216

Adjectives
Adjectives in English seem straightforward as they do not changetheirform except
when they are comparatives or superlatives (l> Unit 22). But the different positions of
adjectives, e.g. concerned residents or residents concerned, and the sequence of groups
of adjectives can cause difficulty. This unit looks at these areas and at the use of
participle and compound (For modification of adjectives !> Unit 23.)
ADJECTIVE PATTERNS
21 . 1 A Adjectives are words which give extra information about nouns. They do not change
Form and their form to show number or gender:
use The hero was played by a young boy. Several young girls tooK the secondary roles.
Many adjectives are formed from other words; notice the spelling changes:
+ ic + (i)al +able +fut + ent + ive
history -> politics-> fashion _, beauty -. depend --. effect _,
historic political fashionable beautiful dependent effective
+ous +less participles ( 2 1. 2A) compounds 21.2C)
danger -> hope -> interesting home-made
dangerous hopeless interested red-hot
Adjectives can sometimes act as nouns when they describe a particular group or
characteristic (i> 28.1 B). We usually use the definite article and a plural verb:
Old people are becoming more numerous. = The old are becoming more numerous.
0 We cannot use the possessive 's with adjectives used as nouns or make them plural:
Jf The government is !oo/iing et the disabled's pro/Jlems.
t/ The government is looKing at the problems of the disabled.
X The JspBReSes en-}oy e high stan<ierr:i of Jiving.
t/ The Japanese (or Japanese people) enjoy a high standard of living.
O When we make a brief comment in conversation we often use what + adjective +
noun or how + adjective:
What an amazing story! X Whet emezing! t/ How amazing!
21 . 1 B Most adjectives can be used in froot of a noun (attributive position), or after a linking
Attributive verb, e.g. be (predicative position):
position Attributive: We've just seen an exciting film.
Predicative: That film was exciting.
O But there are some adjectives which we usually only use in one position. Some
classifying adjectives (w_hich describe what type of thing something is) and emphasising
adjectives are mainly used before a noun (see the table below):
X The pleRt they ere IJl:li!tl:iRg outside the town is chemical.
t/ They're building a chemical plant outside the town.
Adjectives usually used in attributive position:
classifying chemical, chief, criminal, elder, entire, eventual, former, industrial, local,
adjectives lone, main, maximum, medical, national, nuclear, . only, outdoor/indoor,
principal, social, sole, underlying, whole
emphasising mere, sheer, utter
adjectives
21.1(
Predicative

