03.12.

2020

Course 05
Adjectives

Most of the examples given on the following slides

have been borrowed from

• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online

Copyright © 1996–2020 Pearson All rights reserved.

• Cambridge Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press 2020

• Collins English Dictionary

© Collins 2020

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary
© 2020 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Lect. dr. Bogdan Veche

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No rule
for making
adjectives,

although
they are
recognized
as such.

However,
some
suffixes are
typical of
adjectives.

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-able / -ible billable / cashable / deductible / feasible

Some firms charge a flat fee rather than using a system of
billable hours.
The cheque will be in your name and is cashable at your bank.

-al / -ial consensual / commercial / remedial

a consensual approach to decision-making ; consensual
agreement
remedial action / remedial measures

-ful / -less healthful / resourceful / timeless

a healthful diet
a resourceful manager
timeless design
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-ic chic / climatic / elastic

a chic restaurant
climatic changes
Luxury goods are price elastic.

-ical critical / economical / statistical

a critical shortage of cash
the most economical use of the space available
statistical analysis / evidence

-ish amateurish / lavish / outlandish

an amateurish-looking website
lavish spending
an outlandish outfit
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-ive / -ative corrective / defective / lucrative

corrective measures / action

defective goods / products
a lucrative career / business / market.

-(e)ous / -(i)ous courteous / propitious / ostentatious

The ticket clerk was courteous and helpful.

With the economy in recession, it was not a propitious time to start a company.
the ostentatious lifestyle of their leaders

-y costly / hefty / visionary

costly repairs / delays

hefty returns / dividends / bonuses / losses / penalties
a visionary leader in the green technology sector
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Adjectives ending in –ic & -ical. Choose the right form.

historic historical The first trip to the moon was a _______ event.

historic historical “War and Peace” is a _______ novel.

economic economical Spending is one indicator of ________ stability.

economic economical Hybrid cars are very _______.

classical classic It’s a _______ motorbike from the 1940s.

Mozart is probably the best-known ____
classical classic
composer.
The show is a ______ example of TV made for
classical classic
children.
comic comical He was often described as a brilliant ____ actor.

comic comical The note of pure panic in his voice was almost _____.

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Adjectives ending in –ic & -ical. Choose the right form.

electric electrical All are supplied in either gas or _____ models.

electric electrical An ___ fault is believed to have been the cause.

electric electrical The atmosphere in the courtroom was _____.

This is an old _____ trick which entails
magic magical
preparation.
magic magical Candles have a ___ quality that transforms a room.

politic political It would not be ____ for you to be seen there.

politic political Education is back at the top of the ____ agenda.

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Relations between people and things. These

adjectives usually require a word or phrase
(complement) to complete their meaning.

This version of the product is different from the

previous one.

Features that will last a long time or will not

change (permanent).

Several pieces of heavy equipment had to

be manhandled into the truck.

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States and conditions that can change.

While the boss was absent everyone started taking very

long lunchbreaks.

Classifying people and things into types.

Supermarkets
have recognized the increasing popularity of
organic food.
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Gradable Ungradable
adjectives adjectives
have
cannot
different
vary in
degrees of
intensity
the same
or grade
feature
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A gradable adjective can be used with "grading adverbs"

that vary the adjective's grade or intensity.

gradable
grading adverbs adjectives

a little, dreadfully, angry, big, busy,

extremely, fairly, clever, cold, deep,
hugely, + fast, friendly,
immensely, good, happy,
intensely, rather, high, hot, long,
reasonably, popular, rich,
slightly, unusually, strong, tall,
very warm, weak,
young

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Extremes freezing, crucial, bizarre

Absolutes alive, dead

Classifying nuclear, organic, wild

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A non-gradable adjective can be used with "non-grading adverbs"

(which usually just give the adjective extra impact).

Non-grading
adverbs Non-gradable
adjectives
absolutely,
utterly, + awful, excellent,
completely, terrified, dead,
nearly, totally, impossible,
virtually, unique, chemical,
essentially, digital, domestic
mainly

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Order of Adjectives
(1) opinion
(2) size
(3) physical quality
(4) shape
(5) age
(6) color
(7) origin
(8) material
(9) type
(10) purpose
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green / metallic /
It was made of a _____________ material.
strange

It was made of a 1strange, 6green, 8metallic material.

plastic / narrow /
It’s a _____________________ brush.
long

It’s a 2long, 4narrow, 8plastic brush.

Italian / round /
Panettone is a __________________ Christmas cake.
bread-like
Panettone is a 4round, 7Italian, 9bread-like Christmas
cake.

