Adjectives Adjectives in English. Formation of adjectives in English Adjectives as nouns in English

The English language is rich in word forms and their combinations. Adjectives, an indispensable part of high-quality and understandable speech, are formed from verbs or nouns. There are, of course, exceptions (there is no way to live without them in the English language), but in most cases it is nouns and verbs that serve as the basis for the word formation of an adjective. It is difficult to study all the features of the formation of English adjectives, since there are many exceptions, but there are basic rules that you need to know. They will help you understand the formation of adjectives in English and avoid making mistakes. In this article we will outline the main nuances of the formation of adjectives and the most striking examples of exceptions.

Verb stem + postfixes

The use of postfixes allows you to make the semantics of the language more diverse. This partly refers to the English formative elements -able/-ible, which denote the ability of something/someone to perform the desired action (contribute to its formation). But! These postfixes are just a drop in the ocean. Adjectives are formed in several ways. Below is a table with postfixes, the function of which is to contain an indication of certain qualities or properties (adjectives) and display them in conversation.

The table shows that there are several ways to compose. The most commonly used postfixes => - ible / - able. This word formation occurs most often.

But! Adjectives can be formed using other methods. It is important to remember that during formation from the original adjective in English it may be subject to some changes (formed in a different way from the standard one).

This is unlikely to be heard in oral speech, but in writing it is an important issue. Your speech must be competent!

• Rely => reliable (rely on/reliable, one that is trustworthy).

We use adjectives to describe someone or something. For example: he is tall, the tea is hot, the blanket is warm, she is smart.

It is thanks to adjectives that we make our speech lively, rich, and emotional.

In this article I will tell you what adjectives are in English and how to use them.

3 types of adjectives in English

Adjectives are a word that is used to describe a characteristic of an object/person. Such words answer the questions: “which?”, “which?”, “which?”, “which?”.

For example: small, kind, beautiful, smart, cold, tasty.

What are the adjectives in English?

There are 3 types of adjectives:

1. Simple adjectives

Such adjectives consist of one main part. Let's look at a list of the most common simple English adjectives.

open - open
closed - closed
noisy - noisy
loud - loud
quiet - quiet
light - light
dark - dark
easy - light
difficult - difficult
new - new
old - old
light - light
heavy - heavy
fast - fast
slow - slow
full - full
empty - empty
long - long
short - short
high - high
low - low
good - good
bad - bad
hot - hot, hot
cold - cold
soft - soft
hard - hard
big - big
little - small
clean - clean
dirty - dirty
expensive - expensive
cheap - cheap
large - big, large
small - small
happy - happy
sad - sad

2. Derivative adjectives

Derivative means formed from something, with the help of something. Such adjectives consist not only of the main part, but are also joined by:

• Suffix (adding at the end of a word)

For example, we have the word hero(hero), we add the suffix -ic and we get the adjective hero ic(heroic).

Let's look at the main suffixes that are used to form derived adjectives:

Able
-ible
-al
-ent
-ary
-ful
-ic
-ive
-less
-ous
-y

Here are examples of such adjectives:

care ful- attentive
intellig ent- smart
classic al- classic
сheer ful- joyful
dail y- daily
notice able- noticeable
use less- useless
element ary- elementary
respons ible- responsible
ambiti ous- ambitious
beauty ful- Beautiful

• Prefix (adding at the beginning of a word).

For example, we have the word happy(happy), we can add a prefix to this word un- and we get an adjective un happy (unhappy).

Here are the main prefixes that are used for this:

un-
in-
il-
im-
ir-
dis-

Let's look at examples of such adjectives:

un usial - unusual
il legal - illegal
im possible - impossible
ir rational - irrational
dis comfort - uncomfortable
in complete - incomplete
un kind - unkind

3. Compound adjectives

Such adjectives are formed from two words.

Here are some examples of compound adjectives:

snow-white - snow-white
ed-hot - red-hot
red-cheeked - red-cheeked
untidy-looking - sloppy
dark-blue - dark blue
middle-aged - middle-aged

Now let's see how English adjectives are used.

