The adjectives (adjectives) are words that characterize the nouns (beings, animals, objects, etc).
This characterization can express quality, defect, state or condition.
English adjectives may vary in degree (comparative/superlative).
However, they are invariable regarding gender (male and female) and number (singular and plural). That is, the same adjective is used to characterize a masculine, feminine, singular and plural noun.
Examples:
- I have a new life. (I have a new life.)
- John has a new car. (John has a new car.)
- They have two new cars. (They have two new cars.)
List of adjectives in English
Check out some of the most used adjectives in English.
| adorable: adorable, lovely | happy: joyful |
| friendly: friendly | high: tall |
| low: shorts | beautiful: handsome |
| kindness: kind | pretty: beautiful, pretty |
| tired out: tired | tender: caring |
| boring: boring | jealous: jealous |
| decided: determined | fearless: fearless |
| distracted: absent-minded | sick: sick |
| selfish: selfish | funny: funny |
| clever: smart, brainy | studious: studious |
| happy: happy | ugly: ugly |
| faithful: faithful | furious: angry |
| generous: generous | fat: fat |
| yummy: delicious (food) | great: big |
| skillful: handy, skillful | honest: honest |
| horrible: horrible | naive: naive |
| insecure: insecure | envious: you sent |
| irritating: irritating | fair: fair |
| loyal: loyal | liberal: open-minded |
| Beautiful: gorgeous | skinny: thin |
| evil: mean, devilish | grumpy: crabby, cranky |
| modest: modest | neurotic: neurotic |
| organized: organized | proud: proud (satisfaction); big-headed |
| optimistic: optimistic | bold: daring |
| patient: patient | heavy: heavy |
| little: small | poor: poor |
| chilled out: sloppy (pejorative) | reserved: reserved, quiet (person) |
| romantic: romantic | rich: rich |
| wise: wise | healthy: healthy |
| kind: nice | lucky you: lucky |
| talented: talented | stubborn: stubborn |
| shy: shy | sad: sad |
| useful: useful | violent: aggressive |
Adjective position (positionoftheadjective)
Unlike what happens in Portuguese, in English the adjectives usually appear before the main noun.
Examples:
- Kamilla and Daniel are excellent students. (Kamilla and Daniel are excellent students.)
- Rafael got a new phone as a birthday gift. (Rafael got a new phone as a birthday present.)
- Rafaela took nice pictures at the party. (Rafaela took nice pictures at the party.)
However, in sentences with connecting verbs there are exceptions.
- Karolline seems happy. (Karolline looks happy.)
- John looks tired. (John looks tired.)
Note that in the first example, Karolline is the main noun. The verb of the sentence, seems, is binding. Thus, the adjective in English happy is positioned after the noun.
The same happens in the second example: John is the noun of the sentence. The verb looks is an inflection of the verb I look, which is binding. So the adjective tired (tired) is placed after the noun.
Look at the table below and learn about the main English connecting verbs.
| linking verb | Translation |
|---|---|
| to be | to be; be; |
| to become | become; to stay; turn |
| to feel | feel (feel) |
| to get | become; to stay |
| I look | seem |
| to sound | sound; seem |
| I seem | seem |
| I smell | to smell; smell |
| to taste | to test; to experiment |
Check below some examples of sentences with linking verbs, where the adjective is used after the noun.
- Mary and Jessica are happy. (Mary and Jessica are happy.)
- I feel so bad. (I feel so bad.)
- We became rich. (We got rich.)
- You look great. (You look great.)
- Your food smells so good. (Your food smells so good.)
Important
When sentences have undefined pronouns, adjectives should be placed after them.
See the table below and get to know the main undefined pronouns in English.
| indefinite pronoun | Translation |
|---|---|
| someone | somebody |
| somebody | somebody |
| something | something |
| somewhere | somewhere |
| anybody | nobody; any |
| anyone | nobody; any |
| no one | nobody |
| anything | nothing |
| nothing | nothing |
| anywhere | anywhere |
| nowhere | nowhere |
Examples:
- There is someone sick in my classroom. (There is someone sick in my classroom.)
- There is something useful here. (There is something useful here.)
- There is nothing beautiful in that store. (There is nothing pretty in that store.)
- They will spend their vacation somewhere hot. (They're going to vacation somewhere warm.)