21.1[
Adjective:
after nouns
pronouns
etc
except
:>sitions of
e of groups
;e of
. 3 .)
change
fary roles.
ive
!feet-+
ffective
21.2C)
ip or
b:
'Umerous.
1em plural:
!dive+
a linking
Some
mphasising
local,
foor,
._, .....
21.1 C Adjectives in predicative position are usually the complement of a linking verb (e.g. be,
Predicative become, feel, seem !> 30.28):
position When she heard the noise Mary became very uneasy.
However, after certain verbs of thinking and feeling (i.e. consider, find, think) we can
omit the linking verb:
I consider/find him (to be} very reliable.
Many adjectives beginning with the letter a and adjectives describing health and
feelings are not usually used before nouns; we use them in predicative position:
X Try net te distur/J the asleep dl#drCFI .
r/ Try not to disturb the children; they are asleep.
Adjectives usually used in predicative position:
beginning with a ablaze, afloat, afraid, alight. alike, alive, alone, aloof, ashamed,
askew, asleep, awake, aware
health and feelings content, fine, glad, ill. pleased, poorly, ready, sorry, sure, upset,
(un}we//
0 There are some fixed phrases/idioms in which we use normally predicative adjectives
before a noun with a special meaning, e.g. glad tidings, an ill wind, a ready wit, a sorry
state, an upset stomach. _
Some predicative adjectives have equivalent words which can be used before a noun:
They are doing experiments on live animals/animals which are alive.
predicative
attributive
alive
live/living
afraid
frightened
alike
similar
asleep .
sleeping
ill
sick
21.1 D We use adjectives after indefinite words like something, no one, nothing,
Adjectives
after nouns.
pronouns.
etc.
somewhere, etc.:
X I'm leeking for cheap something.
V' I'm looking for something cheap.
Some adjectives, including some ending in -able and -ible, can follow a noun if the noun
follows a superlative adjective or the first/last/next/only:
They say she's the oldest woman alive.
I'm afraid that's the last ticket available.
Adjectives that are followed by a prepositional phrase, e.g. interested in something,
suitable for somebody (!> 15.50), go after, not before, a noun:
X The preject wi!! Of>fJeel te interested in eco.tegy students.
r/ The project will appeal to students interested in ecology.
This is similar to a reduced relative clause (1> 31. 1 G). We can also use a full relative
the adjective in predicative position (!> 21 .1 C):
The project will appeal to students who are interested in ecology.
0 Some adjectives have a different meaning when used before or after a noun:
The meeting was full of concerned residents. (= worried)
The students concerned were a small minority. (= who took part/were involved)
I'm afraid we have opposite points of view. (= contrasting)
We used to live in the house opposite. (= physically facing/across from us)
The present chairman is getting on a bit. (=' current/existing now) .
We took a vote of all members present. (= physically there)
Responsible parents have been outraged by this show. (= caring/conscientious)
The person responsible will be caught and punished. (=who did the action)
He gave us a ridiculously involved excuse. (= complicated)
The president gave medals to all those involved. (= who took part)
217
218
PARTICIPLE (-ING OR -ED) ADJECTIVES
21 .2A . We often use -ing and -ed participles as adjectives. We usually use them in the same
Position positions as other adjectives (!> 21 . 1 B):
. A win, even by only one goal, would be a satisfying result.
I never find fast food very satisfying.
Recommendations from satisfied customers got our business off the ground.
We follow up every complaint from customers dissatisfied with our service.
Some participle adjectives (see the table below) can be used on their own before or
after a noun:
The chosen song features innovative use of digital sampling.
The song chosen may be a disappointment to lovers of traditional ballads.
0 But some participle adjectives (see the table below} can only be used after a noun:
X Please dispese of yotJF cigarettes in the fH'Bvided ashtroys.
v Please dispose of your cigarettes in the ashtrays provided.
before or after a noun . I affected, chosen, identifled, infected,
remaining, selected, stolen
only after a noun applying, caused, discussed, found,
provided, questioned, taken
21 .28 When we use participles as adjectives, -ing participles have an active meaning and -ed
Use participles have a passive meaning:
I always seem to play for the losing team.(= the team which is losing}
She found the lost ring under the sofa. (=the ring which had been lost)
We often use participles as adjectives to describe feelings or opinions. We use -ing
participles to describe a feeling that something causes:
It wcis a frightening film. (= it frightened us/it made us feel afraid)
We use -ed participles to describe a feeling that someone experiences:
I felt frightened when I watched that film. (=I was frightened/I experienced fear)
O Inanimate objects cannot have feelings so we don't usually use -ed adjectives about
feelingsto describe them:
X The. repert into the PaddingtOn rail crash was rather wof'Fied:.
v The report was rather worrying. (= The report made readers feel anxious.)
We can use that/those with all participle adjectives with a meaning like 'the one/the
ones that .. .' H> 28.2A, B) . In this pattern we use that to refer to a thing and those to
refer to things or people:
The easiest route is that taken by Amundsen. (= the one which was taken by)
Those living in temporary accommodation will be rehoused within three months.
(= those people who are living in)
I feel sorry for those left behind. (= Those people that are left behind.)
(For more information on participles in phrases ~ . Unit 1 3.)
21 .2C We sometimes combine participles with other words to make compound adjectives. The
Compounds participle usually comes last. Notice the use of hyphens when the compound adjective
is used before a noun:
This Japanese maple is a particularly slow-growing variety.
Handel's 'Xerxes' was a rarely-performed opera until relatively recently.
Interest in Latino music is no longer confined to a Spanish-speaking audience.
The marines made a death-defying leap over the cliff edge.
:;
A d ~ 1
adje
sing co
ar:
:he same
d.
efore or
a noun:
r:ted,
md,
'1!g and -ed
se -ing
<:I fear)
ives about
us.)
one/the
:d those to
by)
onths.
ectives. The
i adjective
'nee.
- - - - ------
GROUPS OF ADJECTIVES
21 .3A We often use more than one adjective to describe a noun. The order of adjectives
Adjective generally follows this sequence of categories:
order
21.38
Paired
adjectives
21.3C
Using commas
and and
The 747's refurbished interior features fantastic soft g"rey leather seats.
.
We always put the category which is most permanent or important (usually 'type' or
'purpose') next to the noun:
X The btii.'ders too.'1 out the gGS heating antiqtiated S!;JStem.
v The builders took out the antiquated gas heating system.
And we put opinion adjectives before all others:
X tve jfJSt botight this new mobile f&Rtsstic phone.
v I've just bought this fantastic new mobile phone.
0 We don't usually use more than three or four adjectives before a noun. If we want to
give more information we can use additional clauses:
[It's a charming small nineteenth-century French brass carriage clock.)
v It's a charming small French carriage clock, made of brass and dating from the
nineteenth century.
If two adjectives describe different parts of the same thing we put and between them.
X The chrome steel focede glinted iR the sunHght-:
v The chrome and steel facade glinted in the sunlight. (= Some parts were chrome,
some parts were steel.)
We always use and between two colours:
X The pleyers wm be wearing-blue red shirts for this match . .
t/ The players will be wearing blue and red shirts for this match.
We can use and between two adjectives which describe similar aspects of something:
She's looking for a stable and long-lasting relationship.
When two adjectives describe contrasting aspects of the same thing we put but, yet or
though betw.een them:
The flat was located in a rundown but central part of town.
Croup therapy can be a simple yet effective solution to this sort of problem.
When there are several adjectives in predicative position we usually put and before the
last one:
I'm afraid th'e-hotel was ancient, dirty and overpriced.
With longer lists of adjectives of the same category before a noun we can use commas
and put and before the last adjective. or we can simply list the adjectives:
I found him a friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated guide.
I found him a friendly knowledgeable dedicated guide.
We don't use and before the last adjective when the adjectives are of different

