- The schoolhouse\u00a0was<\/em> red<\/strong>.<\/li>\n \t
- I looked<\/em> good<\/strong> today.<\/li>\n \t
- She was<\/em> funny<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nNumbers can also be adjectives in some\u00a0cases. When you say \"Seven is my lucky\u00a0number,\"\u00a0seven\u00a0<\/em>is a noun, but when you say \"There are seven cats in this painting,\"\u00a0seven<\/em> is an adjective because it is modifying the noun\u00a0cats<\/em>.\n
\nPractice<\/h3>\nIdentify the adjectives in the following sentences:\n
- Of the four\u00a0seasons, fall is my favorite; I love the\u00a0red leaves, the\u00a0cool weather, and the\u00a0brisk wind.<\/li>\n \t
- My roommate, on the other hand, thinks that summer is the best season.<\/li>\n \t
- I think she is crazy.<\/li>\n \t
- Fall is\u00a0better than summer. Summer is too hot and muggy to be enjoyable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[reveal-answer q=\"383934\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"383934\"]\n\nThe adjectives have been bolded in the sentences below:\n
- Of the four<\/strong> seasons, fall is my favorite<\/strong>; I love the\u00a0red<\/strong> leaves, the\u00a0cool<\/strong> weather, and the\u00a0brisk<\/strong> wind.<\/li>\n \t
- My roommate, on the other hand, thinks that summer is the best<\/strong> season.<\/li>\n \t
- I think she is crazy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n \t
- Fall is better<\/strong> than summer. Summer is too hot<\/strong> and muggy<\/strong> to be enjoyable<\/strong>. (All of these adjectives follow linking verbs.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\n
Comparable Adjectives<\/h2>\n
![\"Icon](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2232\/2017\/07\/20162824\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-21-at-3.44.43-PM-300x230.png\")
Some adjectives are comparable<\/strong>. For example, a person may be polite, but another person may be more polite, and a third person may be the most polite of the three. The word more<\/em>\u00a0here modifies the adjective polite<\/em>\u00a0to indicate a comparison is being made (a comparative<\/strong>), and most<\/em>\u00a0modifies the adjective to indicate an absolute comparison (a superlative<\/strong>).\n\nThere is another way to compare adjectives in English.\u00a0Many adjectives can take the suffixes -er<\/em>\u00a0and -est<\/em>\u00a0(sometimes requiring additional letters before the suffix; see forms for far<\/i> below) to indicate the comparative and\u00a0superlative forms, respectively:\n- great<\/em>, greater<\/em>, greatest<\/em><\/dd>\n \t
- deep<\/em>, deeper<\/em>, deepest<\/em><\/dd>\n \t
- far<\/em>, farther<\/em>, farthest<\/em><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\nSome adjectives are irregular<\/i> in this sense:\n
- good<\/em>, better<\/em>, best<\/em><\/dd>\n \t
- bad<\/em>, worse<\/em>, worst<\/em><\/dd>\n \t
- little<\/em>, less<\/em>, least<\/em><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\nAnother way to convey comparison is by incorporating the words more<\/em>\u00a0and most<\/em>. There is no simple rule to decide which means is correct for any given adjective, however. The general tendency is for shorter\u00a0adjectives to take the suffixes, while longer adjectives do not\u2014but sometimes sound<\/i> of the word is the deciding factor.\n
more beautiful\u00a0<\/em>not\u00a0beautifuller\nmore pretentious <\/em>not\u00a0pretentiouser<\/em>\n<\/em><\/p>\nWhile there is no perfect rule to determine which adjectives will or won't take -er<\/em> and -est<\/em> suffixes, this video lays out some \"sound rules\" that can serve as helpful guidelines:\n<\/span>\n\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/Mxblg8xKBoc\n
\nA Note about\u00a0Fun<\/em><\/h3>\nThe adjective\u00a0fun<\/em> is one of the most notable\u00a0exceptions to the rules. If you follow the sound rules we just learned about, the comparative should be\u00a0funner<\/em> and the superlative\u00a0funnest<\/em>. However, for a long time, these words were considered\u00a0non-standard, with\u00a0more fun<\/em> and\u00a0most fun<\/em> acting as the correct forms.\n\nThe reasoning behind this rule is now obsolete (it has a lot to do with the way\u00a0fun<\/em> became an adjective), but the stigma against\u00a0funner<\/em> and\u00a0funnest<\/em> remains. While the tides are beginning to change, it's safest to stick to\u00a0more fun<\/em> and\u00a0most fun<\/em> in formal situations (such as in academic writing or in professional correspondence).\n\n<\/div>\n
\nPractice<\/h3>\nWhat are\u00a0the correct comparative and superlative forms for the adjectives below?\n
