Transcript Formation of adjectives

Chapter 4
Adjectives
Adjectives
• What are adjectives?
• Adjectives are words which describe the
quality of a noun or pronoun.
• Guys with slow cars want faster ones.
• Adjectives tell us what kind of:
• What kind of test is it going to be?
• Is it a hard one or an easy one?
• What is it like?
• Adjectives are invariables, i.e, they do not
change whether the noun they qualify is
singular or plural. (an) intelligent boy(s).
Formation of adjectives
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Most of the commonest adjectives have no particular
form or ending
E.g. right, wrong, nice, tall, black, etc.
But there are however a number of suffixes that are
used with adjectives.
Suffix: -y
Meaning: having the look or quality of.
Examples: air-airy, rubber-rubbery, dirt-dirty.
Suffix:-ly
Meaning: it is added to nouns to denote some kinds of
people to form adjectives with the meaning having the
qualities of.
Examples: brother-brotherly coward-cowardly
Formation of adjectives
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Suffix: -like
Meaning: it is added to some nouns to form adjectives
with the meaning looking or having like:
Examples: child-childlike, life-lifelike, god-godlike.
Suffix: -ish
Meaning: A. added to nouns denoting some kinds of
people to form adjectives with the meaning looking or
behaving as badly as.
B. added to names of nationalities to describe the
people or their languages.
C. added to adjectives which describe color to form
other adjectives with the meaning having this quality
more or less
Examples: A. child-childish B. Britain-British, C. redreddish
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Suffix: -ful
Meaning: this suffix is added to nouns to form
adjectives with the meaning having the quality
of or full of.
Examples faith-faithful, joy-joyful shameshameful.
Suffix: -less
Meaning: this suffix is added to nouns to form
adjectives with the meaning not having the
quality of.
Examples: meaning-meaningless, use-useless,
point-poinless.
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Suffix:-able,/-ible
Meaning these suffixes form adjectives with the
meaning which is able to do this or this quality
Examples: accept-acceptable, convert-convertible
Suffix: -ed
Meaning this suffix is added to nouns to form
adjectives with the meaning having or possessing.
Example: bad-tempered, cross-eyed, open-hearted.
Suffix:-ese
Meaning: this suffix is added to names of countries to
form adjectives which describe the people or their
language.
Example: China-Chinese
Formation of adjectives
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Suffix: -(i)an
Meaning: this suffix is added to the names of
countries to form adjectives which describe
nationalities or their language:
Example: Victoria- Victorian, Republic-Republican
Suffix: -ive
Meaning: This suffix is used to make adjectives
from verbs. The resulting adjective usually means
which performs the action of the verb.
Example: attract-attractive, explode-explosive.
Notes on adjectives
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1. Most of the other suffixes which you will meet
form adjectives to describe things in the world of
intellectual activity, science, technology, and
medicine:
Ist: socialism- socialist; -al: cime-criminal; ic:
science-scientist ic: science-scientific or: satisfysatisfactory; ical: geography-geographical; ent:
depend-dependent.
2. There are a number of cases where a common
everyday noun has a corresponding scientific
adjective. For example, the adjective sunny has a
scientific adjective which is solar ( as in solar
system)
Position of Adjectives
Adjectives may be used attributively, i.e. they
usually come before the noun or the pronoun
one(s); or predicatively, i.e. they are separated
from the noun, usually following a verb like be,
seem, look, or constructions on the pattern
MAKE ME ANGRY.
Attributive
Attributive
A. The adjective comes before the noun
e.g. The serious rabbit and the handsome stranger.
B. The adjective comes immediately after the pronoun
somebody, something, somewhere, anyone, or
everyone.
e.g. I feel that something terrible is going to happen.
Are you going anywhere interesting tonight?
C. The adjective follows the noun in a few fixed
expressions , mostly to do with important positions
or the law
e.g. a cort martial the Postmater General the
Secretery General the Prince Regent
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D. The adjectives involved, concerned and present
A. After a noun
E.g. I want to the students involved.
The people concerned are waiting outside.
B. before the noun
E.g.an involved explanation
A concerned expression on her face.
The present situation.
Predicative
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A. The adjective is used after a verb
E.g. He is poor and I am rich.
You look tired.
The milk turned sour in the hot weather.
B. In constructions on the pattern MAKE ME ANGRY:
E.g. You make me very angry.
I consider her brilliant.
I found it quite exciting.
B. In constructions on the pattern ACTION VERB +
ADJECTIVE DESCRIBING RESULT:
Please don’t tie knot too tight.
Would you hold the door open for me please.
He tried to escape so they shot him dead.
Predicative
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In constructions on the pattern DRINK IT COLD:
E.g. I always drink milk cold
I prefer to buy my clothes second-hand.
I eat some vegetables raw
Adjectives which can be used only predicatively
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These adjectives are usually on the pattern
NOUN
PRONOUN
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LOOK, FEEL,
BE, APPEAR,
SEEM, ETC.
PREDICATIVE
ADJECTIVE
A number of these adjectives refer to
temporary conditions, i.e., to something which
is true only for a short time, such as:
Ill well unwell faint
You don’t look very well.
Other predicative adjectives are: glad
content, far, upset, afraid, alert, alike, alive
Adjectives which can be used only attributively
1. e.g. I am so glad the you ere able to
come.
She is upset because she cant go out
tonight.
Thank God you are still alive.
Adjectives which can be used only attributively
A. Inner outer former late
The former Principal of the College.
The late President Kennedy
B. Meer sheer utter, You are a mere child
It is a sheer waste of time and money.
C. Adjectives which have an adverbial meaning
A heavy smoker , An old friend
D. Certain particular main chief sole only
principal
She has a certain charm. The chief aim of the
plan
Order of adjectives
.1. order of adjectives in relation to
determiners, etc.
determiners ordinal
s
Both
quanti adject
fiers
ives
The
Last
Few
All This\t
hese
Next
Lot of
half That\t
hose
Other
Little
My
etc.
First
1,2,3
second
np
Noun
phrase
Order of adjectives
value
Size
Agel
tempe
ratur
e
shape
color
origin
Material
nice
small
Oldl
cold
round
red
Frenc
h
iron
Examples
A beautiful old red London bus
All those enormous circular wodden tables
The last few original Victorian iron bridges.
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Notes
1. Noun phrases include compound nouns like
frying pan
2. Certain verb forms may be put in immediately
before adjectives which describe origin or
material
e.g. a painted ceramic tile.
A growing French problem
3.Little is often used as a sort of diminutive
A pretty little house
The
Notes
6.When you have two value adjectives coming
together , the order usually doesn’t matter
e.g. a beautiful, intelligent woman.
A comma is used in the following cases:
a. With color adjectives: a blue and red striped
tie
b. With adjectives used predicatively:
I am tired and hungry.
c. As a special effect to give equal importance to
each adjective: He is young, handsome and
romantic.
Notes
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5. The word pretty is both
adjective and adverb
E.g. She is a pretty clever
student.