Order of adjectives in English
As the syntax of the Portuguese language is not the same as that of the English language, it is common for there to be doubts regarding the position of adjectives in English.
Adjectives are usually placed before nouns. However, when a sentence has more than two adjectives, the following order must be followed:
| In Portuguese: opinion > size > age > shape > color > origin > religion > material > purpose > name |
| In English: opinion > size > age > shape > color > origen > religion > material > purpose > noun |
Examples:
- my neighbor is a lovely old man. (My neighbor is a lovely old man.)
- she lives in a fantastic big Casa, Lar. (She lives in a fantastic, big house.)
- He has a brand new red car. (He has a brand new red car.)
- they prefer the old paper bag. (They prefer the old paper bag.)
Classification of adjectives in English
Depending on the meaning, that is, according to what they indicate or to which they refer, adjectives in English are classified as indicated in the table:
| Adjective Types | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| opinion adjectives | express idea or opinion | terrible (terrible), horrible (horrible), difficult (difficult) |
| size adjectives | express size | large (great), little (little), shorts (I enjoy) |
| old adjectives | express age | young (young), old (old man), teen/teen (adolescent) |
| format adjectives | express the form | round (round), flat (flat), irregular (irregular). |
| color adjectives | express the color | yellow (yellow), blue (blue), green (green) |
| source adjectives | express origin or nationality | brazilian (Brazilian), Spanish (Spanish), American (American) |
| religion adjectives | express religion | catholic (Catholic), protestant (Protestant), Buddhist (Buddhist) |
| material adjectives: | express the type of material | paper (paper), metal (metal), plastic (plastic) |
| adjectives on purpose | express the purpose | sleeping bag (sleeping bag), computer table (computer desk), football field (football field) |
Examples:
- that's a catholic church. (That is a Catholic church.)
- She has a Spanish boss. (She has a Spanish boss.)
- I asked for three plastic bags. (I ordered three plastic bags.)
- He is married to a young lady from Texas. (He is married to a young woman from Texas.)
Possessive adjectives (possessive adjectives)
Possessive adjectives indicate possession of something, that is, they indicate that someone has something.
See below the grammatical people and their respective adjectives:
| grammatical person | possessive adjective |
|---|---|
| I (me) | my (my, mine, mine, mine) |
| you (you or you) | your (your, your, your, your, your, your, your, yours) |
| he (he) | his (his, yours, yours, yours, yours) |
| she (Is it over there) | her (hers, yours, yours, yours, yours) |
| it (refers to things or animals) | its (his, hers, yours, yours, yours, yours) |
| we (we) | our (our, our, our, our) |
| you (you or you) | your (yours, yours, yours, yours, yours) |
| they (they) | their (theirs, theirs, yours, yours, yours, yours) |
You possessive adjectives are used before nouns.
Examples:
- Your son is waiting for you. (Your child is waiting for you.)
- My dog is five years old. Its birthday is in November. (My dog is five years old. His birthday is in November.)
- Our teacher didn't come today. (Our teacher didn't come today.)
- his wife is a florist. (His wife is a florist.)
Grade of adjectives in English
Adjectives are words that vary in degree (comparative and superlative):
normal degree in english
Represents the basic form of the word.
Examples:
- The girl is beautiful. (The girl is pretty.)
- my dog is cute. (My dog is cute.)
- my cousin is tall. (My cousin is tall.)
Comparative degree in English
Establishes comparison between two or more beings. It is formed by the following expressions:
- as + adjective + as (So... how much)
- more + adjective + than (more... than)
- less + adjective + than (any less... than)
Examples:
- The girl is as beautiful as her mom. (The girl is as beautiful as her mother.)
- She is more beautiful than her sister. (She is prettier than her sister.)
- She is less beautiful than her friend. (She is less beautiful than her friend.)
Heads up: in cases where the adjective consists of a short word, that is, with few characters, the comparative is formed using the following structure: adjective + -er + than (more... than).
Examples:
| Adjective | Comparative |
|---|---|
| big (great) | bigger than |
| cute (cute, fluffy) | cuter than (softer than) |
| easy (easy) | easier than (easier than) |
| hard (difficult) | harder than (harder than) |
| large (great; broad) | larger than (bigger; broader than) |
| long (long) | longer than (longer than) |
| new (new) | newer than (younger than) |
| nice (cool) | nicerthan (cooler than) |
| tall (high) | taller than (higher than) |
| shorts (low) | shorterthan (lower than) |
| small (little) | smaller than (smaller than) |
| strong (strong) | stronger than (stronger than) |
| old (old; old one; old man) | older than (older; old one; older than) |
| young (young) | youngerthan (younger than) |
Examples:
- my father is shorter than my uncle. (My father is shorter than my uncle.)