X We enjoyed sittiRg in the ff1Rtsstic soft grey aRd leatht?r seats.
v We enjoyed sitting in the fantastic soft grey leather seats.
21
220
Practice The key to these exercises is on page 363.
Use the word in the box to form an adjective that fits in the numbered space in the sentence. The
exercise begins with an example (0).
0 I have absolutely no interest in ..... .. ... ....... debates.
1 Entry to the single currency zone is .......... on meeting several financial criteria.
2 Most public car parks now have special parking bays for the ........ .. .
O
t depenft
2 able
3 John F Kennedy enjoyed a .......... rise to fame in the 19605.--..... . m.eteor < .. ..
4 Our lives areruled by .......... bureaucrats who seem to be answerable to no one. 4 face.
5 It was more than funny, it was absolutely ... ....... ! . 5 hysterfa <
6 People claim the rise of popular culture has had a ... ....... effect on national () destroy .
identity.
7 There are few things more ... ... .. .. than people who shout at waiters.
8 They say the .......... love their pets more than their children.
9 I've made my mind up and any attempt to change it is ......... .
10 The soil in this valley is particularly .......... .
11 As a teenager I went through a very .......... phase.
12 Unfortunately, a sense of moral duty seems to be becoming increasingly ... : ..... .
these days.
. 7 disagree
8 Britain
6olnt
1 o fertility
11 argue
-r2 fashion
13 Orange and lemon trees are ...... .... in this part of Spain. l3 plent)i' .
14 Two weeks in the Bahamas for less than a hundred dollars? That's ..... ... .. ! 14 believe
15 There's no point carrying on, the situation is ....... ... . 15 hope
16 The compass will only work when laid on a .......... surface. . 16 horizon
::. \
17 That documentary on drug smuggling was a fine example of .......... journalism. 17 Investigation
18 Dry cleaning is often the only .......... way to deal with stubborn stains. 18 . effect
19 Some of his pathetic excuses were downright . . . . . . . . . . . J 9 laugti
20 According to recent statistics the .......... have Europe's highest per capita income. '.20 __ .,
Look at these pairs of sentences. Tick (.-') those which are grammatically correct and cros_s
those which are-incorrect. In some cases both sentences are correct.
1 A Cost is the chief factor. D B The cost factor is chief. D
2 A This is the principal argument. D B This argument is principal. D
3 A He had an ashamed feeling. D B He felt ashamed. D
4 A That's a ridiculous idea. D B That idea is ridiculous. D
5 A The village has a local post office. D B The village post office is local. D
6 A It was sheer madness. D B The madness was sheer. D
7 A You have a ready dinner. D B Your dinner is ready. D
8 A He had an alone sensation. D B He sensed he was alone. D
9 A We're building an indoor pool. D B . The pool we are building is indoor. D
10 A You have very alike children. D B Your children are very alike. D
11 A That was a silly comment. D B That comment was silly. D
12 A She's a mere beginner. D B That beginner is mere. D
13 A They are afraid people. D B Those people are afraid. D
14 A We have maximum security here. D B Here the security is maximum. D
15 A He's my ill brother. D B My brother is ill. D
-- - - -- - -- .....
Indicate t t
the adject
0 There
Many <
2 There
3 They g
4 I'm afr
5 The st
6 I'm arr
7 They\>
8 Anyoni
9 Don't 1
10 Flower
Study the
some casE
Rest
tran
di sci
sen,
<at m
(3}3
(4)i
that
(5) J
l
cam
itence. The
oolitics
1epend
:ible .... ,

