Adjectives
Use and Position
Adjectives are used to describe the quality of things: green, tall, nice, pretty, dark, cold, hot.
They can stand in front of nouns or after the verb "to be". Look at the first example. Here, the adjective is placed in front of the noun:
I like the green shirt.
Look at the second example. A form of "to be" is followed by the adjective:
The shirt is green.
There are a few very important exceptions to that rule. Certain adjectives never stand in front of nouns: afraid, alive, alone, asleep, glad, pleased, sorry, upset, ill, well/fine.
- She is afraid of spiders. Not possible: The afraid girl.
- The boy is sorry. Not possible: The sorry boy.
- The dog is ill. Not possible: The ill dog.
Comparison
There are two ways to compare adjectives, either with -er/-est or with more/most.
The prettiest girl of the evening.
A most delicious meal.
Comparison with -er/-est
There are two kinds of adjectives that are compared by adding -er or -est:
- a) adjectives with only one syllable
- b) adjectives with two syllables that end on -y
Usually, you simply add -er or -est to the normal adjective.
bright – brighter – brightest
With adjectives like fat, that end on a single vowel and a single consonant, the last letter of the word is duplicated:
fat – fatter – fattest
That is the fattest dog I have ever seen. It is fatter than all the others.
If the adjective normally ends on -e, this letter "e" disappears:
nice – nicer – nicest
My teacher is the nicest teacher in the world. He is nicer than my sister's teacher.
If the adjective ends on -y, the "y" changes to an "i":
happy – happier – happiest
That holiday was the happiest time in my life. I have never been happier.
Comparison with more/most
Adjectives with more than two syllables and adjectives with two syllables that do not end on -y are compared by adding "more" or "most".
"More" or "most" is put in front of the adjective. The adjective does not change.
famous – more famous – most famous
This is the most famous actor of our time. He is even more famous than Brad Pitt.expensive – more expensive – most expensive
Is this the most expensive wine in your shop? It is more expensive than a pair of trousers.Some adjectives are irregular. They have special forms for comparison. It is good to memorize them.
good | better | best |
bad | worse | worst |
far | farther/further | farthest/furthest |
much, many, a lot of | more | most |
little | less | least |
Be careful: Don't mix the two different types of comparison. "It was more sunnier yesterday" does not work!
Overview
comparison forms | number of syllables | changes in spelling |
dark – darker – darkest | 1 (dark) | none |
happy – happier – happiest | 2 (hap-py) | word-final "y" becomes "i" |
nice – nicer- nicest | 1 (nice) | word-final "e" disappears |
famous – more famous – most famous | 2 (fa-mous) | none |
complicated – more complicated – most complicated | 4 (com-pli-ca-ted) | none |
Sentences with comparisons
There are two types of sentences that express a comparison:
Tom is as talented as Mary is.
This first example expresses that Tom and Mary are both equally good at something.
Tom is more talented than Mary.
This second example expresses that Tom is better than Mary.
In the following exercise you can test your knowledge. Fill in the gaps with the right comparison forms!