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Using adjectives in English

As I already wrote, we use adjectives to describe. That is, when we say that someone/something has certain qualities.

Therefore, most often adjectives are placed before a person or thing.

For example:

He saw a beautiful girl.
He saw a beautiful girl.

She bought an expensive dress.
She bought an expensive dress.

Please note that we always put an article before connecting an adjective and a noun (person/thing).

Could you give me a new pen?
Can you give me a new pen?

If there is no noun after the adjective, then we do not put an article in front of it.

For example:

This car is big.
This car is big.

He is untidy-looking.
He's sloppy.

So, we looked at what adjectives are and what you should pay attention to when using them. Now let's practice using them.

By the way, in continuation of the topic, I advise you to study the article on how to compare something or someone using adjectives.

Reinforcement task

Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article.

1. My friend is smart.
2. Take a light box.
3. He put on a dark blue sweater.
4. His advice is useless.
5. He gave me an unusual gift.

In English, adjectives are divided into 3 groups based on the composition of the word: simple, derivative and compound (complex). Formation of adjectives in English It doesn't come easy to everyone. But at the English First school, which conducts English courses in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities, great importance is attached to the formation of words, since each suffix and prefix brings its own shade of meaning.

Simple adjectives

Simple adjectives as part of a word do not have prefixes or suffixes. For example, big (big), long (long), black (black), fast (fast).

Formation of adjectives in English

Derivative adjectives

Derived adjectives contain prefixes and suffixes in their words. Let's consider all cases:

1. Using prefixes from other adjectives:

Greetings, my dear readers.

When we first start learning a language, we inevitably come across our first adjectives. With their help, we describe objects, events, ourselves and our loved ones. And it often seems to us that it is impossible to learn them all.

Today I want to dispel this myth. The fact is that as soon as you learn about the formation of adjectives in English, you will understand how simple everything is (about the same as in the case of). And I will help you structure this information in the form of rules, tables and examples.

Adjectives most often formed from a noun or from a verb. It is also almost always possible get a new adjective from another adjective.

Method 1:

Prefixes(or what goes BEFORE adjective)

If you already know the adjective, you can make it negative or opposite by value. Let's look at examples:

Method 2:

Suffixes(or what goes AFTER adjective)

Adjectives are usually formed with suffixes from nouns and from verbs. Each suffix has its own meaning.

Alas, but the logic here is as clear as with letters -l, -m, -r, as in the previous case, does not work. Therefore, it will have to. But to make the process easier for you, I have a table for you with examples and translation.

Exercises

I propose to move straight from theory to practice. I have prepared two exercises for you that will help you consolidate the material. You will find the tasks and answers to them below. Everything is online: no need to buy or download anything.

Exercise 1: Make an adjective from the original word

Exercise 2. Open the parentheses in the correct form

1. He was absolutely… (fear) because he decided to jump from a 212-meter bridge.
2. You look... (health). You should visit a doctor as soon as possible.
3. This table is... (move). If you need to move it - do it.
4. It was very… (danger) to drive in such a pouring rain so we decided to stay.
5. What a … (taste) dinner you’ve prepared. Can you share a recipe?
6. It was... (not polite) of you to talk to her in such a manner.
7. Luckily, this…. (tragedy) event happened when everyone was out.
8. The story you told us was… (delight).
9. He has a very… (athlete) body. What kind of sport does he play?
10. What you’ve done is both … (not legal) and … (not responsible). You are left with no pocket money until the end of the year.

Also , to secure it again and test yourself

And that's all for me. I hope it has become easier and clearer for you, and now you can enrich your speech with new and. And don't forget to do the exercises. They will help you remember the theory faster.

And in order not to miss new articles on the site, subscribe to the blog newsletter. There I share useful materials, and you can regularly receive a portion of interesting English.

Until next time.

Answers:

Exercise 1

Exercise 2.

