Adjectives

An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e., describes) a noun or pronoun. Adjectives may come before the word they modify.

Examples: she is an intelligent girl

     He is an honest judge.

Types of adjectives:

1. Comparative & Superlative Adjectives:

1.       We use comparative adjectives while comparing two things.

For example: Sam is taller than Tony.

2.       A superlative adjective expresses the highest degree of a quality. We use a superlative adjective to describe the extreme quality of one thing in a group of things (more than two).

For example: Jack is the tallest of all the students.

2.Adjectives of Quality:

These adjectives are used to describe the nature of a noun.

Example: Jenny is a beautiful woman.

                Rotten vegetables smell bad.

3.Adjectives of Quantity/ Number:

These adjectives help to show the amount or the approximate amount of the noun or pronoun.

Example: Many students came to visit the exhibition

                The boy felt very much ashamed.

4.Demonstrative Adjectives:

These adjectives are used to point out or indicate a particular noun or pronoun using the adjectives - This, That, These and Those.

Example: I really like those cars.

Rules of Adjectives:

1. Two superlative degree should not be used in a sentence.

Example – He is the most strongest of all. (Incorrect)

     He is the strongest of all. (Correct)

2.While comparing two qualities of the same person or thing, we should not use “-er” with the comparative degree instead we should use ‘more + positive degree’

Example-  Simon is more wiser than intelligent (incorrect)

                    Simon is more wise than intelligent. (correct)

3. Article ‘The’ should always be used before a ‘superlative degree of adjectives’ and followed by the nouns they modify.

Example- she told me funniest joke.(incorrect)

                   She told me the funniest joke.(correct)

4. While comparing an object with others, it is necessary to exclude it from the comparison.

Example- Iron is harder than any metal. (Incorrect)

Iron is harder than any other metal. (Correct)

5. i)The comparison of one or more things with a group When one or more things are compared with a group to which they do not belong , the comparative form of an adjective is normally used.

Example- The girls are cleverer than the boys.

The girls are being compared with the boys, a group to which they do not belong. Therefore, the comparative form cleverer is used.

ii) In contrast, when one or more things are compared with members of a group to which they belong, the superlative form of an adjective is normally used

Example- Ashok is the youngest of all the boys in the class.

6. Comparative Degree of adjectives is used for the comparison of two, whereas, for more than two we should use the superlative degree. And, we should not use the superlative for comparing two objects.

Example- Which is better: tea, coffee or milk? (Incorrect)

                   Which is the best; tea, coffee of milk? (Correct)

7. Note the structure of the following sentences .

One of ………… if not………….. Superlative ……….

Examples - He is one of the greatest poets, if not the greatest poet.

Use plural noun in first part and singular noun in second part of the sentence.

One of the + Superlative + Plural noun …….If not the +Superlative + Singular noun.

8. While comparing one noun with the other noun, in order to be logically correct, the sentence must be changed, so that similar types of things are being compared.

Example-life in the city is different from the village. (Incorrect)

                Life in the city is different from the village (Correct)

9. There are certain adjectives that do not admit of any comparative or superlative form. These adjectives are- Unique, chief, absolute, perfect, complete...etc

Example- Neeta is the most unique singer of her class.( Incorrect)

                Neeta is the unique singer of her class. (Correct)

10. Adjectives like prior, junior, senior, superior, inferior, elder etc should not be used with conjunction ‘than’, instead we should use ‘to’.

Example- He was junior than me in college. (Incorrect)

   He was junior to me in college. (Correct)

11. When THAN or AS are followed by the first and the second person pronouns, verb can be omitted but not in the case of the pronouns of third person.

Example- He is not clever as his brother. (Incorrect)

  He is not as clever as his brother is.(Correct)

12. Elder - Older – Oldest/Eldest :  Remember that 'elder' is used for the members of the same family and the word 'than' is not used at all but 'older' is used with 'than' and it used to refer to ‘age’ of persons other than family and  to denote age of things...etc

Example- She is my oldest sister. (Incorrect)

                 She is my eldest sister. (Correct)