Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals

Adjective The term Victorian era refers to the years 1837 to

1901.
• Qualifies the meaning of a noun or
pronoun by providing information about 3. NOUNS USED AS ADJECTIVES
its appearance, location and so on.
- usually answer the questions: What
• It is a word used to describe a noun or kind? Which one?
pronoun or to give it a specific meaning.
He is a music critic in our school.
• It usually answers the questions: What Jan must wake up early every day to catch the city
kind? Which one? How many? How much? bus.
4. POSSESSIVE NOUNS USED AS ADJECTIVES.
LOCATION OF ADJECTIVES
The cat's favorite food is tuna.
• BEFORE A NOUN Peter’s motorcycle was stolen last night.

• He was a competent official.

5. PRONOUNS USED AS ADJECTIVES
• AFTER A SENSE VERB
Demonstrative
-answer theInterrogative
question which one, howIndefinite
• The kitten seems frisky and Thatmany, how much? OrWhat
used to ask questions. all many
playful. These Which another more
This any most
• AFTER THE NOUN Those both neither
each other
• The building, old and fragile, was
demolished.
either some
several few
• AFTER A LINKING VERB
Other pronouns: my , your, her, his, its,
• The shoppers are eager for
our, their
bargains.

Forms of adjectives

1. NORMAL Woody wrecked his car in the crash.

We need a sagacious employee to lead the Roller-blading is our idea of fun.
marketing team. The Millers cultivated their garden.
He is well-known for his efficient work.
Company A is a famous corporation in the USA. 6. With affixes (prefix or suffix)

I am described by my friends as a careless

2. PROPER NOUNS – formed from a proper noun individual.
and begins with a capital letter. Sandy is a reliable member of the team.

- often created by adding the following

suffixes:-an, -ian, -n, ese,- ish, and –ic. 7. Participles

Ex: Duke Ellington was an African American - look like verbs but used as adjectives
composer.
Ex:

I picked up the crying baby.

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 Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals
8. Describing age, size or length of something Count
plural  
Ex. A century-old egg was served for dinner.

He is a short-legged man. Non-

count  
I wanted to have a blue-eyed white dragon when I
was a child.

9. Quantity Adjectives
Examples:

A quantifier is a word or phrase which is used I want to have many honey. VS. I want to have
before a noun to indicate the amount or some honey.
quantity:
I have much pencil. VS I have several pencils.
'Some', 'many', 'a lot of' and 'a few' are
examples of quantifiers. I practice every days VS. I practice every day.

Quantifiers can be used with both countable Comparisons using adjectives

and uncountable nouns. When one does not make comparisons, the
adjective is in its positive form.
Examples:
Comparative degree- used in comparing 2
There are some books on the desk people, places, things or ideas
He's got only a few dollars. Superlative degree- compares more than 2
How much money have you got? people, places, things or ideas
There is a large quantity of fish in this
river. Common Problems with the Comparative and
He's got more friends than his sister. Superlative

• Modifiers, which cannot be logically used

many, in the comparative and superlative forms,
some, both, express absolute conditions and do not
much, any, several, allow for degrees of comparison.
less, most, few/
each, • Ex. absolute, perfect, unique,
little, more, fewer
every, entire
a all, a /fewest
any,
little, lot of, , a few,
one • Avoid double comparisons.
very no, one of
little none the, a • Ex. [WRONG] I am
of the couple convinced that my poodle is
of more smarter than your
Dalmatian.
Count
singular  • [RIGHT] I am convinced that my
poodle is more smart than your
Dalmatian. OR

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 Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals
• I am convinced that my poodle is Example:
smarter than your Dalmatian. I want to buy a blue, new, European, beautiful car.

• Avoid double negatives. ADVERB

Ex. We decided there wasn’t no • - a word that modifies a verb, an adjective

point in pursuing our research further. or another adverb by making its meaning
more specific.
We decided there was
no point in pursuing our research further. • Adverbs usually have an –ly ending

Putting Adjectives in order: Ex. Several passersby stared curiously.

