ADJECTIVES 2

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Language Description
 CLASSIFYING ADJECTIVES

In English grammar, a classifying adjective is a type of

attributive adjective used to divide people or things into
particular groups, types or classes. Unlike qualitative
adjectives, classifying adjectives do not have comparative
or superlative forms. Thus, classifying adjectives are non-
gradable.

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Function and Position of Classifying Adjectives

Classifying Adjectives put the noun into a

particular group. They classify the noun as being
of a certain type, so they are called classifying
adjectives.

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For example:
The soldier was driving a military vehicle.

The soldier could have been driving any type of vehicle but, in
this case, the vehicle was of the military class or type. The
noun "vehicle" is modified by the classifying adjective
"military," which describes the class or type of vehicle.

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Classifying adjectives normally come in front of the noun:
E.g.:
• Atomic physics
• Cubic centimetres
• Digital watch
• Medical care
• Phonetic alphabet

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 How to identify Classifying Adjectives?

  Classifying Adjective cannot take the word 'very' in front of it.

E.g.:
eucalyptus tree
We cannot say : This is a very Eucalyptus tree.

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 Word Order With Classifying Adjectives

If there is more than one classifying adjective in front of a

noun, the normal order is :
Age — shape — Nationality — Material
...a medieval French village.
...a rectangular plastic box.
...an Italian silk jacket.

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Other types of classifying adjectives usually come after a
nationality adjective:
...the Chinese artistic tradition.
...the American political system."

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 Qualitative Adjectives

A qualitative adjective is used to describe the features or

qualities of a noun (a person, place, thing, idea and so
forth). They are “gradable,” with positive, comparative and
superlative forms. They are generally found before the
word they modify but can be seen throughout the sentence.

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E.g.:

• The big bowl is full of appetizing raspberries.

• Cold winds warned us of the coming of a horrible storm.

• In the canyon, wild horses grazed on the tall grass.

• The burger was delightful.

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 Comparison of Adjectives
Using adjectives is the usual way to show the amount of a
quality someone or something has.
The following sentences show the three degrees of
comparison adjectives.
Positive (no comparison made)
• Today is warm.
Comparative (compare 2 persons or things)
• Yesterday was warmer than today.
Superlative (compare 3 or more person or things)
• Last week was the warmest of the month.
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There are some rules to determine the spelling of
comparative and superlative adjectives.

1. Most one syllable adjectives take (-er) for comparative

and (-est) for superlative.

E.g. : Positive Comparative Superlative

clean cleaner cleanest
safe safer safest
great greater greatest
sharp sharper sharpest

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2. When the adjectives end with (-y), y is replaced by i and
then add (-er) or (-est)

E.g. :
Positive Comparative Superlative
funny funnier funniest
lucky luckier luckiest
busy busier busiest
pretty prettier prettiest

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3. When one-syllable adjectives end with a single
consonant, the consonant is doubled, and then add (-er) or
(-est).

E.g. :
Positive Comparative Superlative
slim slimmer slimmest
sad sadder saddest
quick quicker quickest
thin thinner thinnest

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4. Most adjectives of two or more syllables, use :

• more before the positive, followed by than for

comparative.

• the most before the positive for superlative

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E.g. :

Positive Comparative Superlative

colourful more colourful than the most colourful
complete more complete than the most complete
delicious more delicious than the most delicious
important more important than the most important

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Some adjectives have irregular comparatives and
superlatives as shown in the following table.

E.g. :
Positive Comparative Superlative
good better best
bad worse worst
many more most
less lesser least

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 Emphasizing Adjectives

When we want to strengthen the meaning of our

expression and to show emphasis, we use emphasizing
adjectives.
Emphasizing adjectives are known as submodifiers.
Submodifiers are mostly adverbs of degree.
They can be grouped into intensifiers or downtoners.

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 Intensifiers

Intensifiers are adverbs or adverbial phrases that strengthen

the meaning of other expressions and show emphasis.
Here are some examples :
• My mother bought a brand new computer.
•It's extremely hot in Africa.
• Anna is bitterly unhappy with her step-father.
• We are immensely tired.
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• She was so upset.
• She’s really offended her sister.
• Don’t work too hard. Take a break.
• I’m afraid I’m not at all interested.

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 Downtoners
Downtoners are words or phrases which reduce the
meaning of another word or phrase. It weakens the
expression.

Here are some examples :

• I’m a little bit fed up with George – he’s so selfish. (less

strong than I’m fed up with George.)

• I think he got slightly upset when we told him the news.

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• She had fairly passed her paper.
• He was somewhat irritated with her remarks.
• She maybe drew the best picture in class.
• The boy was hardly in pain.
• He was almost on time to the interview.

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 ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

What happens there are more than one adjectives to

describe the same noun in a sentence?
Which adjective should come first, second and next?
This rule can guide us to put the adjectives into a correct
order :
Very Soon A Train Should COMe Pal

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 Very Soon A Train Should COMe Pal
V = VALUE : fabulous, amazing, awesome
S = SIZE : tiny, vast, heavy
A = AGE : young, old, new
Train = TEMPERATURE : cold, hot, warm
Should = SHAPE : round, square, rectangular
COMe = COLOUR : red, blue, maroon
ORIGIN : Korean, English, suburban
MATERIA : cotton, wooden, plastic
Pal = PURPOSE : shopping, cooling, chopping

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 ES
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FUN
Launch

IN
BOFF

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