Adjective<\/th>\n Comparative<\/th>\n Superlative<\/th>\n<\/tr><\/thead> fun<\/em><\/td>\n more fun<\/em> (or\u00a0funner<\/em>, conversationally)<\/td>\n most fun<\/em> (or\u00a0funnest<\/em>, conversationally)<\/td>\n<\/tr> red<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> shimmery<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> fresh<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> popular<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> squishy<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> quiet<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> large<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n[reveal-answer q=\"393114\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"393114\"]\n Adjective<\/th>\n Comparative<\/th>\n Superlative<\/th>\n<\/tr><\/thead> fun<\/em><\/td>\n more fun<\/em> (or\u00a0funner<\/em>, conversationally)<\/td>\n most fun<\/em> (or\u00a0funnest<\/em>, conversationally)<\/td>\n<\/tr> red<\/td>\n redder<\/td>\n reddest<\/td>\n<\/tr> shimmery<\/td>\n more shimmery<\/td>\n most shimmery<\/td>\n<\/tr> fresh<\/td>\n fresher<\/td>\n freshest<\/td>\n<\/tr> popular<\/td>\n more popular<\/td>\n most popular<\/td>\n<\/tr> squishy<\/td>\n squishier<\/td>\n squishiest<\/td>\n<\/tr> quiet<\/td>\n quieter<\/td>\n quietest<\/td>\n<\/tr> large<\/td>\n larger<\/td>\n largest<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\n Non-Comparable Adjectives<\/h2>\nMany adjectives do not naturally lend themselves to comparison. For example, some English speakers would argue that it does not make sense to say that one thing is \"more ultimate\" than another, or that something is \"most ultimate,\" since the word ultimate<\/em> is already an absolute. Such adjectives are called non-comparable adjectives<\/strong>. Other examples include\u00a0dead<\/em>,\u00a0true<\/em>, and unique<\/em>.\n
Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Native speakers will frequently play with non-comparable\u00a0adjectives. Although pregnant<\/em> is logically non-comparable (someone is pregnant or she\u00a0is\u00a0not), you\u00a0may hear a sentence like \"She looks more and more pregnant each day.\" Likewise extinct<\/em>\u00a0and equal<\/em>\u00a0appear to be non-comparable, but one might say that a language about which nothing is known is \"more extinct\" than a well-documented language with surviving literature but no speakers, and George Orwell\u00a0once wrote \"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.\"<\/div>\n\nPractice<\/h3>\nLook at the following list of adjectives. Are they comparable or non-comparable? Explain your reasoning why. If the adjective is comparable, list its comparative and superlative forms.\u00a0For example:\n
- Tall<\/em> is a comparable adjective. Height exists on a scale: there are many different heights. The\u00a0comparative is\u00a0taller<\/em>, and the superlative is\u00a0tallest<\/em>.<\/li>\n \t
- Dead<\/em> is a non-comparable. You are either dead or alive.\u00a0However, this concept is played with in the movie\u00a0The Princess Bride<\/em>. Miracle Max says Wesley is\u00a0\"only mostly dead.\" Max is\u00a0expressing the fact that\u00a0Wesley is still alive, despite being very close to death's door.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
impossible<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n large<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr> pretty<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n nuclear<\/td>\n [practice-area rows=\"1\"][\/practice-area]<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n[reveal-answer q=\"245005\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"245005\"]\n impossible<\/td>\n Impossible<\/em> is a non-comparable adjective. Impossible<\/em> is defined as something that can't happen; this can't be graded on a scale.\u00a0However, people will play on this\u00a0for emphasis: \"That's the most impossible idea I've ever heard.\"<\/td>\n large<\/td>\n Large<\/em> is a comparable adjective. Size exists on a scale. The\u00a0comparative is\u00a0larger<\/em>, and the superlative is\u00a0largest<\/em>.<\/td>\n<\/tr> pretty<\/td>\n Pretty<\/em>\u00a0is a comparable adjective. Attractiveness exists on a scale. The comparative is prettier<\/em>, and the superlative is prettiest<\/em>.<\/td>\n nuclear<\/td>\n Nuclear<\/em> is a non-comparable adjective. It is a classification, not a gradable quality. In phrases like \"the most nuclear\u00a0weapons\"\u00a0most<\/em> is referring to\u00a0how many weapons there are, not\u00a0\"how nuclear\" the weapons are.<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>","rendered":" ![\"Figure](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2232\/2017\/07\/20162821\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-21-at-4.45.37-PM-264x300.png\")