Article or pronoun a or your Her very expensive dress was ruined.

Size Large Elizabeth cooked less deliciously as she

did before her husband died.
Age Old
- Intensifiers:
Color Green
- Full degree-completely, totally,
absolutely, entirely, quite
Participle hand-blown
- Large degree-very, extremely,
Proper adjective French really, awfully, terribly

- Medium -fairly, quite, rather,

Noun used as an wine really,
adjective
- Small degree- a little, a bit,
Noun bottle slightly

- Others- so, as, too, more, most,

less, least
Rules to Remember!
Common Problems with Adverbs and
Adjectives
1.
Use commas after each adjective except
• Misuse
the last one (no comma between the last
adjective and the noun). For example,
• Ex. Once the test was over,
Alice prefers black, Italian, leather furniture.
Sharon walked slow out of the
classroom.
2.
If an adjective has 2 words, do not put a
comma between the words. For example, • [RIGHT] Once the test was over,
These are delicious, huge, chocolate chip cookies! Sharon walked slowly out of the
classroom.
3. It is not necessary to use adjectives with
all nouns. It is suggested that you use • We tried real hard to get the
adjectives to describe things that are muffin mixture perfect.
important to both the writer and the
reader.

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 Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals
• [RIGHT] We tried really hard to Participles
get the muffin mixture perfect.
• Verbs that are used as adjectives
• Some other adverbs (e.g. barely, hardly,
scarcely) imply the negative and should • form: -ing, -ed, -d, -n, -t, -en
not be used with another negative.
• Ex. Tim carefully repaired
Ex. Even though he has lived in his torn jacket.
Toronto for four years, he does
Vs. His jacket was torn badly.
not have hardly any friends
there. • The blazing sun melted the
frozen pond.

Gerunds
Even though he has lived in
Toronto for four years, he has • used as nouns
hardly any friends there.
• end in -ing
OR
• when used after a pronoun, the pronoun
Even though he has lived takes the possessive form
in Toronto for four years, he does
not have many friends there. • Ex. Do you enjoy traveling?

• They gave rehearsing all of their

free time.
• Bad or badly? Good or Well?
Verbs that take only infinitives as verbal direct
• I don’t feel bad that I played objects
badly at the football game today.

• She protested that she was well agree hesitate attempt

enough to sing well again.
learn plan neglect
VERBALS
hope promise pretend
 Words that look like verbs but do not
function as one. decide expect intend

Infinitives need want propose

• used as nouns

• form: to + base form of the verb

• Important Note: Because an infinitive

is not a verb, you cannot add s, es, ed,
or ing to the end. Ever!

• Ex. Human hair is almost

impossible to destroy.

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 Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals
Verbs that take only gerunds as verbal direct ______4. Handle that cracked vase with care.
objects
______5. An adult sitting in a relaxed position
inhales about one pint of air with every breath.
deny be fond of practice
______6. How can you know me so well?
can’t help consider stop (quit)
______7. I think I shall miss you less and less as
finish keep (on) enjoy every day goes by.

postpone suggest dislike ______ 8 -10. Susan knew well enough that her
cooking was bad and yet she still baked that cake.
detest put off mind
B. Quantifiers
risk give up recommend
Choose the correct quantifier.
keep delay appreciate

quit get/be tired of admit Much any many

a lot of a little A little
tolerate recall get/be used to few most lots of

miss get/be through

get/be accustomed to avoid

1. They have had _____________ homework in
mathematics recently.
Verbs that take gerunds or infinitives as verbal 2. How _________ time do you need to finish
direct objects the work?
3. There are too _________ students in the
library.
Start love
4. Have you visited _________ foreign
Prefer hate country?
Begin remember 5. Although he's very ill, he didn't take
Like try _______ medicine.
6. __________ people know as much about
Continue regret linguistics as John does.
7. They say _________ knowledge is a
Worksheet dangerous thing.
8. He's having ________ of trouble passing his
A. Directions: Identify if the underlined word is driving test.
an adverb or an adjective. 9. I spend __________ of my time reading
novels.

