Form and Function of Adjectives

Form:

1. Adjectives are invariable.
2. They are used to give more information about a noun.
3. The singular and plural of adjectives have the same form.

1. Adjectives are invariable : They do not change their form depending on the gender or number of the noun

A hot potato.
The hot potatoes.

2.To emphasise or strengthen the meaning of an adjective use 'very' or 'really' :

A very hot potato.
The really hot potatoes.

3. Adjectives can be in front of the noun or after a verb such as 'be'

A beautiful girl.
The girl is beautiful.

Function:

Describe feelings or qualities:
- He is a lonely man.
- They are honest people.

Give nationality:
- Pierre is French.
- Siegfried is German.

Tell more about a thing's characteristics:
- A wooden table.
- The knife is sharp.

Tell us about age:
- He is a young man.
- She is a teenager.

Tell us about size and measurement:
- John is a tall man.
- This is a very long film.

Tell us about color:
- Paul wore a red shirt.
- The sunset was crimson and gold.

Adjectives can modify the noun:

The delicate, intricate, gold and silver statues in the
Buddhist temple.

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

good			better 			best

bad 			worse 			worst

little			less 			least

much			more			most

far			further 		furthest

the + Superlative

the is placed before the superlative.
He is the richest man in the world.

The Comparative +than

Example: Peter is older than Alan.

Function: To compare the difference between two people, things or events.

Mary is older than Susan.

Examples:

Mt.Everest is higher than Mt.Blanc.
Thailand is sunnier than Norway.
A car is more expensive than a bicycle.
Albert is more intelligent than Arthur.

AS + Comparative + AS

Example: Peter is 24 years old. John is 24 years old.
Peter is as old as John.

Function: To compare people, places, events or things, when there is no difference.
Richard is as handsome as Robert.

Examples:

Moscow is as cold as St.Petersburg in the winter.
Ramona is as happy as Raphael.
Einstein is as famous as Darwin.
A tiger is as dangerous as a lion.

Not as...as

Difference can be shown by using not as ...as:

He is not as intelligent as she.

Einstein is not as famous as Darwin.

A cat is not as dangerous as a lion.

Ramona is not as happy as Raphael.

Comparisons of Quantity

To show difference: MORE, LESS, FEWER + THAN

Examples:

With a countable noun:

Eloise has more money than Chantal.
Chantal has less money than Eloise.

- less time
- less water
- less information

With an uncountable noun:

Eloise has more children than Chantal.
Chantal has fewer children than Eloise.

- fewer dogs
- fewer countries
- fewer books

MORE + nouns that are countable or uncountable
FEWER + countable nouns
LESS + uncountable nouns

To show no difference: AS + MUCH + AS , AS + MANY + AS

AS MANY AS + countable nouns
AS MUCH AS + uncountable nouns

Examples:

With countable nouns

They have as many children as us.
We have as many children as them.

- as many houses as
- as many people as
- as many times as

With uncountable nouns

John eats as much food as Peter.
Peter eats as much food as John.

- as much news as
- as much success as
- as much water as