Елена Васильева - English grammar: 100 main rules

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Positive Degree of Adjectives

1. Description

abusystreet, acleverdog, adullday, anexpensivering, agoodattitude, a jealous man, animportantsignal, aweakaccent,youngpeople

Note

Qualitative adjectives can be modified by adverbs of degree.

adreadfullydull day,extremelyhot weather, afairlylarge message, ahugelyimportant signal, animmenselyfamous picture,incrediblyuseful advice, anintenselybusy street, alittle/a bitexpensive ring, arathergood attitude, areasonablyweak accent,quitean interesting list, aslightlysomber event, atoojealous husband, anunusuallyclever dog,veryyoung people

2. Comparison

1) Equality

as + adjective + as

The white kitten isas cute asthe grey one.

Playing games isas important asstudying.

2) Inferiority

not so+adjective (+ as)

His idea isnot so stupid.

The view didnotturn to beso splendid aswe had expected.

half as + adjective (+ as)

Jimmy ishalf as tall asJonny.

Our house ishalf as big asthe neighbours'.

3) Superiority

twice (three times) as + adjective (+ as)

The way wastwice as long asyesterday.

Olivia's typing speed isthree times as fastas Andrew's.

Comparative Degree of Adjectives

The comparative degree demonstrates the difference between two objects.

1) Superiority

– Most one- and two-syllable adjectives form the comparative degree by adding – er ending.

adjective + – er

clever – cleverer,dull – duller,large – larger,weak – weaker,young – younger

Apple juice issweeterthan orange juice.

These tickets arecheaperthan those ones.

Note

– Adjectives ending in – y change the – y into – i and add – er.

busy – busier,pretty – prettier,lazy – lazier, funny – funnier, juicy – juicier

Cf.: shy – shyer,sly – slyer,grey – greyer

– One-syllable adjectives with a short vowel followed by a consonant double this consonant and add – er.

big – bigger,hot – hotter,fat – fatter,thin – thinner

– Several two-syllable adjectives and all three- (and more) syllable adjectives form the comparative degree with more.

more + adjective

moreexpensive,morefamous,moreimportant,moreinteresting,moreprofitable,moresomber,moreuseful

The new hairdo makes Andrewmore handsome.

Time ismore valuablethan money.

2) Inferiority

less + adjective

lessbusy,lessclever,lesshot,lessexpensive,lessfamous,lessimportant,lessinteresting

This way isless easythan the way Andrew offers.

I preferless dangerousdriving.

Note

Use certain adverbs to enhance the meaning of comparative adjectives.

far/much/a lot

slightly/a little/a bit

Olivia isfar prettierthan her sister.

This will sounda bit morepolite.

Note

It is possible to use the double comparison of adjectives combined with change-of-state verbs.

adjective-er + and + adjective-er

more adjective + and + more adjective

The days are gettingshorter and shorter.

The word is becomingmore and more ridiculous.

Note

Use the following combination to emphasize the inevitable consequence in degree change of comparative adjectives.

The adjective-er, the adjective-er

The more adjective, the more adjective

The sweeterproducts are,the unhealthierthey are.

The more luxuriousgoods are,the more expensivethey are.

Superlative Degree of Adjectives

The superlative degree demonstrates differences among three or more objects.

1) Superiority

– Most one- and two-syllable adjectives form the comparative degree by adding – est ending.

the adjective + – est

clever – the cleverest,dull – the dullest,large – the largest,weak – the weakest,young – the youngest

– Several two-syllable adjectives and all three- (and more) syllable adjectives form the comparative degree with most.

the most + adjective

the mostexpensive,the mostfamous,the mostimportant,the mostinteresting,the mostprofitable,the mostsomber,the mostuseful

2) Inferiority

the least + adjective

the leastbusy,the leastclever,the leasthot,the leastexpensive,the leastfamous,the leastimportant,the leastinteresting

The least strongcheese will do for this sort of wine.

What arethe least prestigiousjobs?

Substantivized Adjectives

the + adjective

1) substantivized adjectives denote a whole class of persons characterized by a specific feature. In most cases such adjectives agree with a plural verb.

the elderly, the handicapped, the lonely, the needy

Olivia's aunt works in school forthe blind.

The richalso cry.

2) substantivized adjectives may as well refer to the whole nation.

the Japanese, the English, the Dutch

TheancientChinesefirst invented paper.

The Welshtry to preserve their language and culture.

3) A number of substantivized adjectives even take the plural ending – s, which let them pass into the category of nouns.

the marines, the moderns, the nobles, the regulars, the Russians

The Conservativesare leading in the polls.

If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats hisinferiors,not hisequals.

4) substantivized adjectives indicate abstract notions. such adjectives agree with a singular verb.

the future, the past, the present, the plural, the singular, the unknown, the unreal, the variable, the visible

The obviousis fabulous, butthe fabulousis obvious.

You should usethe Future Simplein this sentence.

Syntactic Functions of Adjectives

1. Attribute

We liked thatwarmmeeting.

I hear somepleasantmusic.

Note

There is a particular order for adjectives to describe a noun.

Opinion – Size – Shape – Colour – Pattern – Age

– Origin – Material – Purpose + Noun

a clever young British professor

two nice tiny round black old metal musical boxes

that beautiful swift white new sailing boat

2. Predicate

The meeting waswarm.

Your mother lookssad.

I feelgoodabout the offer.

A predicate adjective follows a linking verb (to be, to seem, to appear, to look, to taste, to smell, to feel, to sound), but it refers to the subject of the sentence.

3. Subject and Object (Substantivized adjectives)

The unemployeddemanded concrete programs of public works.

The youngshould help the old.

Fractional Numerals

Common fraction

The numerator is a cardinal number; the denominator is an ordinal number.

1/2 – one (a) half

1/3 – one (a) third

1/4 – one (a) quarter

1/5 – one (a) fifth

1/6 – one (a) sixth

If the numenator is more than one, then the denominator is used in plural.

2/3 – two thirds

3/4 – three quarters

5/6 – five sixths