face

desfroy
.:; .. ._ -.. ,.
..
Bl"i talrr .: .. .
J)Oint

:.rgue .
fashiori
pl enty
oelieve

1orizon

=ffect ...... .. ..
Augh .. ....
HoHanEl '.
oss (X)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
D
D
0
0
0
0
O
correct position for the adjective or phrase in brackets, as in the example. The word
the adjective/phrase describes is underlined.
0 There was nothing,{in the book.
1 Many of the portraits are in the Prado Museum.
2 There was something about her behaviour.
(original)
(painted by El Greco)
(inexplicable)
(involved)
3 They gave an explanation which simply served to confuse the jury.
4 I'm afraid six o'clock is the only appointment.
(available)
5 The state of affairs is unlikely to continue for much longer.
6 I'm afraid the person is on holiday at the moment.
(present)
(responsible for recruitment)
(opposite)
7 They've started having late night parties in the apartment.
8 Anyone would be deeply offended by that harrowing documentary.
9 Don't worry about getting receipts, the amounts are very small.
10 Flower buds often turn black and rot away.
(sensitive)
(concerned)
(damaged by frost)
Study the numbered options in italics in this text. Underline the correct options. Note that in .
some cases both options are correct. . .
Airport hell
Results of a recent survey of international air
travellers have revealed (l) alarmedlala11ning
discrepancies in the levels of (2) comfort and
service provided/pmvided comfort <ind se1"ice
at many leading airports around the A
(3) staggered/staggering 75 percentof ..
( 4) interviewed those/those intehiiewed felt
that airportswete failing to provide a
(5)relaxed/relaxing and efficient environment.
Airports in Britain the United States
camein for particillar criticism. Fewer than
one int en pe0ple were fully (6) satisfied/
satisfybzg With the (7) piovided service/service
provUJedat leading airports in these countries;
Researchers point tO the enornious growth in
passenger numbers in the fast twenty Years a
(8) continued/continuing trend which has not
been reflected in a correspondiriggrowth in
airporffacilities. . . ...
Bfcontrast, arrports lli the growing
economies Asia and the Pacific
have received far higher satisfactio11<ratings ..
Many (9) qitestioned passengers/passengers .
questioned felt that these airports, which are
generally more. niodem than their equivruents .
inthe West, usually offered'(JO)
enhancing check-in facilities arid a more
. pleasant environment when compared to their
competitors.
A (11) discussed key factorlkeyfactor .
discussed in the report is the \Vayin whi.ch
airports deal withtlight TheI:)e.tter
airports have found waystocope with
( 12)b9redlboring passengers_, ranging from
. television lounges to children's activity areas,
(13) Delayed/Delaying passengers seem to
appreci&te small details such as comfotyible '
seating and the avfillability ofa wicie tillige oL .. E
refreshments. (14) Affectedpassengers/
Passengers affected were less likely to
complain if their children .were : .
(15) amused/amll.sing and they were able Jo > f,
. find and: bars. > c . "\.
:: ....