______1. After Lydia de Vega and Elma Muros, there

10. He knows __________ English. He knows
isn’t really a Filipina who runs so fast.
enough English to manage.

______2. Race car drivers are really fast and furious

in the race tracks.

______3. That new medicine gives quite fast relief

from headache.

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 Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals
C. Directions: Look at the following 4. She has always been a nagger and I bet
sentences and adjectives. Rewrite the her husband could not have been
sentences using the adjectives in the __________ when she filed for a divorce.
parentheses. Be sure to write them in (happy)
5. The sound quality of this film is poor, and
the correct order.
the picture is focused _________ as well.
(poor)
1. Aunt Betty wants a coffee table. (stone, 6. She accepted responsibility for the
square, gray) accident, and she felt _______ about the
whole incident for weeks afterward. (bad)
2. The king took a trip. (2-week, exhausting) 7. We have studied the proposals from both
firms and have decided that although
Zero Inc.'s fees are high, it is the
3. These are cookies! (chocolate chip,
____________ company. (reliable)
delicious, huge) 8. My brother's roommate this year is -
_________ than the graduate student he
4. Alice prefers furniture. (leather, Italian, lived with last year. (good)
black) 9. By far, you are the _____________ person I
have ever met. (mysterious)
5. Archeologists get very excited when they 10. This ring is the ________ gift I expected
find bones. (animal, large, prehistoric) from you. (little)

E. Identify if the underlined part of the

6. James just bought a (red /racing / bright
speech is a gerund, infinitive or participle.
/French) bike.
1. The thief arrested for the robbery shot at the
security guard.
7. King Kong climbed the building holding a a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
(slender/young /beautiful) girl in his hand.
2. The flag waving in the wind is inspirational.
8. The king graciously allowed Sir Reginald to a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
keep the (gold / valuable /carved) chest as
his reward. 3. They are sure the extra planning will make a
difference in the end.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
9. Harvey had a (game /mounted /stuffed)
fish hanging on the wall of his office. 4. Jamal's confusing message did nothing to
solve the mystery.
10. Cuddles was a (huge /snarling /mean) a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
dog.
5. Godzilla made a game of smashing all of the
D. Give the correct positive, comparative or red cars parked near the lake.
superlative form of the adjective in a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
parentheses.
6. The politician's broken promises were all that
the voters remembered.
1. The committee will give recognition to a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
the ballet dancer who conducts herself
____________ ( gracefully) 7. Delighted with the opportunity to learn,
2. The director of that R-rated movie could Christine took the internship in New York.
have helped his movie pass the censors if a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive
he portrayed some of the sensitive scenes
____________. (Explicitly) 8. While playing the tuba, Orin felt as if his
3. I do all things ______________; that’s my world was perfect.
nature. (passionately) a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

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 Grammar 5: Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbals

9. The show offers everyone a chance to be a

millionaire.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

10. Samuel decided that missing the lecture

every day was hurting his grade.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

11. The kittens crouching under the bed have

refused to come out.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

12. The swimmer, driven by the need to be the

best in the world, made himself sick with
anxiety.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

13. My friend was surprised by the lighting in

the theater.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

14. Brenda seemed surprised with the team's

decision to withdraw.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

15. Completing the obstacle course is harder

than it looks.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

16. Billy refused to accept the idea that his

birthday cake was gone.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

17. The marathon runner, pushed to the edge of

endurance, collapsed at the finish line.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

18. Fred's arguing every call is getting

frustrating.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

19. Al hopes that giving the players a break will

improve their attitudes.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive

20. The completed meal was so beautiful that

we hesitated to eat it.
a. gerund b. participle c. infinitive