English

ADJECTIVES

Contents

*Introduction

*Different forms of Adjectives

*Examples

*Activity

*Exercises

What are Adjectives?

Adjectives are used to qualify nouns.

e.g. John is a lazy boy.

This is a big house.

Hong Kong is a busy city.

Can you describe yourselves or your friends with adjectives?

good

bad

tall

short

unfriendly

ugly

clever

lonely

happy

unhappy

fat

thin

friendly

helpful

lovely

hardworking

lazy

polite

naughtyinteresting

boring

handsome

careful

carelessbeautiful

useless

shy

beautiful

helpful

careful

helpless

careless

friendly

lovely

lonely

interesting

boring

hardworking

crying

runningunfriendly

unhappy

good, bad, tall, short, fat, thin, lazy, shy, ugly, polite, clever, handsome, happy

Can you classify the adjectives used?

Adjectives in Past Participle Form

Type 1:

Regular

Past Participle verb form

Type 2:

Irregular

Past Participle verb form

= Showing or feeling of = Make or cause to be

Regular:surprise…. surprisedinterest…...interestedexcite……..excitedfrighten…..frightenedcrowd…….crowdedtire……….tiredinjure…….injuredboil ……….boiledbore……….boredcook………cooked*worry………worried

Irregular:break………brokenfall…………fallenwrite………writtensteal……….stolengive……….givensee…………seendrive………drivenspeak……...spokenforget……..forgotten*sell…………sold*lose…………lost

Examples: Adjectives in Past Participle Form

A crowded flower market

A broken vase

Adjectives in Present Participle Form

Verb + ‘ing’ form

= 1. Causing the feeling of

2. Showing a continuous status

Examples: Adjectives inPresent Participle Form

Regular:interest……interestingfall…….…..fallingfly……..…..flyingboil…..…….boilingrelax……….relaxingworry……...worryingsatisfy...…….satisfyingcry…...……..cryingburn………...burningdisappoint….disappointing

Irregular:

surprise………surprising

excite…………exciting

tire……………tiring

run……………running

work hard……hardworking

die…………….dying

A crying boy

A shopping centre

A hardworking farmer

A swimming lesson

Fallen leaves Falling leaves

What is the difference between these two adjectives?

Boiling water Boiled water

What is the difference between these two adjectives?

Adjectives formed by adding suffixes to nouns

1. Noun + ‘ful’

= full of something /

having the quality of

something

3. Noun + ‘able’ or ‘ible’

= able to do something/

showing qualities of

something

2. Noun + ‘less’

= without something

4. Noun + ‘y’

= full of something

Examples: Noun + ‘ful’ / ‘less’Noun + ‘ful’:care…….…carefulhelp…….…helpfulhope….…...hopefulpower…..…powerfulcolour….…colourfuluse……..….usefulcheer……...cheerfulfear……..…fearfulmeaning……meaningfulsuccess…….successfulbeauty……..beautiful

Noun + ‘less’care………carelesshelp………helplesshope……..hopelesspower…….powerlesscolour……colourlessuse……….uselesscheer…….cheerlessfear………fearlessmeaning….meaninglessdoubt…….doubtless

Beautiful flowers Colourful fruits

A careful girl A careless boy

Compare these two adjectives.

careless = ? careless = not careful / without care

Helpful children A helpless beggar

Compare these two adjectives.

helpless = ?

helpless = needing others’ help / without help

a meaningless sentence

A meaningful sentence

A successful man

A successless man ?NO!

An unsuccessful man

Examples: noun + ‘able’ / ‘ible’

enjoy…….…enjoyable

comfort……comfortable

reason……...reasonable

agree……….agreeable

move……….movable

value….……valuable

believe…..….believable

forget……....forgettable

response……responsible

sense………..sensible

horror……..horrible

A comfortable home

Examples: noun + ‘y’

wind……….windy

cloud………cloudy

snow……….snowy

rain………..rainy

sun…………sunny

noise……….noisy

taste……….tasty

salt…………salty

cream……..creamy

health………..healthy

wealth……….wealthy

luck………….lucky

greed…………greedy

sleep………….sleepy

rock………….rocky

sand………….sandy

blood…………bloody

speed…………speedy

Tasty foodA dirty city A noisy place

A rainy day A windy day A sunny day

Adjectives formed by adding prefixes to adjectives

1. ‘un’ + adjective

2. ‘dis’ + adjective

3. ‘in’ + adjective

4. ‘im’ + adjective

5. ‘ir’ + adjective

6. ‘il’ + adjective

7. ‘non’ + adjective

= NOT + adjective (opposite in meaning)

