The adjective is a part of speech expressing quality, quantity,

size, color, characteristics, etc.

E.g.: good, many, large, red, convenient, etc.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
 Criteria of adjective classification

1. Semantic criterion: 6 types

2. Structural criterion: 3 types
3. Formation criterion: 2 types
4. Comparison criterion: 2 types
5. Substantivization: 2 types
 Adjective classification
- Semantic criterion -
1. Demonstrative adjective
2. Interrogative adjective
3. Possessive adjective
4. Quantitative adjective
5. Qualitative adjective
6. Distributive adjective
 Demonstrative adjectives

The demonstrative adjectives are the adjectives used to

demonstrate things, objects, people and phenomena.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
 Demonstrative adjectives (D.A.)

1. Demonstrate people, things,

this phenomena
2. this/ these: describe things /
people which/ who are close
these by in space or time to the
those D.A.
speaker/ writer
3. that/ those: describe things
/ people which/ who are not
that close by in space or time to
the speaker / writer
 Interrogative adjectives (I.A.)

what
1. Position: always precede
a N/ NP
2. Function: modify the
IA meaning of the N/ NP
whose which
3. Usage: make questions
to get information

The interrogative adjectives are the adjectives used to form

questions to distinguish things, objects, people and phenomena.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
Possessive adjectives

1. Definition: The possessive

adjectives are the adjectives
expressing the possession.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
2. Position : always precede a
N/ NP
3. Function: modify the
meaning of the N/ NP
 Quantitative adjectives
1. Quantitative adjectives are the adjectives denoting the
quantity.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
 They indicate the number or the amount of things.
 They stand before a noun or a NP.
2. E.g.:
all / many / much / (a) little / (a) few …
 Qualitative adjectives

1. Definition: The qualitative adjectives are the adjectives

expressing the quality, color, size, etc. of things, objects,
people, and phenomena.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)

2. E.g.:
blue / small / handsome …
 Distributive adjectives

1. Definition: The distributive adjectives are normally used

to refer to the members of a group as individuals.
(http://www.everythingenglishblog.com)

2. E.g.:
each / every / either / neither / any
 Adjective classification
- Structural criterion -

1. Short adjectives: big, large, happy, …

2. Long adjectives: interesting, comfortable, beautiful, …

3. Special adjectives: good, many, far, …

 Short adjectives

1. Have one or two syllables

(ending in -y, -er, -le, - big
ow)
2. Not include derived adj.
… large
(e.g.: bored / boring ..)
E.g.
3. Not include borrowed adj.
(e.g.: scientific / nasal …)

happy blue
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
 Long adjectives

1. Have two or more than two

convenient syllables (not end in -y, -er,
-le, -ow)
2. Include derived adj. (e.g.:
… expensive
beautiful / useless, ..)
E.g. 3. Include borrowed adj.
(e.g.: scientific, homosexual,
…)
interesting careless

(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)

 Special adjectives

good
Definition: The special
adjectives are the adjectives of
… little which the degrees of
E.g. comparison are formed in
special ways.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)

many bad
 Adjective classification
- Formation criterion -
1. Simple adjectives
- big, small, red, nice, …
2. Derived adjectives
- dishonest, irregular, windy, …
3. Compound adjectives
- home-made, good-looking, well-done, …
 Adjective classification
- Comparison criterion -

1. Gradable adjectives
2. Non-gradable adjectives
Gradable adjectives

1. Gradable adjectives are adjectives that might have levels of

difference in them.
2. They can be used in comparison.
3. They are used with adverbs a little, a bit, pretty, quite, really, very,
extremely.
I am very busy at this moment.
Don’t talk to her now! She is extremely angry.
Non-gradable adjectives
1. Non-gradable adjectives can express the meaning of ‘perfect’ or
‘absolute’.
2. They can be extreme adjectives.
The water is freezing (not: very freezing)
3. They can be absolute adjectives.
The tree is dead (not: a little bit dead)
4. They can express the classifying.
It is the nuclear weapon.
5. They cannot be used in comparison.
6. They are used with absolutely, totally, completely.
The answer is absolutely perfect.
 Substantivized adjectives
1. Definition: The substantivized adjectives are the adjectives used like nouns
and taking feature(s) of nouns.
(Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
2. E.g.: the rich / a native …
3. Notes:
a. indicate a class of persons, nationalities in general sense
 plural meaning  take a plural verb.
The old receive pensions.
b. indicate an abstract notion
 singular meaning  take a singular verb.
The good in her overweighs the bad.
4. Classification:
a. Wholly substantivized adjectives
b. Partially substantivized adjectives
 Wholly substantivized adjectives

