English Grammar I Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs. 7.1 The different functions of adjectives and adverbs Adjectives are used to modify nouns, pronouns. There

English Grammar I

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs


7.1 The different functions of adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives are used to modify nouns, pronouns.

There is a large tree in front of the church.

The students are nervous.


In the first sentence, the adjective “large” is used to modify the tree, and in

the second sentence, the adjective “nervous” is used to modify the students.


Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs themselves.

The children are playing happily in the playground.

It has been extremely cold recently. The taxi driver is driving very quickly

on the freeway.


In the first sentence, the adverb “happily” is used to modify the verb playing.

In the second example, the adverb “extremely” is used to modify the adjective cold.

In the third sentence, the adverb “very” is used to modify the adverb quickly.


7.1-1 Forming of Adverbs: 1) Most adverbs are formed by simply a

dding ly to the adjectives.

warm→ warmly correct→ correctly 2) When adjectives end in ic, the syllable

al is usually added before the ly ending. dramatic→ dramatically


3) When adjectives ends in y preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to i and ly is added.

busy→ busily happy→ happily 4) Adjectives end in le preceded by a c

onsonant, change the final e into ly.

favorable→ favorably simple→ simply


7.1-2 Adjective with something, someone, anything, anyone

Generally speaking, adjectives usually go before nouns. However, they should be after something, anything, someone and anyone.


I have something urgent to do, so I have to go now.

There must be something wrong with him.


7.1-3 A- Adjectives The so-called a- adjectives are afraid,

alike, alive, alone, ashamed, asleep, awake, aware. These adjectives always show up after a linking verb.

The children were ashamed. The professor remained aloof. He was so tired that he soon fell asleep.


7.1-4 Exercise: Adjectives or Adverbs Lucy is a _____________ (quiet) girl. Could you please speak more _____

(slow)? Snow White and the prince lived

together _______ (happy). My English teacher always dresses

________. (formal)


It has been raining _________ (heavy) for two hours.

Ryan thinks _____________ (quick). “I love you”, Ted said ________. (soft) Susie didn’t go to work today. She

wasn’t _____________ (good) today. All of my family woke up because the

phone rang __________ (noisy).


7.1-5 Adverbs which do not use the ending ly

Table 7.1: adverbs that have some forms as adjectives


adjective Adverb adjective adverb

fast fast early early

hard hard straight straight

far far near near

late late high high

low low long long


Joe is a fast runner. He runs fast. Mr. Wang is a hard worker. He works hard. Linda was late for school because she got

up late this morning. My daughter has short and straight hair. You must go straight home after school.


7.1-6 Adverbs are closely related, but have different meanings.

Table 7.2 :Adverbs with different meanings


hard Study hard or you will be failed.

hardlyIt hardly rains in winter in southern Taiwan.

lateHis wife looked at him angrily because he came back late again.

latelyI haven’t seen you lately. How have you been?


nearThe thief held his breath when the police walked near.

nearlyI have nearly finished reading the novel.

highThe audience threw their hats high in the air.

highlyI highly recommend this brand of shampoo.


7.1-8 Exercise : Put adjectives or adverbs to complete each sentences

1. Franks sings __________ (good).2. Your brother is lazy. He ______ (hard)

works.3. Have you ever been to any foreign

countries ____________ (late)?4. Louis _______ (near) had an accident

last night.


7.2 The order of the adjectives: When a noun is modified by more than

one more adjective, the adjectives should go in the following order listed in table 7.3.


Table 7.3: The order of adjectives

1) Opinion: Opinion adjectives are used to state about your thought.

Examples: beautiful, horrible, difficult, awful

opinion

size age Shape colornationalit

ymaterial


2) Size: Size adjectives explain how big or small something is.

Examples: large, tiny, huge, small 3) Shape: Shape adjectives describe

the shape of something.

Examples: square, round, flat, triangle


4) Color: Color adjectives are used to describe the color of objects.

Examples: red, pink, black-and-white, purple, dark-blue

5) Origin: Origin adjectives are used to describe where something is from.

Examples: American, European, French


6) Material: Material adjectives are used to state what things are made from.

Examples: wool, cotton, plastic, wooden, mental, silk

7) Purpose: Purpose adjectives describe what things are used for.

Examples: sleeping bag, walking stick


7. 3 Linking Verb A linking verb is a verb that links the

subject of the sentence to tell something about that subject. Linking verbs must be followed by a complement in order to make the sentence complete.


Table 7.4: The linking verbs

be become feel grow

look remain smell seem

sound appear taste stay


I feel cold. Can you turn the electrical fan off?

Please don’t scream and try to remain calm.

The music sounds great. She seems cold. Give her a coat.