- I am older than my brother. (I am older than my brother.)
- Leroy is taller than Doug. (Leroy is taller than Doug.)
- Studying English is easier than studying German. (Studying English is easier than studying German.)
superlative degree in english
Enhances the qualities of nouns. It is formed by the following expressions:
- the most (the more...) - expresses the superlative degree of superiority
- the least (unless ...) - expresses the superlative degree of inferiority
Examples:
- She is the most beautiful girl in her family. (She is the prettiest girl in her family.)
- She is the least beautiful student in her class. (She is the least beautiful student in her class.).
Heads up: in some cases, when the adjective is a short word, that is, with few characters, the superlative is formed using the (o/a) before the adjective and with the addition of the suffix -is.
Examples:
| Adjective | Superlative |
|---|---|
| big (great) | the biggest (the biggest) |
| cute (cute; cute) | the cutest (the cutest; the cutest) |
| easy (easy) | the easiest (the easiest) |
| hard (difficult) | the hardest (the hardest) |
| large (great; broad) | the largest (the biggest; the widest) |
| long (long) | the longest (the longest) |
| new (new) | the newest (the newest) |
| nice (cool) | the nicest (the coolest) |
| tall (high) | the tallest (the tallest) |
| shorts (low) | the shortest (the lowest) |
| small (little) | the smallest (the smaller) |
| strong (strong) | the strongest (the strongest) |
| old (old; old one; old man) | the oldest (the oldest; the oldest; the oldest) |
| young (young) | the youngest (the youngest) |
Examples:
- He is the oldest brother. (He is the younger brother.)
- My house is the largest in the neighborhood. (My house is the biggest in the neighborhood.)
- Jack is the strongest guy I know. (Jack is the strongest guy I know.)
- Math is the hardest subject I have ever studied. (Mathematics is the most difficult subject I have ever studied.)
See the image below and see other examples of comparisons formed by adding the suffix -er and from superlatives formed by the addition of the suffix -is.
See too: Comparative and superlative and English language grammar
Video about adjectives in English
Watch the video below and see a list of adjectives in English with translation and pronunciation.
Adjective exercises in English with feedback
Do the exercises below and test your knowledge of English adjectives
1. (EEAR/2018)
PRESSURE
Jeremy Berke Commercial airplane cabins are generally pressurized to an equivalent of 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level, in an effort to maintain a healthy oxygen level for both the passengers and the flight crew. When a passenger jet is flying at a cruising altitude of over 36,000 feet, the pressure outside the cabin is_____________ than inside the pressurized cabin. Air pressure has a tendency to equalize, moving from areas of high pressure to low pressure to achieve equilibrium. When a hole rips open on a plane, the suction resulting from the pressure difference between the cabin and the sky could pull nearby people or objects outside. Depending on the size of the hole, such accidents could either create just enough force to shuffle papers around, or pull a full-size human out of the plane. Survival is unlikely for anyone fully sucked out into the sky. While in-flight incidents are extremely rare, if you want to survive a crash, research suggests the best place to sit is in a middle seat toward the back of the plane.
http://www.businessinsider.com/
Choose the best alternative to have the text completed correctly.
a) more low
b) the lowest
c) much lower
d) the most low
Correct alternative: c) much lower
a) WRONG. More low does not exist in English. like the word low (bottom) is a short adjective, that is, with few characters, its comparative form is formed through the following structure:
adjective + suffix -er + than
So, the comparison of low é lower than.
b) WRONG. The lowest (lowest) is the superlative of the adjective low. The superlative is used to intensify a noun in relation to a set of other nouns.
In the sentence, the relationship established is not between a noun and a group, but between two nouns: the pressure outside the cabin (the pressure outside the cabin) and the pressurized cabin (the pressurized cabin). Therefore, we have a case of comparative and not superlative.
c) CORRECT. The sentence establishes a comparison between two nouns: the pressure outside the cabin (the pressure outside the cabin) and the pressurized cabin (the pressurized cabin).