1. a / the native
Go with articles
2. two natives  Wholly substantivized
adjectives (converted into
Have plural form nouns) acquire all the
3. the native’s house characteristics of nouns.
Have possessive case (Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
 Partially substantivized adjectives

1. a rich (*)
No articles a/an  Partially substantivized
adjectives take only the
2. two riches (*) definite article, but are neither
No plural form inflected for the plural forms nor
can they be used in the
3. the rich’s house (*) possessive case.
No possessive case (Le Huy Truong, et al., 2015)
4. the rich
Go with ‘the’
Classification of substantivized adjectives (S.A.)
- Summary -
Wholly S.A. Partially S.A.

1. Have plural form 1. Have no plural form

2. Have possessive case 2. Have no possessive case
3. Used with ‘a/ an/ the’ 3. Used with ‘the’ only
Predicative adjectives vs. Attributive adjectives

He is nice. This is a nice gift.

 Attributive adjectives modify nouns

1. Modify a common N. 1. It has been my favorite toy.

2. Modify proper N. 2. We would like to visit

expressing the ancient Egypt.
geographical names

3. Little Laura has just called

3. Modify proper N.
expressing a person’s you.
name

4. Modify a pronoun 4. Lucky you!/ Poor me!

 Adjectives - Syntactic functions

1. rich, nice, white, hot, etc…

2. inner, outer, former, latter, etc…

3. content, afraid, alike, alone, alive, etc…

 Formation of adjectives
1. Derivation
 Derived adj.
E.g.: drinkable, unreadable, …
2. Compounding
 Compound adj.
E.g.: dark-blue, absent-minded, …
3. Use of participial forms (-ed/ -ing)
 Adj. ends with -ed / -ing
E.g.: boring, excited, …
 Degrees of comparison of adjectives

1. Equal / Positive degree

2. Comparative degree
3. Superlative degree
 Equal / Positive degree

1. My house is so beautiful
as your house.

2. My house has as two

windows as your house.

Adj.
… as/so + few/many + N. + as …
little/ much + N.
 Comparative degree

 Use with two things/ two

people
1. The orange is bigger
than the apple.
2. The orange is more /
less delicious than the
apple.

… to be + Adj.+-er + than …
more / less + Adj.
Superlative degree

 Use with at least three things/

three people
1. Her green egg is the biggest
one.
2. Her green egg is the most /
least beautiful.

… to be + the Adj.+-est
the most / least + Adj.
 Irregular adjectives

Positive Comparative Superlative

good better (the) best

bad worse (the) worst

many / much more (the) most

little less (the) least

 Comparison of adjectives - Some notes

Positive Comparative Superlative

clever cleverer / more clever cleverest / the most

clever
common
likely
pleasant
polite
quiet
simple
stupid
subtle
…
 Comparison of adjectives - Some notes

1. wool - woolen
2. wood - wooden
3. gold - golden
 Double comparison

1. It is getting darker and darker.

2. The movie becomes more and more / less and less
interesting.
3. The more / less he reads, the more / less he learns.
4. The more difficult the task is, the sweeter it is.

1. The (more / less) …., the (more / less) ….

2. The adj.+ -er ...., the adj.+ -er …

Double comparison – Flexible structures
Study more, learn more
Play less, study more
…
Work more, save more!!!
Think harder, get smarter!!!
…
The more I learn,
The more I forget,
The more I forget,
The less I know!!!
Structures of similarity

1. We are the same.

2. She and I are alike.
3. We are like our father.
4. We have the same hobbies.
5. My dress is the same as hers.
6. I have the same dress as hers.
7. My dress is similar to hers.
Structures of difference

1. We are unalike.
2. We are dissimilar.
3. His appearance is unlike mine.
4. We are different.
5. His dream is different from mine.
6. He differs from me in the
appearance.
 Order of adjectives – E.g.
good
wooden
rectangular
brown

large sleeping

old
Thailand
 Position of adjectives in sentences

1. Happy was she when she received his letter.

2. She is very hungry.

3. She is a special girl in my class. She always has

something special for me.
Adjectives after nouns
1. He is a man greedy of fame.

2. This road is 40 feet wide.

3. Is there anything new?

4. by all means possible

5. He is a man virtuous and learned.