7.3-1 Linking verbs or Action verbs: Sometimes a linking verb can be used

as an action verb. When a verb is followed by a direct object, it is an action verb. When it is followed by a predicate adjective or noun, it is a linking verb. Linking verbs should be modified by adjectives.


Linking verb: Your answers did not appear to be correct.

Action verb: The actor appeared suddenly and talked about his new movie.

Linking verb: That steak looks great! Action verb: Mr. Gray looks at his daug

hter angrily.


7.3-2 Exercise : Write “A” for action verbs and “L” for linking verbs.

1. Immigrants always feel nervous when moving to a new country.

2. Brant turned the pages quickly. He didn’t like the novel at all.

3. What’s on your mind? You seem unhappy.

4. How could you appear suddenly?


7.3-3 Exercise: Adjectives or Adverbs.

1. The fur of the cat feels ______ (soft).

2. The wound on your knee looks ___ (bad).

3. Look at the blackboard ______ (careful).

4. The coffee tastes ______ (awful).

5. The chef tastes the soup ____ (happy).

6. Tom looked at my lunchbox ____ (eager).


7.4 Present Participle and Past Participle

A verb with an - ing form is called present participle. It conveys an active meaning and modifies things. A verb with an –ed form is called past participle. It conveys a passive meaning and modifies people.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs Math always confuses me. ( a verb). I am always confused at math. ( a past

participle) Math is a confusing subject for me. (a p

resent participle) I feel bored in math class. Mr. Wang is a boring teacher.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs 7.4-1 Exercise: Present Participle or

participle:1. “Independence Day” is an _________

(excite) movie.2. The sign ________ (confuse) the man.

He looks _________ (confuse).3. We had a ____________ (tire) trip.4. Cockroaches and mice are ________

(disgust).

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs 7.5 Comparative & Superlative When we talk about two things, we can

make a comparison between them. We can see if they are the same or different. We use comparative adjectives to describe the differences. When we compare more than two things, we often use the superlative forms.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs 7.5-1 The forming of comparative a

nd superlative:

1) Most comparative form of adjectives is formed with the ending er and superlative form is formed with the ending of est+ the:


adjective Comparative superlative

young younger the youngest

old older the oldest

long longer the longest


2) When an adjective ends in a silent e, -r is added for the comparative form and –st+ the is added for superlative form.adjective Comparative superlative

wide wider the widest

close closer the closest

late later the latest


3) When an adjective ends in y preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to i before the ending -er is added to form the comparative and –est + the is added for the superlative form.



happy happier the happiest

busy busier the busiest

easy easier the easiest


4) When an adjective ends in a single consonant except for w, x or y, following a single stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled before the ending er or est is added.



thin thinner the thinnest

fat fatter the fattest

big bigger the biggest


5) Irregular adjectives: Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms.

Their comparative forms are as follows.



many more most

much more most

good better best

well better best

bad worse worst

ill worse worst



little less least

late later, latter last, latest

farfarther, further

farthest, furthest


＊ The difference between less and fewer, the fewest and the least: “less” is used with no countable nouns and “fewer” is used for plural. “least” means smallest in size or amount.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs There is less traffic on the road today tha

n yesterday. They have fewer books than us. Although Miss Lee has the least experie

nce, she is the best teacher in our school.


＊ The difference between “later” and “latter”, “last” and “latest”: “Later” means a time in the future. “Latter” means being the second of two things. “Last” means coming after all other similar things or people and “latest” means the newest.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs We will take a vacation later this year. We have two solutions for this problem.

The latter seems better than the former. Have you heard the latest news? He is the last man I will ask for help.


＊ The difference between “farther”, and “further”, “ farthest”, and “ furthest”: “Farther” and “farthest” are used for distance. “Further” and “furthest” are used to express additional or advanced.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs Neptune is the farthest planet to the ear

th. I am exhausted. I can’t go any farther. Do you have any further questions?

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs 7.5-2 Double Comparative: Double comparative is always used to

mean that something is changing. We can use “the …the” with comparative to express two things change together.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs It is getting darker and darker. My grandmother is walking more and m

ore slowly. Sue is growing taller and taller. The more you have, the more you want. The more one learns, the less one kno

ws.

Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs 7.5-3 Exercise: Complete each sente

nce with comparative or superlative

1. Walt Disney World is ______ (popular) theme park in the world.

2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is ________ (world busy) airport.


3. In 2008, Warren Buffet is _____ (rich) person in the world. He is much_____ (rich) than Bill Gates. Actually, he is _____ (rich) than _____ (all the other person) in the world.

4. According to the survey made in 2008, London is _______ (expensive) city in the world.

Documents

English Grammar I Unit 7: Adjectives & Adverbs. 7.1 The different functions of adjectives and adverbs Adjectives are used to modify nouns, pronouns. There