Bearing in mind that the adjective to be used is low (bottom), a short word, that is, with few characters, we must follow the following comparative formation structure:
adjective + suffix -er + than
Therefore, the comparison of low é lower than (lower than). See how the sentence of the text looks when we complete the gap with the comparison of low:
When a passenger jet is flying at a cruising altitude of over 36,000 feet, the pressure outside the cabin is much lower than inside the pressurized cabin. (When a passenger jet is flying at a cruising altitude of more than 10,972 km, the pressure outside the cabin is much lower than that inside the pressurized cabin.)
The word much (a lot) is an adverb that modifies the adjective low indicating intensity.
d) WRONG. the most low does not exist in English. the most is used in the formation of the superlative of long adjectives, with several characters, which is not the case for low.
Examples:
- beautiful (beautiful) > the most beautiful (the most beautiful)
- intelligent (smart) > the most intelligent (the most intelligent)
- incredible (amazing) > the most incredible (the most amazing)
2. Complete the sentences below choosing the correct gap to place the adjectives in parentheses. Note the model below:
I have a ____________ bag ____________. (new)
Reply: I have a new bag.
As a general rule, adjectives in English are placed before the noun. Thus, unlike what we have in Portuguese (first the noun and then the adjective: Bolsa nova), in English the adjective new (new) must be placed before the noun (bag): new bag.
a) The students ____________ look ____________. (worried)
Right answer: The students look worried.
Translation: Students look worried.
In the sentence, the verb I look (appear) is a linking verb and therefore the adjective should be placed after it.
b) He is a ____________kid ____________. (smart)
Right answer: he is a smart kid.
Translation: He's a smart kid.
English adjectives are usually placed before the noun. Although we say “smart child” in Portuguese (first the noun and then the adjective), in English the adjective smart (smart) must be placed before the noun kid (kid): smart kid.
c) I think she met ____________ someone ____________. (new)
Right answer: i think she met someone new.
Translation: I think she met someone new.
As the phrase has an indefinite pronoun (someone), the adjective (new) should be placed after it.
d) She bought an ____________ awesome ____________ house. (big)
Right answer: she bought an awesome big house.
Translation: She bought a spectacular big house.
In sentences with two or more adjectives, a specific order must be taken into account to place them:
opinion > size > age > shape > color > origen > religion > material > purpose > noun
In the sentence, the adjective awesome (fantastic) expresses a opinion about the house and the adjective big (large) indicates your size. Taking into account the order indicated in the diagram above, big must be placed after the word awesome.
3. (UniCEUB/2014)
Dark Deeds by Anne Marie Becker. Book 4, Mindhunters.
Walking away from sexy Detective Diego Sandoval ______ one of ______ things security specialist Becca Haney ever had to do, but when he's assigned to help keep her safe from a human trafficking ring and an admirer ______ only as “the Fan,” he is determined to stay by her side and learn about the woman behind the passion – scars and all.
a) was/the toughest/known
b) were/toughest/known
c) were/the toughest/knew
d) was/tougher/know
e) are/tougher/know
Correct alternative: a) was/the toughest/known
a) CORRECT. The phrase compares one thing someone had to do with all the other things that person has done. So we have a case of a superlative.
The adjective to be used in the sentence is tough (difficult). As it is a short word, that is, with few characters, the rule for the formation of the respective superlative is the + adjective + suffix -is: the toughest (the most difficult).
When looking closely at the sentence, it is possible to notice the presence of ever had to do. This phrase is indicative of past tense. For this reason, the verb to be used before the superlative needs to be inflected in the past tense as well. As the sentence speaks of one (single) thing, the past tense must be in the singular form (was):
“Walking away from sexy Detective Diego Sandoval was one of the toughest things security specialist Becca Haney ever had to do, …” (“Staying away from sexy detective Diego Sandoval was one of the hardest things security expert Becca Haney had to do,...”)
Taking into account the response options provided in the alternatives, the third gap must be filled with the verb I know (to meet). There is a reference to an admirer and the term “fan” (fan). When reading the text considering this information, we can conclude that such admirer is known (known) as “fan”. See how this part of the filled excerpt looks like:
“ … an admirer known only as “the Fan”,...” (“... an admirer known only as “the fan”,...)
b) WRONG. This alternative is incorrect for two reasons:
The verb were (foram) is an inflection of the plural, so it cannot be used in the sentence because it refers to one of the most difficult things:
“... was one of the toughest things..."(...it was one of the hardest things...")
the superlative of tough (difficult) is the toughest; the article is missing the in the available alternative.
c) WRONG. Alternative c) is incorrect because were (foram) is an inflection of the plural and the phrase refers to one of the most difficult things, that is, to a singular word: “... was one of the toughest things..."(...it was one of the most difficult things...").
