English adjectives are used to provide descriptions for individuals, locations, and objects. Utilize these guides on the principles of using English adjectives to enhance the precision and detail in your English language.
Learn about adjectives in English
- Functions of adjectives
- Using adjectives in English
- Ordering multiple adjectives
- The comparative and the superlative
- Comparing attributes
- Adjectives comparing equal quantities
- Adjectives comparing unequal quantities
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1. Functions of adjectives
Adjectives elucidate various facets of nouns. When an adjective delineates a noun, it is said to be “modifying” it. Adjectives possess the ability to:
Describe feelings or qualities,
Examples
- He is a lonely man.
- They are honest.
Give nationality or origin,
Examples
- I heard a French song.
- This clock is German.
- Our house is Victorian.
Tell more about a thing’s characteristics,
Examples
- That is a flashy car.
- The knife is sharp.
Tell us about age,
Examples
- He’s a young man.
- My coat is old.
Tell us about size and measurement,
Examples
- John is a tall man.
- This film is long.
Tell us about colour,
Examples
- Paul wore a red shirt.
- The sunset was crimson.
Tell us what something is made of,
Examples
- The table is wooden.
- She wore a cotton dress.
Tell us about shape,
Examples
- I sat at a round table.
- The envelope is square.
Express a judgement or a value.
2. Using adjectives in English
In English, adjectives remain consistent and do not alter their structure based on the gender or quantity of the noun they modify.
Examples
- This is a hot potato.
- Those are some hot potatoes.
To emphasise or strengthen the meaning of an adjective, use the adverbs very or really in front of the adjective you want to strengthen.
Examples
- This is a very hot potato
- Those are some really hot potatoes.
Adjectives in English usually appear in front of the noun that they modify.
Examples
- The beautiful girl ignored me.
- The fast red car drove away.
Adjectives can also appear after being and sensing verbs like to be, to seem , to look & to taste.
Examples
- Italy is beautiful.
- I don’t think she seems nice at all.
- You look tired.
- This meat tastes funny.
Some exceptions
Adjectives appear after the noun in some fixed expressions.
Examples
- The Princess Royal is visiting Oxford today.
- The President elect made a speech last night.
- He received a court martial the following week.
The adjectives involved, present & concerned can appear either before or after the noun that they modify, but with a different meaning depending on the placement.
Examples
| Adjective placed after the noun | Meaning | Adjective placed before the noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| I want to see the people involved. | I want to see the people who have something to do with this matter. | It was an involved discussion. | The discussion was detailed & complex. |
| Here is a list of the people present at the meeting. | Here is a list of the people who were at the meeting. | The present situation is not sustainable. | The current situation is not sustainable. |
| I need to see the man concerned by this accusation. | I need to see the man who has been accused. | A concerned father came to see me today. | A worried father came to see me today. |
3. Ordering multiple adjectives
The arrangement of multiple adjectives hinges on the role each adjective serves. The typical sequence is as follows:
quantity, value/opinion, size, temperature, age, shape, colour, origin, material
| What the adjective expresses | Examples |
|---|---|
| Quantity | four, ten, a few, several |
| Value/opinion | delicious, charming, beautiful |
| Size | tall, tiny, huge |
| Temperature | hot, cold |
| Age | old, young, new, 14-year-old |
| Shape | square, round |
| Color | red, purple, green |
| Origin | Swedish, Victorian, Chinese |
| Material | glass, silver, wooden |
Examples
- They have a lovely old red post-box.
- The playroom has six small round plastic tables.
- I bought some charming Victorian silver ornaments at the flea market.
- She is selling her flashy 3-year-old Italian car.
- It was a beautiful cold day.
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4. The comparative and the superlative
Comparative adjectives
Comparative adjectives serve the purpose of contrasting disparities between the two objects they modify (such as larger, smaller, faster, higher). They find application in sentences that draw a comparison between two nouns, following this structure:
Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).
The second element of comparison can be left out if its clarity is evident from the context (as shown in the last example).
Examples
- My house is larger than hers.
- This box is smaller than the one I lost.
- Your dog runs faster than Jim’s dog.
- The rock flew higher than the roof.
- Jim and Jack are both my friends, but I like Jack better. (“than Jim” is understood)
Superlative adjectives
Superlative adjectives are employed to depict an object that stands at the utmost extent of a particular quality (like the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). They find usage in sentences where a subject is evaluated against a set of objects.
Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).
The group under comparison can be excluded if its context is evident (as illustrated in the final example).
Examples
- My house is the largest one in our neighborhood.
- This is the smallest box I’ve ever seen.
- Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.
- We all threw our rocks at the same time. My rock flew the highest. (“of all the rocks” is understood)
Forming regular comparatives and superlatives
Creating comparatives and superlatives is a straightforward process. The structure varies based on the syllable count of the original adjective.
