Adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns. In English they are invariable — no agreement for number or gender: .
Position
Attributive (before the noun): .
Predicative (after linking verbs ):
A few adjectives are predicative only: . \(\to\)
Order of adjectives
When several adjectives stack up before a noun, native speakers follow a fairly fixed order:
| opinion | size | age | shape | colour | origin | material | purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lovely | big | old | round | brown | Italian | wooden | dining |
(extreme, but grammatical). Realistic examples: , , .
vs. adjectives
adjectives describe the source of a feeling; adjectives describe the person who feels it. Pairs to know: .
Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or whole sentences:
Formation
Most adverbs of manner add to an adjective: . Irregular: , and some words are the same as adjectives: .
is not the adverb of : (= with effort) vs. (= almost never).
is not the adverb of : vs. (= recently).
After linking verbs, use an adjective, not an adverb: \(\to\) (not , in careful usage).
Position of adverbs
Manner, place, time usually come at the end, in that order:
Frequency adverbs (…) go before the main verb, after , and after the first auxiliary:
Never place an adverb between verb and direct object: \(\to\)
Comparatives and superlatives
Formation
@L4.5cmL3.8cmL4.2cm@ Type & Comparative & Superlative
one syllable & &
one syllable, CVC & &
two syllables in & &
longer adjectives & &
irregular & &
Patterns
after comparatives:
for equality:
Softening or strengthening:
Repeated comparative = continuing change:
:
\(\to\) (never combine with an form). — after , use object pronouns informally () or a full clause formally ().
Prepositions
Prepositions of place:
@L2cmL5.3cmL5.6cm@ & Idea & Examples
& inside a 3-D space or area &
& touching a surface or line &
& at a point; at an event &
Prepositions of time:
@L2cmL5.3cmL5.6cm@ & Used for & Examples
& months, years, seasons, parts of the day, periods &
& days and dates &
& clock times, points, holidays as periods &
No preposition before : \(\to\) ; \(\to\) .
Movement and other common prepositions
(direction: — but , no ); (entering/leaving); ; (a tunnel), (a road), (a river), , (two) and (more than two, as a group); (= next to; also means of transport: — but ); (duration: ), (inside a named period: ), (starting point: ).
\(\to\)
\(\to\)
\(\to\)
\(\to\)
\(\to\)
\(\to\)
Exercises
Adjective or adverb? Choose the correct word.
She dances really (beautiful / beautifully).
The exam was surprisingly (easy / easily).
He drives too (fast / fastly).
I did (good / well) in the test, and I feel (good / well) about it.
The team played (bad / badly) in the first half.
Comparatives and superlatives Complete with the correct form of the adjective in brackets.
This is
(bad) film I’ve ever seen.
My new flat is much
(big) than the old one.
The test wasn’t as
(difficult) as I expected.
(far) you go from the coast,
(dry) the climate becomes.
She’s one of
(talented) musicians in the country.
in, on, or at? Fill each gap with , , or .
The meeting is
Tuesday
3 p.m.
She was born
1998
a small town
the north of Spain.
I’ll see you
the bus stop
the morning.
There’s a stain
your shirt.
He isn’t
work today; he’s
home.
Word order Put the words in the correct order.
bought / leather / Italian / an / she / beautiful / handbag
English / speaks / very / he / fluently
always / on time / is / the / train / almost
last night / at the theatre / wonderfully / performed / the actors