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tall, / black-haired
/ beautiful /
She was a ____________________ woman.
Scottish / thin,
young
She was a 1beautiful, 2tall, 3thin, 5young, 6black-
haired, 7Scottish woman.

old / little /
What an ______________ cup and saucer!
amazing / Chinese
What an 1amazing, 2little, 5old, 7Chinese cup and
saucer!

I like that really _______________ tractor in the antique / old / big /

museum. red
I like that really 2big 5old 6red 9antique tractor in the
museum.

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Adjectives joined by “and”

When more than one adjective occurs after a verb such
as be (a linking verb), the second last adjective is
normally connected to the last adjective by and:
Home was always a warm, welcoming
place. Now it is sad, dark and cold.

And is less common when more than one adjective comes before the
noun (e.g. a warm, welcoming place). However, we can use and when
there are two or more adjectives of the same type, or when the
adjectives refer to different parts of the same thing

It was a blue and green cotton shirt.

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A comparative compares a person or

thing with another person or thing.

Joe’s older than Mike.

(comparing one person with another)

A superlative compares a person or

thing with the whole group of which
that person or thing is a member.
Sheila is the youngest girl in the family.
(comparing one person with the whole group she belongs to)
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When there are just two members in

a group, traditionally, we use the
comparative.
Who is younger, Rowan or Tony?
(traditional usage)

However, in informal situations

people often use the superlative.
Jan and Barbara are both tall, but Jan’s the tallest.
(more informal)
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One- & Two-syllable adjectives – the comparative

cheaper
most
adjectives + [-er] richer
funnier

finer
adjectives
ending in -e + [-r] nicer
rarer

adjectives with double the bigger

final
one vowel + consonant
hotter
one consonant + [-er] thinner

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One- & Two-syllable adjectives – the superlative

the cheapest
most
adjectives + [-est] the richest
the funniest

the finest
adjectives
ending in -e + [-st] the nicest
the rarest

adjectives with double the the biggest

final
one vowel + consonant
the hottest
one consonant + [-est] the thinnest

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Irregular one-syllable adjectives

Adjective Comparative Superlative

good better the best

bad worse the worst

little less the least

much more the most

older the oldest

old
elder the eldest
farther the farthest
far
further the furthest

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farther further
the farthest the furthest

Used to talk Used to talk

about distance about distance

How We can’t go
much farther are any further; the
we going? road’s blocked.
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farther further
the farthest the furthest
= extra
= additional
= a higher level

We need further
information.

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farther further
the farthest the furthest

= more

I do not propose
to discuss it
any further.
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“Further to”

Further to my email of
used in formal letters and 22nd January, I’m now
emails when someone writing to ask if you have
writes as a follow-up to a considered our offer and
previous letter or email whether you wish to
proceed with the contract.

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older elder
the oldest the eldest

Used only before a noun,

Used in similar ways and usually when talking
about relationships within
a family

My older sister is
coming to stay with She’s my elder sister.
us at the weekend.

Matt is the oldest of She is now

our children. the eldest member
of the family.

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older elder
the oldest the eldest

used to refer to
the age of things
more generally
-

The town hall is by far

the oldest building in
the whole region.
-
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older elder
the oldest the eldest

Can be used
after a linking
verb.
-

I think her grandfather

must be older than
her grandmother.
-
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Longer adjectives
Adjective
interesting

Comparative
more interesting less interesting

Superlative
the most interesting the least interesting
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Comparative adjectives (1)

MUCH / A LOT / FAR +

comparative
This food is much
better than the food we had
used to strengthen or yesterday.
to emphasize The town is a lot more
crowded these days because
of the new shopping center.

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Comparative adjectives (1)

LITTLE / A BIT +
comparative

She feels a little more

confident now that she’s
used to soften given her first public
performance.

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Comparative adjectives (2)

-er and –er

more… and more…
The weather is
Used to talk about
getting colder and
how a person or colder.
thing is changing and
I’m getting more and
gaining more of a
more interested in
particular quality. economics these days.
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Comparative adjectives (3)

the -er, the –er

the more …, the more …
If a person or things
gains more of a
The higher the quantity
particular quality and
purchased, the smaller
this causes a parallel
the price per item.
increase of another
quality.
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Comparative adjectives (4)

Less + long adjectives

Not as… as… + short adjectives

The second method was less complicated than the

first one.
This new laptop is not as fast as my old one.

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Lect. dr. Bogdan Veche