221
222
Improve these sentences by rewriting them using compound participle adjectives to replace the
underlined phrases. Use suitable forms of one word from each box to form the compound
adjectives and make any changes necessary to grammar and word order.
brilliant . car digital home . film fast rare slow
technology well
colour drive know manufacture visit . enhance

go
grow make move
0 Sao Paulo is a city which is getting bigger very quickly .
... .... J.lf.I!. ....... ... .. ...... ... ....... ...............
Northumberland is a part of England which people don't go to very often.
2 They were soon engulfed by the water which was flowing very quickly.
3 In recent times changes which are caused by technical developments have had a profound impact
on working practices. . ............... .. ...................................... ...... ..................... .
4 The oak is a tree which doesn't get bigger very quickly.
5 Australian parrots have plumage which is a mixture of bright red. yellow and green.
6 The Midlands is Britain's main region that produces automobiles.
7 The Hubble space telescope has produced pictures which are improved by electronic means that
have amazed the public.
8 There is a segment of the public that visits cinemas that will always want to see corny adventure
movies.
9 The new wing will be opened by a TV personality whom many people have heard of.
...... ......................................... ................ .. ...................... ... ............................ .
1 0 The desserts which are produced by ourselves are the main feature of our restaurant .
................ .. ... ................................. ................ ............. .. .... .................. ...............
Rewrite these jumbled sentences with the words in the correct order. As 'a clue tbe first word of
the sentence has a capital letter.
0 terraced/inNictorian/They/a/live/house/wonderful
... ...... .. ............... ............ .
wine/It's/ancient/jar/a/Greek/priceless/ceramic
2 new/a/centre/Our/has/fantastic/school/state-of-the-art/computer
3 superb/textured/the/She/ten/sales/found/metres/dark/blue/of/velvet/in
4 Italian/It/upholstery/luxurious/features/leather
5 orange/for/study/We've/a/lovely/chosen/inexpensive/and/wallpaper/green/the
- ,.....-:- ... :-- --. .
All
some case
the word (
0 The ho
.. .
Sylvia l
2 They'vE
3 That d1
4 This W<
5 The we
6 The be
7 We cor
8 On ma:
9 They'vE
10 The
11 The ba;
12 I'm am
13 A new '.
14 No pun
15 We are
16 It was (
17 Tall
18 Living it
19 Karen fl
20 The mo
ce the
impact
1s t hat
en t u re
1VOrd of
= ..........
if
All these sentences contain mistakes. Find the mistakes and rewrite the sentences correctly. In
some cases you may need to add, remove or change words; in others, you may need to change
the word order.
0 The house was draughty, and damp cold. . .
... .. .. .. ..... . ... ... .
1 Sylvia had a warm, gentle but friendly personality.
2 They've just bought a little Persian beautiful cat.
3 That documentary about racism was truly horrified.
4 This was the taken route by the original explorers.
5 The wealthies seem to have all the power in our capitalist societies.
6 The book is bound to appeal to fascinated by crime readers.
7 We comforted the afraid children after their terrifying ordeal.
8 On many questions my father and I have opinions opposite.
9 They've chosen a blue yellow colour scheme for their kitchen.
1 0 The injured bird appeared to have a breaking wing.
11 The boat has an aluminium and glass-fibre unique hull .
12 I'm afraid the city was noisy though overcrowded.
13 A new form of licensing is the proposed by parliament solution.
14 No punishment is severe enough for the responsible person for these crimes.
15 We are an action group acting on behalf of parents who are lone.
16 it was difficult because we had to choose between two alike alternatives.
17 Tall anyone will find these seats cripplingly uncomfortable.
18 Living in Scotland viewers may experience poor reception due to weather conditions.
19 Karen found her new job to be well-paid and challenged.
20 The movie is a moving fast account of events during the Gulf War.
- .... .......... ...... .. ... ..... .. .. ....... ... .... ..... .... .. ..... .... ... .. .. . .... ........ .. -:
223