hope, some milk, half holiday, full day, whole class, large space, short journey, long distance etc

 

Numeral Adjectives

These adjectives represent how many persons or things are meant and in what order a person or thing stands.

 

For eg.

many, few, all, both, neither, either, every, each, numerous, various, several, five, eight, ninth, fourth.

 

Now see how these adjectives qualify the nouns.

many girls, few cars, numerous people, various books, several factors, five boys, nine man, three books, fifth class, ninth row, seventh floor etc.

 

Interrogative Adjectives

These adjectives are used for asking questions.

For eg.

what, whose, and which

Note: The only three interrogative adjectives are what, which and whose.

Now see how these adjectives are used for asking questions.

What book is that?

What problem did you face?

What pleasure have you got?

What trouble has it inflicted upon?

What price have they paid?

What cost would it be?

What class do you study?

What policy should we introduce?

What system may they follow?

What story will you tell?

Which way will you go?

Which car do you like?

Which book are you reading?

Which movie have you seen?

Which system do you believe?

Which religion do you follow?

Which region does he belong to?

Which pen will you choose?

Which friend of yours came here?

Which school has he admitted?

Which hospital is famous in your city?

Which city is your favorite?

Which hotel will you stay?

Which subject do you teach?

Which crop have you cultivated?

Whose bicycle was that?

Whose pen is this?

Whose car was more luxurious?

Whose house is confiscated?

Whose business does he look after?

Whose office do you work?

Whose game you love most?

Whose motorbike has been stolen?

Whose tractor would you like?

 

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjective are used to point out which person or thing is meant

For eg.

this, that, these, and those.

Note: The only four demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these and those.

 

Now see how these adjectives are used for pointing the nouns out.

this book, that picture, those ladies, these lands etc.

 

Possessive Adjectives

This kind of adjective is used for showing possession.

For eg.

my, our, your, his, her, their

Note: possessive adjectives are also called possessive pronouns.

Now see how these adjectives are used for showing possession.

his office, her clothes, their property, my house, our class, your room etc.

 

Comparison ofAdjectives

Many adjectives express attributes/qualities of an object or add meaning to nouns in three different ways. Thus there are three degrees of comparison.

Positive Degree

Comparative Degree

Superlative Degree

 

Positive Degree

Positive degree represents the simple quality of an object without reference to any other.

 

For eg.

He is a brave man

She owns a beautiful house.

She is an able lady.

 

Comparative Degree

The comparative degree shows a higher degree of the quality of an object and is used when two objects of same kind or class are compared.

 

For eg.

He is braver than I.

She owns more beautiful house than yours.

She owns more beautiful house than mine.

She is abler than you.

I am older than her .

She is older than I.

 

Superlative Degree

The superlative degree shows the highest degree of quality of an object and is used when one object is compared with all other objects of same kind or class.

 

For eg.

He is the bravest of all.

She owns the most beautiful house.

She is the ablest lady.

I am the oldest of all.

She is the oldest of all.

 

Methods of formingdegrees of comparison

There are seven ways of formation of comparative and superlative degree of an adjective.

Most adjectives of one or more syllable form comparative degree by adding ‘er’ and superlative degree by adding ‘est’ to the positive degree.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
black	blacker	blackest
bold	bolder	boldest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
deep	deeper	deepest
great	greater	greatest
hard	harder	hardest
kind	kinder	kindest
long	longer	longest
proud	prouder	proudest
rich	richer	richest
small	smaller	smallest
short	shorter	shortest
sweet	sweeter	sweetest
tall	taller	tallest
young	younger	youngest
old	older	oldest
cold	colder	coldest
shallow	shallower	shallowest

 

Positive degree adjectives that ends in ‘e’ adds only ‘r’ and ‘st’ for forming comparative and superlative degree respectively.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
able	abler	ablest
brave	braver	bravest
fine	finer	finest
large	larger	largest
late	later	latest
nice	nicer	nicest
noble	nobler	noblest
simple	simpler	simplest
true	truer	truest
white	whiter	whitest
wise	wiser	wisest

Positive degree adjectives that ends in ‘y’ preceded by a consonant, the ‘y’ is changed into ‘i’ while adding ‘er’ and ‘est’ for forming comparative and superlative degrees respectively.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
heavy	heavier	heaviest
healthy	healthier	healthiest
happy	happier	happiest
dry	drier	driest
busy	busier	busiest
easy	easier	easiest
jolly	jollier	jolliest
shy	shier	shiest
merry	merrier	merriest
noisy	noisier	noisiest
pretty	prettier	prettiest
wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest
worthy	worthier	worthiest

Positive degree adjectives that ends in ‘y’ preceded by a vowel, the ‘y’ is not changed while adding ‘er’ and ‘est’ for forming comparative and superlative degrees respectively.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
gay	gayer	gayest
grey	greyer	greyest

 

Positive degree adjective that ends in consonant preceded by a short vowel, the final consonant is doubled, while adding ‘er’ and ‘est’ for forming comparative and superlative degrees respectively.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
big	bigger	biggest
fat	fatter	fattest
hot	hotter	hottest
mad	madder	maddest
red	redder	reddest
sad	sadder	saddest
thin	thinner	thinnest
wet	wetter	wettest

Adjectives of two or more than two syllables form the comparative degree by adding ‘more’, and ‘most’ for forming superlative degree.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent
courageous	more courageous	most courageous
difficult	more difficult	most difficult
industrious	more industrious	most industrious
learned	more learned	most learned
proper	more proper	most proper
satisfactory	more satisfactory	most satisfactory
useful	more useful	most useful

 

Some adjectives are compared irregularly.

