English Grammar Rules
English Grammar Rules
English Grammar Rules
Adjectives are descriptive words and they describe the noun in context. Adjectives usually
answer the questions like "which", "what kind of", "how many", etc.
The little boy
A new toy
Enough meatloaf
Similar Subjects:
Adverbs
Adjective Vs Noun
Adjectives vs Adverbs Details
Intensifiers
PDF: Forming Adjectives
Exercises / Quizzes:
Adjectives Adverbs Exercises (Classic)
Adjective/Adverbs Multiple Choice
Types of Adjectives
Attributive
Attributives are the ones that come right before the word(s) they modify.
The old man asked a question.
That is a good book.
I found an old, black, cotton sweater.
Appositive
Appositives come after the words they modify. They are usually used in pairs.
The woman, beautiful and smart, knew what she was doing.
The winner, tired but happy, waved and smiled.
Predicate
Predicates come after verb to be or after linking verbs. They come at the end of
the sentence and they modify the subject.
The tickets are expensive.
Degrees of Adjectives
Use
Example
er
Shorter adjectives
(1 syllable or 2)
more
longer adjectives
(2 or more syllables)
more
Absolute Adjectives
You either have the quality or you don't. There is no comparison. Dead, perfect, round...
You can't be deader than someone else who is only dead.
Some Absolute Adjectives:
absolute
complete
devoid
final
square
full
meaningful
superior
basic
empty
excellent
dead
essential
harmless
obvious
ultimate
certain
entire
fatal
perfect
unique
immortal
pure
universal
Informally, to emphasize or metaphorically, you may hear people say "I am more dead",
"This one is whiter". But they are misusing absolute adjectives.
Adverbs
Function of an adverb:
Adverbs are used to give more information about the action in a sentence. They mainly modify
verbs. They tell us how, where, when...etc something happens or is done.
Related Subjects:
Adjectives
Adverbials
Adjectives vs Adverbs
Subject Exercises / Quizzes:
Adjectives Adverbs Exercises (classic)
Adjectives / Adverbs Multiple Choice
Forming Adverbs
They are generally made from adjectives.
Many adverbs of manner and degree are formed by putting -ly at the end of an
adjectives.
slow - slowly
happy - happily
cold - coldly
rapid - rapidly
bad - badly
kind - kindly
Degrees of Adverbs
Superlative : Expresses the highest or the lowest degree when comparing more
than two things/persons.
Brad walks the slowest.
COMPARATIVE
SUPERLATIVE
fast
faster
the fastest
early
earlier
the earliest
late
later
the latest
hard
harder
the hardest
COMPARATIVE
SUPERLATIVE
easily
more easily
most easily
quickly
more quickly
most quickly
fluently
more fluently
most fluently
carefully
more carefully
most carefully
COMPARATIVE
SUPERLATIVE
well
better
the best
badly
worse
the worst
far
father / further
much
more
the most
I have been living in L.A since 2002. (where and how long?)
I moved here in 2002 because of better job opportunities. (when and why?)
They can be classified into three groups:
Adverbs
Adverbial Phrases
Adverbial Clauses
As Adverbs
They modify the verb of the sentence and they are mostly used at the end of the
sentences ending in -ly.
The teacher looked at me anxiously.
My father always drives very carefully.
Note:
Not all the adverbs of manner end in ly, there are a few exceptions like these:
Hard / fast / late / straight
In order to pass his exams, he studied very hard. Dont drive fast.
As Adverbial Phrases
They are composed of a group of two or more words modifying a verb.
We decided to take part in this film in May last September.
I tried to drive as carefully as I could, but I couldn't avoid hitting the tree.
I will escape as far as I can.
As Adverbial Clauses
An adverbial clause is a dependent sentence which has a function of an adverb.
See reducing adverbial clauses.
They can be classified into six groups:
Time: when / while / after / before / as soon as / by the time / since / until / as / as
long as etc.
Purpose: so that / in order that / lest / in case / for the purpose that / for fear that
Comparison: as if / as though
Adjectives vs Adverbs
Key Difference:
Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
Also See:
Adjectives
Adverbs
Exercises:
Adjectives Adverbs Exercises
1) Adverbs and Adjectives are both modifiers, so it is easy to confuse them with
each other. And even more confusingly, some words sometimes act as
adjectives, and sometimes act as adverbs.
Hint: Ask yourself which word is being described: adjectives
always modify nouns or pronouns, but adverbs never do.