1. fearless
2. unhealthy
3. movable
4. dangerous
5. tasty
6. impolite
7. tragic
8. delightful
9. athletic
10. illegal\irresponsible

Adjective(Adjective) is an independent part of speech that indicates a characteristic of a person, object or concept and answers the question “ Which?" In English they do not have gender and number categories, so they do not change their form. Adjectives are most often used with nouns and in sentences they act as a modifier or a nominal part of a compound predicate.

• That good-looking lady is John’s wife.- That good looking Lady is John's wife.
• Matt's dog was really naughty.– Matt's dog was really naughty.

Types of adjectives by education

Adjectives The English language according to its form is divided into simple, derivatives And complex.

Simple adjectives (simple adjectives) consist of a single root without suffixes or prefixes.

• good - good
• bad - bad
• happy – cheerful, happy

• sad - sad
• My bag is old. I want to buy a new one.- My bag is old. I want to buy a new one.
• You don’t have any right to decide what is good and what is bad for me.– You have no right to decide what is good and what is bad for me.

Derivative adjectives (derivative adjectives) consist of a root with the addition of certain suffixes and prefixes. These adjectives are formed from other parts of speech, mainly verbs.

• use ful- useful, suitable
• derivat ive– derivative
• unexpect ed– unexpected
• illogic al– illogical
• scar ing- frightening, terrible
• curi ous- curious
• usel ess- useless
• imposs ible– impossible

• One unexpected accident has happened to me today.“An unexpected incident happened to me today.
• I will prove to you that this is not impossible.– I will prove to you that it is possible (not impossible).

Compound adjectives (compound adjectives) formed by the fusion of two or more bases. Such adjectives are written with a hyphen.

• well-known - well known
• good-looking – good-looking
• blue-eyed – blue-eyed
• Russian-speaking - Russian-speaking
• alcohol-free – non-alcoholic
• three-day - three days

• He drinks only alcohol-free beer.– He drinks only non-alcoholic beer.
• Haruki Murakami is a well-known writer.– Haruki Murakami is a well-known writer.

Types of adjectives by meaning

According to the rules of the English language adjectives according to their meaning and functions they are divided into quality or descriptive adjectives, quantitative adjectives, possessive adjectives, index fingers And interrogative adjectives.

Qualitative adjectives

Quality or descriptive adjectives (descriptive adjectives or adjectives of quality) indicate a certain quality, characteristic of a living object, object, concept or action. This is the largest group of adjectives. For convenience, they are divided into quality And relative adjectives.

Qualitative adjectives express direct attributes of an object: condition, properties, color, shape, size, taste, weight. Qualitative adjectives form forms of degrees of comparison.

• straight - straight
• blue - blue
• dangerous - dangerous
• strong - strong

• Kate's blue eyes can charm anyone.– Kate's blue eyes can charm anyone.
• It's dangerous to touch a snake. It may be poisonous.– Touching a snake is dangerous. It can be poisonous.

Relative adjectives indicate the material, nationality, relationship to place, time, area of ​​knowledge, interpersonal connections, and more. Usually, relative adjectives do not form degrees of comparison.

• religious - religious
• French - French
• monthly - monthly
• short-term - short-term

• Mr. Jefferson prefers French cuisine to American one.– Mr. Jefferson prefers French cuisine to American cuisine.
• His monthly salary is not that high.– His monthly salary is not that high.

Quantitative adjectives

Quantitative adjectives(quantitative adjectives or numeral adjectives) indicate the number of objects or concepts, their approximate or exact number. They are divided into certain, uncertain And dividing quantitative adjectives.

Definite Quantitative Adjectives (definite numeral adjectives) indicate the exact number of objects and concepts, or their order. They fully correspond to numerals.

• two - two
• second - second
• thirty five – thirty five
• thirty fifth – thirty fifth

• Claire has two sisters and three brothers.– Claire has two sisters and three brothers.
• Usain Bolt runs really fast so he always finishes first .– Usain Bolt runs really fast, so he always finishes first.