For adjectives with one syllable: Append -er for the comparative form and -est for the superlative form. When the adjective employs a consonant + single vowel + consonant pattern in its spelling, the last consonant should be doubled before adding the ending.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| tall | taller | tallest |
| fat | fatter | fattest |
| big | bigger | biggest |
| sad | sadder | saddest |
Two syllables
Two-syllable adjectives have the option to create comparatives by adding -er or by placing “more” before the adjective. Similarly, superlatives can be formed by adding -est or by preceding the adjective with “most.” In numerous instances, both methods are acceptable, albeit one may be more prevalent than the other. When uncertain about whether a two-syllable adjective can adopt a comparative or superlative form, it’s advisable to err on the side of caution and opt for “more” and “most.” For adjectives concluding in “y,” substitute “y” with “i” before adding the ending.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| happy | happier | happiest |
| simple | simpler | simplest |
| busy | busier | busiest |
| tilted | more tilted | most tilted |
| tangled | more tangled | most tangled |
Three or more syllables
Adjectives containing three or more syllables construct the comparative by preceding the adjective with “more” and the superlative by preceding it with “most.”
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| important | more important | most important |
| expensive | more expensive | most expensive |
Irregular comparatives and superlatives
These very common adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| little | less | least |
| much | more | most |
| far | further / farther | furthest / farthest |
Examples
- Today is the worst day I’ve had in a long time.
- You play tennis better than I do.
- This is the least expensive sweater in the store.
- This sweater is less expensive than that one.
- I ran pretty far yesterday, but I ran even farther today.
5. Comparing attributes
When making comparisons between the qualities of two entities, we employ a standard array of structures.
When qualities are identical Making comparisons of equivalent qualities is straightforward. To assess the attributes of two entities that possess equal qualities, we follow this pattern:
as + adjective describing the attribute + as
Examples
- Tom is as tall as his brother.
- I am as hungry as you are.
- Sally is as nice as Jane.
When qualities are unequal
When the attributes of the two entities differ, there are three structures that convey the same meaning.
You can opt for the pattern: not as + adjective describing the attribute + as
Alternatively, you can choose the pattern: less + adjective describing the attribute + than : This structure is more commonly used with certain adjectives than with others.
Or you can use the pattern: comparative adjective + than : This construction might necessitate reordering the phrase or employing the contrasting adjective.
Examples
- Mont Blanc is not as high as Mount Everest.
- Mont Blanc is less high than Mount Everest.
- Mont Blanc is lower than Mount Everest.
- Mount Everest is higher than Mont Blanc.
- Norway is not as sunny as Thailand.
- Norway is less sunny than Thailand.
- Thailand is sunnier than Norway.
- Norway is cloudier than Thailand.
6. Adjectives comparing equal quantities
To draw a comparison between two entities of equal measure, we utilize the following structure:
as + adjective denoting amount + (noun) + as
The choice of the quantity-based adjective relies on whether the noun being compared is countable or uncountable.
Countable nouns
Employ “as many” and “as few” when dealing with nouns that can be counted. Keep in mind that the noun can be omitted when its meaning is clear from the context, as demonstrated in the final example below.
Examples
- They have as many children as we do.
- We have as many customers as they do.
- Tom has as few books as Jane.
- There are as few houses in his village as in mine.
- You know as many people as I do.
- I have visited the States as many times as he has.
- I have three brothers. That’s as many as you have. (“brothers” is understood)
Uncountable nouns
Utilize “as much” or “as little” when referring to uncountable nouns. Remember that the noun can be excluded when its context is apparent, as shown in the final example below.
Examples
- John eats as much food as Peter.
- Jim has as little patience as Sam.
- You’ve heard as much news as I have.
- He’s had as much success as his brother has.
- They’ve got as little water as we have.
- I’m not hungry. I’ve had as much as I want. (“food” is understood)
7. Adjectives comparing unequal quantities
To compare two things that are unequal, we use the pattern:
adjective indicating quantity + (noun) + than
The quantity adjective you use depends if the noun in the comparison is countable or uncountable.
Countable nouns
Use more and fewer with countable nouns. Note that the noun may be ommitted when it is understood from the context, as in the last example below.
Examples
- They have more children than we do.
- We have more customers than they do.
- Tom has fewer books than Jane.
- There are fewer houses in his village than in mine.
- You know more people than I do.
- I have visited the States more times than he has.
- I have three brothers. That’s more than you have. (“brothers” is understood)
Uncountable nouns
Use more or less with uncountable nouns. Note that the noun may be omitted when it is understood from the context, as in the last example below.
Examples
- John eats more food than Peter.
- Jim has less patience than Sam.
- You’ve heard more news than I have.
- He’s had more success than his brother has.
- They’ve got less water than we have.
- I’m not hungry at all. I’ve had more than I want. (“food” is understood)
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Find out your A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 level of English with our online test and receive your English certificate.
Jennifer is an experienced English Language Consultant at International English Test, where she has been working full-time since February 2020. Based in London, England.
Before joining us, Jennifer was a self-employed English Language Teacher from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, she taught English Language and Literature remotely from Cambridge, England, helping numerous students improve their language skills.
Jennifer holds a degree in English Language and Literature in Cambridge. Her extensive experience and educational background make her a valuable asset in the field of English language education. She continues to contribute to us with her valuable articles about English teaching and assessment.
