Adjectives

Adjectives can be identified using a number of formal criteria. However, we may begin by saying that they typically describe an attribute of a noun:

cold weather large windows violent storms

Some adjectives can be identified by their endings. Typical adjective endings include:

-able/-ible	achievable, capable, illegible, remarkable
-al	biographical, functional, internal, logical
-ful	beautiful, careful, grateful, harmful
-ic	cubic, manic, rustic, terrific
-ive	attractive, dismissive, inventive, persuasive
-less	breathless, careless, groundless, restless
-ous	courageous, dangerous, disastrous, fabulous

However, a large number of very common adjectives cannot be identified in this way. They do not have typical adjectival form:

bad bright clever cold common complete dark deep difficult

distant elementary good great honest hot main morose old

quiet real red silent simple strange wicked wide young

As this list shows, adjectives are formally very diverse. However, they have a number of characteristics which we can use to identify them.

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Characteristics of Adjectives

Adjectives can take a modifying word, such as very, extremely, or less, before them:

very cold weather extremely large windows less violent storms

Here, the modifying word locates the adjective on a scale of comparison, at a position higher or lower than the one indicated by the adjective alone.

This characteristic is known as GRADABILITY. Most adjectives are gradable, though if the adjective already denotes the highest position on a scale, then it is non-gradable:

my main reason for coming	~*my very main reason for coming
the principal role in the play	~*the very principal role in the play

As well as taking modifying words like very and extremely,adjectives also take different forms to indicate their position on a scale of comparison: big bigger biggest

The lowest point on the scale is known as the ABSOLUTE form, the middle point is known as the COMPARATIVE form, and the highest point is known as the SUPERLATIVE form. Here are some more examples:

Absolute	Comparative	Superlative
dark	darker	darkest
new	newer	newest
old	older	oldest
young	younger	youngest

In most cases, the comparative is formed by adding -er , and the superlative is formed by adding -est, to the absolute form. However, a number of very common adjectives are irregular in this respect:

Absolute	Comparative	Superlative
good	better	best
bad	worse	worst
far	farther	farthest

Some adjectives form the comparative and superlative using more and most respectively:

Absolute	Comparative	Superlative
important	more important	most important
miserable	more miserable	most miserable
recent	more recent	most recent

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