An adjective modifies a noun; that is, it provides more detail about a noun. This can be anything from color to size to temperature to personality.\u00a0Adjectives usually\u00a0occur just before the nouns they modify. In the following examples, adjectives are in bold, while the nouns they modify are in italics (the big<\/strong>\u00a0bear<\/em>):<\/p>\n- \n
- The generator is used to convert mechanical<\/strong> energy<\/em> into electrical<\/strong> energy<\/em>.<\/li>\n
- The steel<\/strong> pipes<\/em> contain a protective sacrificial<\/strong> anode<\/em> and are surrounded by packing<\/strong> material<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Adjectives can also follow a linking verb. In these instances, adjectives can modify pronouns as well. In the following examples, adjectives are still bold, while the linking verb is in italics this time (the sun is<\/em> yellow<\/strong>):<\/p>\n
- \n
- The schoolhouse\u00a0was<\/em> red<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- I looked<\/em> good<\/strong> today.<\/li>\n
- She was<\/em> funny<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Numbers can also be adjectives in some\u00a0cases. When you say “Seven is my lucky\u00a0number,”\u00a0seven\u00a0<\/em>is a noun, but when you say “There are seven cats in this painting,”\u00a0seven<\/em> is an adjective because it is modifying the noun\u00a0cats<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\nPractice<\/h3>\n
Identify the adjectives in the following sentences:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Of the four\u00a0seasons, fall is my favorite; I love the\u00a0red leaves, the\u00a0cool weather, and the\u00a0brisk wind.<\/li>\n
- My roommate, on the other hand, thinks that summer is the best season.<\/li>\n
- I think she is crazy.<\/li>\n
- Fall is\u00a0better than summer. Summer is too hot and muggy to be enjoyable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nShow Answer<\/span><\/p>\n\n
The adjectives have been bolded in the sentences below:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Of the four<\/strong> seasons, fall is my favorite<\/strong>; I love the\u00a0red<\/strong> leaves, the\u00a0cool<\/strong> weather, and the\u00a0brisk<\/strong> wind.<\/li>\n
- My roommate, on the other hand, thinks that summer is the best<\/strong> season.<\/li>\n
- I think she is crazy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Fall is better<\/strong> than summer. Summer is too hot<\/strong> and muggy<\/strong> to be enjoyable<\/strong>. (All of these adjectives follow linking verbs.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Comparable Adjectives<\/h2>\n
Some adjectives are comparable<\/strong>. For example, a person may be polite, but another person may be more polite, and a third person may be the most polite of the three. The word more<\/em>\u00a0here modifies the adjective polite<\/em>\u00a0to indicate a comparison is being made (a comparative<\/strong>), and most<\/em>\u00a0modifies the adjective to indicate an absolute comparison (a superlative<\/strong>).<\/p>\nThere is another way to compare adjectives in English.\u00a0Many adjectives can take the suffixes –er<\/em>\u00a0and –est<\/em>\u00a0(sometimes requiring additional letters before the suffix; see forms for far<\/i> below) to indicate the comparative and\u00a0superlative forms, respectively:<\/p>\n
- \n
- great<\/em>, greater<\/em>, greatest<\/em><\/dd>\n
- deep<\/em>, deeper<\/em>,
- My roommate, on the other hand, thinks that summer is the best<\/strong> season.<\/li>\n
- Of the four<\/strong> seasons, fall is my favorite<\/strong>; I love the\u00a0red<\/strong> leaves, the\u00a0cool<\/strong> weather, and the\u00a0brisk<\/strong> wind.<\/li>\n
- I looked<\/em> good<\/strong> today.<\/li>\n
- The steel<\/strong> pipes<\/em> contain a protective sacrificial<\/strong> anode<\/em> and are surrounded by packing<\/strong> material<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Dead<\/em> is a non-comparable. You are either dead or alive.\u00a0However, this concept is played with in the movie\u00a0The Princess Bride<\/em>. Miracle Max says Wesley is\u00a0\"only mostly dead.\" Max is\u00a0expressing the fact that\u00a0Wesley is still alive, despite being very close to death's door.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
- bad<\/em>, worse<\/em>, worst<\/em><\/dd>\n \t
- deep<\/em>, deeper<\/em>, deepest<\/em><\/dd>\n \t
- My roommate, on the other hand, thinks that summer is the best<\/strong> season.<\/li>\n \t
- Of the four<\/strong> seasons, fall is my favorite<\/strong>; I love the\u00a0red<\/strong> leaves, the\u00a0cool<\/strong> weather, and the\u00a0brisk<\/strong> wind.<\/li>\n \t
- I looked<\/em> good<\/strong> today.<\/li>\n \t