Helping English

The ADJECTIVE

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, providing additional information about its qualities, attributes, or characteristics. Adjectives can be used to indicate size, color, shape, appearance, personality, quantity, and more.

Examples:

1. The tall (size) tree provided shade on a hot day.
2. She wore a beautiful (appearance) dress to the party.
3. The old (age) man sat on the park bench, feeding the pigeons.
4. I saw five red (color) roses in the garden.
5. The delicious (taste) pizza was topped with fresh vegetables.
6. We took a long (length) walk along the beach at sunset.
7. His new (quality) car was shiny and luxurious.
8. The cute (opinion) puppy played joyfully in the grass.
9. The intelligent (quality) student easily solved the difficult math problem.
10. We spotted a small (size) bird perched on a branch.

Adjectives of comparison are used to compare the qualities or characteristics of different nouns. They indicate the degree of a particular quality possessed by the noun being described. Here are the rules for forming and using adjectives of comparison, along with examples:

1. Comparative degree: This form is used to compare two things or individuals.

Rule: Add "-er" to the end of the adjective (for most one-syllable adjectives) or use "more" before the adjective (for most two-syllable adjectives and longer adjectives).

Examples:

• • Tall (one syllable): John is taller than Peter.
  • Beautiful (three syllables): The sunset is more beautiful than the sunrise.

2. Superlative degree: This form is used to compare one thing or individual with a group of three or more things or individuals.

Rule: Add "-est" to the end of the adjective (for most one-syllable adjectives) or use "most" before the adjective (for most two-syllable adjectives and longer adjectives).

Examples:

• • Fast (one syllable): The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world.
  • Intelligent (four syllables): She is the most intelligent student in the class.

3. Irregular adjectives: Some adjectives have irregular forms when comparing.

Examples:

• • Good: John is better at math than Peter.
  • Bad: This is the worst movie I've ever seen.

4. Equal comparison: When two things or individuals are considered equal, "as + adjective + as" is used.

Examples:

• • She is as tall as her sister.
  • The blue car is as expensive as the red one.