Adjectives
You won’t be asked to name kinds of adjectives. On the test, adjectives cause errors in a few predictable places, and this chapter takes them in turn: the wrong form of a verb used as an adjective (the broke vase), a quantity word that doesn’t match its noun (Each of the students have), and a comparison in the wrong form (more better, the tallest of the two). An adjective where an adverb belongs (walked careful) is covered in Adverbs and prepositions.
Participial adjectives
Participles, like gerunds, are formed from verbs. However, unlike gerunds, participles function as adjectives.
Participles are formed by adding a suffix to the base form of a verb: -ed for most verbs (the past participle), or -ing (the present participle).
Irregular verbs have their own participle forms (broken, written, fallen, sung), which you will review with verb tenses later.
Example:
The tired puppy fell asleep on the rug.
Tired is an adjective that describes the puppy.
A participle is an adjective only when it describes a noun. In Jamal had walked this way many times and The long walk had tired the puppy, walked and tired follow had, so they are part of past perfect verbs, not adjectives.
Practice question
The broke vase lay in pieces on the kitchen floor, so Dana swept it up carefully.
Which underlined part contains the error?
a. broke
b. in pieces
c. so
d. carefully
e. No error
Correct answer:
The correct answer is a.
a. is correct. A verb form that describes a noun has to be the participle, and the participle of break is broken: the broken vase. Broke is the simple past tense, a verb.
b. is incorrect because in pieces correctly tells how the vase lay.
c. is incorrect because so correctly joins two complete sentences, after a comma, to show a result.
d. is incorrect because carefully, an adverb, correctly describes how Dana swept.
e. is incorrect because broke can’t describe a noun.
Quantitative adjectives
Numbers and other words that indicate quantity are adjectives because they tell us how much of something there is.
There are three pears in the basket.
In English grammar, there are only two number categories:
- Singular
- Plural
Any number larger than one is plural. One is always singular.
Common quantitative adjectives
Singular
- One
- Each
- Every
- Much (only with nouns you can’t count: much water, not much books)
- All*
- Some*
Plural
- Zero
- Many
- Few
- Several
- Seventeen
- Sixty-three
- All*
- Some*
* All and some can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to. So can the pronoun none, which never sits right before a noun, as the examples below show.
Examples
All of the water had boiled away.
Here, all is singular because water, a mass, is singular.
All of the cookies were eaten.
Here, all is plural because cookies is plural.
None of this project has been completed.
Since project is singular, none is singular.
None of these shirts are really my style.
Since shirts is plural, none can be plural. (None of these shirts is really my style is also correct.)
Important reminders
- Avoid very unique. In its strict sense, unique means “the only one,” so careful writers treat “very unique” as redundant. If you mean “unusual,” say unusual or rare.
- Each and every are always singular.
- Zero is always plural because it is not one.
Practice question
Each of the students in Mrs. Quill’s class have memorized the Preamble to the Constitution, and every student will recite it on Friday.
Which underlined part contains the error?
a. Each
b. have
c. to
d. every
e. No error
Correct answer:
The correct answer is b.
b. is correct. Each is singular even when a plural noun follows it in an of phrase, so the verb must be singular: has memorized.
a. is incorrect because each is the subject the verb should agree with.
c. is incorrect because the Preamble to the Constitution is the standard name.
d. is incorrect because every correctly pairs with the singular student.
e. is incorrect because have doesn’t agree with each.
Demonstrative adjectives
There are four demonstrative adjectives in English.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| This | These |
| That | Those |
This and these point to something close in space or time; that and those point to something farther away.
I want this seat, not that one over there.
The error to watch for is number: the demonstrative must match its noun.
INCORRECT: These kind of shoes are comfortable.
CORRECT: This kind of shoe is comfortable.
CORRECT: These kinds of shoes are comfortable.
Comparative adjectives
Comparative adjectives compare two people or things and indicate which one has more or less of a quality.
When a comparative directly compares two things in one sentence, it is followed by than (not then).
To show more of a quality
Add -er to one-syllable adjectives and to two-syllable adjectives ending in -y
Talia is taller than Jennifer but shorter than Eve.
Today is sunnier than yesterday.
Use more with most other two-syllable adjectives and with adjectives of three or more syllables
Jess is more careful than her brother (not carefuller).
Mr. Brimble’s lawn is more manicured than mine.
Irregular comparative adjectives
| Adjective | Comparative |
|---|---|
| Good | Better |
| Bad | Worse |
| Little | Littler / less* |
| Much | More |
| Far | Farther / further** |
* Littler refers to physical size. Less is used with uncountable nouns.
** Farther refers to physical distance. Further refers to figurative distance.
Important rule
Never use more with an adjective that is already in comparative form (an -er comparative or an irregular one like better), and never use most with a superlative.
- ❌ more better
- ✅ better
To show less of a quality
Use less.
Emilio is less fond of math than he is of physics.
Special construction
Using the with comparative adjectives creates a cause-and-effect relationship:
The taller they are, the harder they fall.
The less she studied, the worse she did.
Practice question
Carl thought gym was more better than recess because no one made him waste time eating.
Which underlined part contains the error?
a. more better than
b. made
c. waste
d. eating
e. No error
Correct answer:
The correct answer is a.
a. is correct. Better is already the comparative of good, so adding more doubles it: better than.
b. is incorrect because made is in the past tense, like thought.
c. is incorrect because made him waste is the standard form.
d. is incorrect because waste time eating is idiomatic.
e. is incorrect because more better is an error.
Superlative adjectives
Superlative adjectives compare three or more items. They indicate extremes of quantity or quality. With only two, use the comparative: the taller of the two twins, not the tallest.
One-syllable adjectives, and two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, form superlatives by adding -st or -est.
Examples
Ron is the fastest runner on the team.
Liz is the luckiest person I know.
Irregular superlatives
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| Good | Better | Best |
| Bad | Worse | Worst |
| Little | Littler / less | Littlest / least |
| Much | More | Most |
| Far | Farther / further | Farthest / furthest |
Using most and least
Use most or least when adding -est would sound awkward.
Your essay is the least detailed discussion of the poem that I have read in a long time.
That was the most embarrassing situation I have ever been in.
Use most or least with all adjectives of three or more syllables.
That is the least plausible reason for missing an exam that I have ever heard.
The children thought that their new teacher was the most intimidating person they had ever met.
That is the most delicious cake I have ever eaten.
Practice question
Of the two candidates, Rosa had the strongest résumé, but Lee gave the more confident interview, so the committee was divided.
Which underlined part contains the error?
a. the strongest
b. but
c. more
d. so
e. No error
Correct answer:
The correct answer is a.
a. is correct. Only two candidates are compared, so the comparative is needed: the stronger résumé.
b. is incorrect because but correctly shows the contrast between the two candidates.
c. is incorrect because the more confident interview correctly compares two.
d. is incorrect because so correctly shows the result.
e. is incorrect because the strongest compares only two.