Indefinite quantitative adjectives(indefinite numeral adjectives) indicate an indefinite or approximate number of objects without naming it.

• all – everything, everything
• no – not a single one, nothing
• few / a few – a few, a little
• certain - certain
• some – a certain amount, a little
• any - any
• several – several, different
• sundry – various, several
• many - a lot
• much - a lot
• most – most
• little / a little – little, a little
• more - more
• none (of) – none
• too much - too much
• too many - too much
• a lot of - a lot
• plenty of – a lot, completely, in abundance

• Jack has no patience. Jack doesn't have any patience.
• There is too much of sugar in this coffee.– There is too much sugar in this coffee.

Disjunctive quantitative adjectives(distributive numeral adjectives) – adjectives that indicate one object or concept from their total number. They are mainly used with nouns singular.

• neither – none, not one (of two)
• either – both, both (of two)
• every – everyone, everyone, everyone
• each – each, everyone (separately)
• other - other, others
• the other – the other (of two), second, last
• another - another, one more

• Where is my other sock?-Where is my other sock?
• You are busy now so i will come to you another day.“You’re busy right now, so I’ll come see you another day.”
• Neither delegate knows how to fill in this application form.– Neither of the (two) delegates knows how to fill out this application.

Many and much

Adjectives many And much have the same meaning " a lot of" However many is used only with countable nouns, and much- with uncountables. They can be replaced by generic expressions a lot of(lots of)or plenty of(many, full, in abundance).

• There are many ways to solve this problem.– There are many ways to solve this problem.
• I have many cats at home.– I have a lot of cats at home.

• I always put much sugar in my tea. I have a sweet tooth.– I always put a lot of sugar in my tea. I have a sweet tooth.
• There wasn't much rain yesterday, so we could play rugby.– Yesterday the rain was light, so we were able to play rugby.

• There are a lot of places you can visit in Paris.– There are many places to visit in Paris.
• I like spaghetti with plenty of tomato sauce.- I like spaghetti with big amount tomato sauce.

Every and each

Every And each have the same meaning, so in most cases they replace each other. However, they also have differences in use.

Every used to indicate one item from a large number of other similar items. After every the plural form of the verb is never used. Every also used to indicate intervals of time or frequency of action. Every cannot be used alone.

• Every student of this university has to hand in his paper until the end of this year.– Each of the students at this university must submit their work by the end of this year.
• Every day I go to the gym.– Every day I go to the gym.
• My mother calls me every ten minutes.- My mom calls me every ten minutes.

Each indicates one item from two items or from a small number of other items. Each can be used alone at the end of a sentence. It may be followed by a pronoun one(one) to avoid repetition. Each not used to indicate time intervals.

• In this family each one takes turn throwing garbage.– In this family, everyone takes turns throwing out the trash.
• These books are worth $100 each.– These books cost 100 dollars each.

Expression each of(each of) can indicate many objects, after it a verb in a singular form should be used, but in colloquial speech a plural form is also allowed. Each of also used with pronouns you, us And them, followed by a singular verb.

• Each of the students in this group have to hand in their papers until the end of this year.– Each of the students in this group must submit their work by the end of this year.
• Each of them has to apply for this job.“Each of them should apply for this job.”

Few or a few. Little or a little

There is a difference between adjectives few / a few(somewhat, a little) and little / a little(little, a little).

Few And a few are used only with countable nouns. Few has the meaning " very little», « not enough».

• We have only few eggs left. We should buy more.- We only have a few eggs left. We must buy more.
• She had only few potatoes It wasn’t enough for a proper meal.“She had very few potatoes.” This was not enough for a full meal.

A few means " A little», « some», « few, But enough».

• Don’t worry, we still have a few minutes.“Don’t worry, we still have a few minutes.”
• I have a few cookies, i will give you some.– I have some cookies, I’ll give you a few.