Also, to make sense of the sentence, the verb I know must be flexed in the Past Participate: known
“ … an admirer known only as “the Fan”,...” (“... an admirer known only as “the fan”,...)
Knew is a bending of Simple Past and it can mean knew, knew, knew, knew, knew and knew, but it does not have the meaning of “known”.
d) WRONG. The text compares one thing someone had to do with all the other things that person has done. Therefore, the sentence must be filled in with the superlative of the adjective tough: the toughest. Tougher is your form of comparison.
Also, the verb I know must be conjugated in the Past Participate to make sense of the sentence: known
“ … an admirer known only as “the Fan,...” (“... an admirer known only as “the fan”,...)
e) WRONG.
the voiceover ever had to do used in the sentence is indicative of past tense and, therefore, the verb to be used before the superlative must also be inflected in the past tense:
“... was one of the toughest things..."(...it was one of the most difficult things...").
The sentence informs you that a certain thing someone had to do was more difficult than all the other things that person has ever done; that is, it makes a comparison of one thing with a set of things. Therefore, the sentence must be filled in with the superlative of the adjective tough: the toughest. Tougher is your form of comparison.
Another reason the alternative e) is incorrect is that the verb I know not being inflected in the correct tense. To make sense of the sentence, it must be conjugated in the Past Participate: known
“ … an admirer known only as “the Fan”,...” (“... an admirer known only as “the fan”,...)
4. (Udesc/2007)
Text 2
01 Take a dive with hundreds of tropical fish, colorful coral and the world's biggest fish, the
whale shark, at unspoilt Ningaloo Reef.
The reef on Western Australia's mid north coast, has gained an impressive reputation as
one of Earth's last ocean paradise.
05 It's one of the largest fringing reefs in the world and unlike many others; you can get it
just by stepping off the beach.
The marine park stretches 260 kilometers from Bundegi Reef near the town of Exmouth to
Amherst Point near Coral Bay in the south.
It reaches nearly 20 kilometers seaward, encompassing a massive 5,000 square
10 kilometers of ocean with 500 species of tropical fish and 220 species of coral in all.
Nothing can compare to the thrill of swimming beside a whale shark. these docile
creatures visit the reef each year between April and June.
Rare turtle species hatch here in late January and February. Watch this amazing natural
phenomenon on special guided, eco-interactive trails.
15 Accommodation in the area is comfortable and ranges from camping and backpacker style
to chalets, motels, eco-retreats and self catering apartments.
It's not all about the water at Ningaloo - go four wheel driving to Cape Range National
Park to see amazing red rock canyons and gorges.
Getting there is easy - take a two hour flight north of Perth, or give yourself two days to
drive there from the capital.
(www.westernaustralia.com)
According to Text 2, answer the questions below:
What is the correct comparative of superiority form of the adjectives: comfortable, near, rare, easy.
a) more comfortable, more near, more rare, more easier
b) the most comfortable, nearest, rarest, easiesty
c) more comfortable, nearer, rarer, easier
d) comfortabler, nearest, rarier, more easy
e) the more comfortable, the nearer, the rarier, the easyer
Correct alternative: c) more comfortable, nearer, rarer, easier
Comfortable (comfortable): This is a long adjective, that is, with many characters. Therefore, the formation of your comparative follows the following structure:
more + adjective + than
The comparison of comfortable é more comfortable than (more comfortable than).
near (close); rare (rare); easy (easy): they are short adjectives, that is, with few characters. The formation of the comparative of this type of adjective follows the following structure:
adjective + suffix -er + than
- The comparison of near é nearer than (closer than).
- The comparison of rare é rarer than (rare than). The letter and end of the word is deleted and the suffix is added -er.
- The comparison of easy é easier than (easier than). How does the adjective end in y preceded by a consonant, the y fur i, and add the suffix -er.
Learn more about the English language:
- Exercises on adjectives in English
- English nouns
- English prepositions
- adverbs in english