Sarah was a little sleepy. (adverb modifying adjective sleepy)
Sarah took a little nap. (adjective modifying noun nap)
Good vs well
Good is an adjective. The adverb is well.
ADJECTIVES
ADVERBS
Lately = recently
Have you seen Tom lately?
Hardly = very little, almost not
Sarah was rather unfriendly to me at the party. She hardly spoke to me.(she spoke to
me very little, almost not at all)
George and Hilda want to get married but they've only known each other for a few days.
I don't think they should get married yet. They hardly know each other. (they know each
other very little)
A) Complete the following exercise with adjective or adverb form of the words.
1. That pitbull looks
2. She spoke
. (angry)
. (quiet)
. (careful)
mistakes. (careless)
5. Children grow
(quick)
6. He is very
today. (happy)
7. It's raining
. (heavy)
8. Morgan was
. (serious)
. Complete each sentence using a word from the list. Sometimes you need the
adjective (careful etc.) and sometimes the adverb (carefully etc.).
careful
complete
continuous
financial
fluent
happy
nervous
perfect
quick
special
1. Our holiday was too short. The time passed very ----.
quickly
2. Tom doesn't take risks when he's driving. He's always ----.
3. Sally works ----. She never seems to stop.
4. Alice and Stan are very ---- married.
5. Monica's English is very ---- although she makes a lot of mistakes.
6. I cooked this meal ---- for you, so I hope you like it.
7. Everything was very quiet. There was ---- silence.
8. I tried on the shoes and they fitted me ----.
9. Do you usually feel ---- before examinations?
10. I'd like to buy a car but it's ---- impossible for me at the moment.
12. The driver of the car had ---- injuries. (serious / seriously)
Complete the following sentences with comparative or superlative forms of the given
words.
1. Terry is his brother. (old)
older than
7. The classes at my university are the same ---- those at State University.
with
from
as
at
in
8. Unfortunately, there weren't ---- much support for my proposal at the meeting ---- I
had expected and it was rejected.
as / so
such / as
so / as
so / that
such / that
9. The trees In the garden were ---- big ---- they took almost all the light away.
as / so
such / as
so / as
so / that
such / that
10. He has ---- big feet --- he has difficulty finding shoes to fit him.
as / as
such / as
so / that
such / that
more / than
2. ---- you shout at your children, ---- they will ignore it.
More / more
The most / the most
The more / the most
The most / the more
The more / the more
3. The new language school has a ---- exam pass rate than the other schools in the
area.
so high
higher
the highest
high
highest
4. This machine is ---- of the two models in the shop, so you should buy that one.
more modern
the most modern
one of the most modern
as modern as
the more modern
5. My cherry cake wasn't ---- a disaster ---- I'd thought it would be, but it didn't taste
anything like my mother's.
such / as
so / that
as / as
more / than
the same / as
8. As ---- traffic means ---- traffic accidents, people should use public transportation
more.
more / less
fewer / fewer
a few / less
less / fewer
few / less
10. Cars are becoming ---- damaging to the environment ---- factory chimneys.
as / as
so / that
so / as
much / than
such / as
2. Last year Americans spent six times ---- money for pet food as they did for baby food.
so many
such a
as much
as many
much more
such a
so much
such
much easy
as easy as
easier than
the easiest
9. The price by air from Rome to Paris is ---- than the price by train.
a higher
a lot higher
the highest
a more higher
most highest
10. The crisis we are facing now is ---- than any of the previous ones.
the most serious
seriously
more serious
as serious
far more seriously
Clear
1. Your blue skirt is ---- the one you've got on, Mary; why don't you change into it?
much worse than
the best of
much nicer than
as better as
more expensive than
2. He's one of ---- people I've ever met. He never stops talking and never says anything
----.
the least bored / interested
the more boring / interesting
the most boring / interesting
the more bored / interested
the least boring / interested
3. He has got ---- blg feet ---- he has difficulty finding shoes to fit him.
as / as
such / as
so / that
such / that
more / than
4. You looked ---- this morning but you look ---- now.
depressing / a lot happier
happier / a bit depressing
depressed / much happy
depressed / a bit happier
a bit happier / more depressing
8. It's ---- to learn a foreign language in the country where it is spoken than in another
country.
a lot easier
much easy
easiest
more easily
the easier
10. The fault in the engine is ---- this time than it was the last time.
much more serious
as serious as
so serious that
a lot serious
far more seriously than
Clear