Little And a little used for uncountable nouns . Little has the meaning " very little», « not enough».

• There is little flour in this box. It’s not enough for a cake.- There is not enough flour in this box. That's not enough for the pie.
• He had little patience to complete this task.– He had little patience to complete this task.

A little means " A little», « some», « few, But enough».

• I have a little coffee. I don't need more.– I have some coffee. I don't need anymore.
• I need a little time to do it. Wait a bit.– I need a little time to do this. Wait please.

Demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives(demonstrative adjectives) are demonstrative pronouns that are used not independently, but in pairs with a noun. In a sentence they are used as a modifier of nouns.

• This dog is aggressive. It's better to keep away from it.– This dog is aggressive. It's better to stay away from her.
• I like those flowers. Would you buy some for me?– I like those flowers. Will you buy some for me?

Possessive adjectives

Possessive adjectives(possessive adjectives) fully correspond to possessive pronouns. They are always used together with a noun.

• My car is broken so I will take my mother’s one.- My car is broken, so I'll take my mother's car.
• His dog broke his house.– His dog broke his house.

Interrogative adjectives

Interrogative adjectives(interrogative adjectives) correspond to question words which And what when they come immediately before nouns.

• Which house on this street is yours?-Which house on this street is yours?
• What music do you listen to?- What kind of music do you listen to?

Order of adjectives in a sentence

There is a special sequence in English adjectives in a sentence, which native speakers strictly adhere to.

Exist adjectives, which can only be used before a noun.

• north, northern – northern
• countless - countless, countless
• south, southern – southern
• occasional – random, rare, periodic
• east, eastern – eastern
• lone – lonely, withdrawn, unmarried
• west, western – western
• eventful - full of events
• outdoor - outdoor
• indoor – happening indoors

• My aunt lives in the southern district.– My aunt lives in the southern region.
• I prefer outdoor games.- I prefer games on open air.

Some adjectives are not placed before a noun. These include many common adjectives with the suffix -ed.

• I think I'm ill.- I think I'm sick.
• I'm really glad to meet you again.– I'm really glad to meet you again.
• Our project isn't finished. We have to hurry up!– Our project is not finished. We must hurry.

Adjectives ending in suffixes -able, -ible can come before or after nouns.

• I have booked the first available flight.
• I have booked the first flight available.– I booked the first available flight.

Adjectives are always placed after indefinite pronouns and never before them.

• Yesterday I met someone beautiful.– Yesterday I met a handsome man.
• Anna is trying to cook something tasty.– Anna is trying to cook something tasty.

In most cases it is used no more than three adjectives together. An adjective that is more closely related in meaning to the noun it modifies is placed before it. Speaker Rating is placed before other adjectives.

• I need a red wooden pencil.- I need red wooden pencil.
• Lauren bought a beautiful black silk dress.– Lauren bought beautiful black silk dress.

When adjectives more than three are used in a sentence, they are placed in in a certain order:

1. 1. article, quantity – article, numeral, quantitative adjective (a, one ...)
2. 2. value, opinion – assessment, opinion (fancy, beautiful, difficult, horrible ...)
3. 3. size – size (little, large, enormous ...)
4. 4. quality, temperature – quality, condition, characteristic, temperature (well-tailored, cold, hot ...)
5. 5. age – age (new, old, young, ancient ...)
6. 6. shape – shape (flat, square, round, rectangular ...)
7. 7. color – color (green, blue, pink, gray ...)
8. 8. origin – origin (American, European, lunar ...)
9. 9. material – material (metal, wooden, paper ...)
10. 10. purpose – purpose, purpose (often with -ing: sleeping bag, cutting machine, table cloth ...)
11. 11. noun – noun

• I've bought two beautiful middle-sized round red wax candles– I bought two beautiful medium-sized round red wax candles.
• Ann doesn't want to throw away this big scratched old rectangular brown wooden chest of drawers. Ann doesn't want to throw away this big scratched old rectangular brown wooden chest of drawers.