Position of Adjectives

e.g. Compare the following sentences.

This is an old English song.
My friend is a nice intelligent young man.
I’ve recently bought a lovely comfortable red leather armchair for the sitting-room.

Main Points:
There are two main positions for adjectives:
a) in front of a noun,
b) as the complement of a linhk verb.

Note: Some adjectives can only be used in one of these positions.

- Only in front of a noun:

eastern existing neighbouring

southern atomic indoor occasional
northern countless introductory outdoor
western digital maximum

- Only after a link verb:

afraid asleep due ready unable

alive aware glad sorry well
alone content ill sure

Order of Adjectives

1st 2nd
opinion adjectives Descriptiv adjectives
e

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
general specific size shape age colour nationality material

Exercises:
A. Are the adjectives in these phrases in the adequate order?

1. ... a long hot day... 6. ...a big juicy steak...

2. ...a large black dog... 7. ...a slim graceful woman...
3. ...a tall handsome young man... 8. ...a grey woollen pillover...
4. ...short fat legs... 9. ...a large comfortable armchair...
5. ...a new red dress... 10. ...a long difficult journey...

B. Rewrite them in the correct order.

Degrees of Adjectives

1. Look at the examples and match the beginnings and ends of the rules.
 more/most beautiful more/most careful more/most distant
easier/easiest faster/fastest happier/happiest later/latest
more/most intelligent nicer/nicest older/oldest

Rules
To make the comparative and superlative you:
of:
one-syllable adjectives ending in -e put more and most in front.
other one-syllable adjectives change y to i and add -er, -est.
two-syllable adjectives ending in -y add -er, -est.
other two-syllable adjectives put more and most in front.
longer adjectives (more than two-syllable add -r, -st.
ones)

2. Look at these examples and complete the rule correctly.

bigger longest fatter shortest sweeter hottest
oldest plainer thinnest meaner

Rule
Before -er and -est, we double the last consonant of:
a) all adjectives,
b) adjectives that have three letters,
c) adjectives that have one vowel,
d) adjectives that end in one vowel + one consonant,
e) adjectives that end in -g or -t.

3. Write the comparative and superlative degrees of:

boring cheap fine full funny handsom hard honest
e
interesting lazy light nervous sad safe silly sorry
stupid uncomfortabl useful violent wet
e

Note: A few adjectives have an irregular comparative and superlative forms.

good/well better best

bad/badly worse worst
far farther/further farthest/furthest
old older/elder oldest/eldest
much/many more most
little less least

Note:
elder/eldest are used with: brother, sister, son, daughter, grandson and granddaughter.