Examples: ‘un’ + adjectiveshappy……..unhappy

tidy……….untidy

able……….unable

kind………unkind

lucky…….unlucky

fair……….unfair

likely…….unlikely

locked……unlocked

seen……….unseen

equal……..unequal

usual……….unusual

healthy……..unhealthy

helpful……..unhelpful

comfortable…uncomfortable

forgettable….unforgettable

friendly……..unfriendly

cooked………uncooked

important…...unimportant

reasonable…..unreasonable

attractive…….unattractive

A tidy room

An untidy room

A happy family An unhappy girl

They feel comfortable. They feel uncomfortable.

Healthy sports activities Unhealthy snacks

An easy word

An uneasy word ?NO! A difficult word

Examples: ‘dis’ + adjectives

honest…….……….dishonest

able…….………….disabled

obedient…………...disobedient

satisfied……………dissatisfied

orderly……………..disorderly

continuous………….discontinuous

advantageous………disadvantageous

Examples: ‘in’ + adjectives

direct…….…indirect

active…….…inactive

correct……...incorrect

Complete.…..incomplete

famous……...infamous

convenient….inconvenient

considerate…inconsiderate

dependent…..independent

A question in direct speech

A question in indirect speech

A correct sentence

An incorrect sentence

Examples: ‘im’ + adjectives

Polite……..…….impolite

Possible….…..…impossible

Perfect……..…..imperfect

Patient……..…..impatient

Balanced……....imbalanced

Mature……..….immature

Measurable…....immeasurable

A possible wish

An impossible wish

Examples: ‘ir’ + adjectives

regular………….…..irregular

responsible………….irresponsible

relevant……………..irrelevant

removable…………..irremovable

replaceable…….……irreplaceable

Regular

MTR service

Irregular

mini-bus service

Examples: ‘il’ + adjectives

legal………..…illegal

logical………..illogical

literate……….illiterate

A logical sentence

An illogical sentence

Examples: ‘non’ + adjectives

stop…………….non-stop

violent…………non-violent

smoking……….non-smoking

verbal…………non-verbal

Adjectives formed by adding the suffix ‘ly’ to nouns / adjectives

Noun + ‘ly’ or Adjective + ‘ly’

= having the quality of

Examples: Adjectives formed by adding ‘ly’ to nouns / adjectives

*Noun + ‘ly’

love…………lovely

friend……….friendly

order……….orderly

*Adjective + ‘ly’

live………..lively

like………..likely

lone……….lonely

Lovely monkeysThe friendly

Santa Claus

On a windy day, a horrible fire broke out in a locked building. The responsible firemen came at once and found a helpless and frightened girl who was shouting from a broken window. With the help of some useful tools, the firemen saved the crying girl. They had done a wonderful job. It was impossible for the girl to forget this unforgettable experience.

Activity: Describe this picture with adjectives

Story-writing Exercise 1

Our English teacher gives us dictations every week. Sometimes, the teacher asks us to study for the dictations beforehand, but sometimes we do not have to. That means some are ___________ dictations and some are ______________ dictations.

However, my classmates are bad students. Some of them tell lies. They are ____________________.

Some of them do not obey the teachers. They are _____________.

Some of them always sleep in class. It seems that they always feel _____________________. Some of them always throw rubbish. So, the classroom is very _______________. Some of them shout loudly in class. They are very __________. In this examination, most of them get poor results. Their teachers and parents feel ________________________ at their performance.

Story-writing Exercise 2 Once, there was an old man. He was very rich, but he wanted more and more money. He was really ___________________.

He had a son, but he always beated him up. He was ___________ to his son.

It rained heavily one day. The old man travelled with his son in a car on this _________________ day.

When the old man was driving, he did not look at the traffic lights which had turned red and so the car crashed in a lorry. He was very ___________________.

His son fell into a river. He could not swim and he felt ___________________ because he needed help.

Luckily, a man who always helped others saved him. He was a ______________________ man. The son was really _______________ because he did not die.

However, the old man was trapped in the car. He was going to die. The son had no hope that his father would live. He felt _________________.

At this time, the man came to help again. He used some tools to open the door of the cars. The tools were very __________________.

At last, the kind man saved the old man who was taken to hospital.