 

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative Degree
bad	worse	worst
evil	worse	worst
ill	worse	worst
far	farther	farthest
fore	former	foremost
good	better	best
well	better	best
hind	hinder	hindmost
late	later, latter	latest, last
little	less	least
many	more	most
much	more	most
nigh	nigher	nighest, next
old	older, elder	oldest, eldest

 

 

Eight important rules about usage of Adjectives

1.      Comparative degree of an adjective is followed by ‘than’

He is taller than I.

However when selection of one out of the two things/objects is required, adjective of comparative degree will be preceded by ‘the’ and ‘of’ will be used in place of ‘than’.

He is the taller of the two

Fatima is the cleverer of the two.

 

2.              Latin comparatives are followed by ‘to’

superior, senior, junior, inferior are the latin comparatives.

He is senior to me.

Farhat is junior to Mujahid.

This apparatus is inferior to that of mine.

He feels himself superior to others.

 

3.    Comparative cannot be used with ‘comparatively’; instead a positive degree is simply used in this case.

 

I bought comparatively easier book. (Incorrect)

I bought comparatively easy book. (Correct)

 

4.   If the two objects are compared with each other the latter term of comparison must exclude the former by using ‘any other’

 

Gold is more precious than any other metal.

(metal is the term of comparison thus it is placed at latter position and excluded from former position).

 

Lahore is more beautiful than any other city in Pakistan.

(city is the term of comparison thus it is placed at latter position and excluded from former position).

5.   Double comparatives and double superlatives are  not allowed.

 

This book is more better than that. (Incorrect)

This book is much better than that. (Correct)

This book is the most best of all. (Incorrect)

This book is the best of all. (Correct)

 

6.          Adjective of superlative degree is preceded by ‘the’.

 

Islamabad is the most beautiful city in Pakistan.

Balochistan is the largest of all the provinces in Pakistan.

Masood is the tallest boy in our team.

 

7.  When two qualities of the same person or thing are compared, the comparative is formed by using ‘more’ with the positive.

He is more industrious than intelligent.

Ghafoor is more clever than honest. 

 

8.   The positive and superlative degree cannot be          mixed up in the same sentence.

Nishat is the best and wise of all the girls. (Incorrect)

Nishat is the best and the wisest of all the girls. (Correct)

 

He is the most intelligent and honest man. (Incorrect)

He is the most intelligent and the most honest man. (Correct)

 

Correct use of someconfusing Adjectives

 Some and Any:

The adjectives ‘some’ and ‘any’ are used to express quantity, number or degree of a noun (object/thing).

The difference is that ‘some’ is used in affirmative sentence and ‘any’ in negative and interrogative sentence.

He brought me some milk. (Affirmative sentence)

He did not bring me any milk. (Negative sentence)

Did you bring any milk? (Interrogative sentence)

 

Each and Every:

The adjective ‘each’ is used in speaking of two or more things, when the number in the group is limited and definite.

Whereas ‘every’ is used in speaking of more than two things, when the number in the group is unlimited and indefinite and means each without exception.

I was in London for ten days and it rained each day.

Every part of these machines is out of order.

Note: These adjectives take singular verb in sentence.

Few, A few and The few:

All these three adjectives are used to show number or count.

‘few’ means not many or hardly any.

‘a few’ means some, opposed to none.

‘the few’ means not many but all there are.

 

Few men are free from faults.

A few men are free from faults.

The few colleagues I have are all very intelligent.

 

Little, A little and The little:

All these three adjectives are mainly used for showing quantity.

‘little’ means not much or hardly any.

‘a little’ means some, though not much.

‘the little’ means not much but all that is.

 

There is little hope of his success.

There is a little hope of his success.

The little hope of his return has now gone.

 

Later, latter, latest and last:

These adjectives are used as follows;

‘Later’ and ‘latest’ denotes time.

‘Latter’ refers to position.

‘Last’ is used in both cases.

 

Pervez came later than an incident.

The latter half of this book is very interesting.

The last poem is rather difficult.

He needs equipment of latest design.

 

Older and Elder:

These adjectives are used as follows;

‘Elder’ is used for the members of the family.

‘Older’ is used for any one out of family.

 

Irshad is older than fahad.

He is my elder brother.

 

Farther and Further:

These adjectives are used as follows;

‘Farther’ means more distant.

‘Further’ means something in addition.

 

Murree is farther from Lahore than Islamabad.

Take action without any further delay.

Nearest and Next:

These adjectives are used as follows;

‘Nearest’ refers to distance.

‘Next’ refers to position.

 

I gave him a lift in my car to the nearest bus stop.

He is my next door neighbour.

 

Many, many a and much:

These adjectives are used as follows;

‘Many’ shows number.

‘Many a’ also shows number but takes singular noun and verb after it.

‘Much’ shows quantity.

 

Many boys have played football.

Many a boy has played football.

He has much work to do.

Hopefully this attempt for thorough understanding of 'The Adjectives' would work for those who want to learn English language in accordance with its grammar.

This will serve their purpose of having command over English language.

Thorough understanding of 'The Adjectives' is an attempt to cover the most important part of speech holistically.