El adjetivo

ADJECTIVES
Function : Words that modify or describe a noun or pronoun. Adjectives give more distinct meaning to a noun or a pronoun by describing or limiting it.

War and Peace is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.
The baby is still asleep.

Adjectives serve several functions, which include:
1) adding descriptive qualities.
She is agifted person.
2) specifying an affilitiation.
Steve is proud of his Marine uniform
3) showing information about age.
Mr. Carter is a retired vet.
4) describing color.
She was wearing a beautiful purple shawl.
5) describing characteristics.
She handed me a wooden spoon.
6) providing size information.
George is rather plump.
7) showing measurement details. (masdetalles de..)
Greg is a short guy.
8) advising of nationality or origin.
Aristotle is Greek.

Types: Basically adjectives can be classified into descriptive and proper.

1. Descriptive: describe or qualify the noun phrase by showing a characteristic, condition, or quality.
Brazil is a large country.

2. Proper: denote nationality or origin.
Brazilian food is like Brazilitself.
There’s an exhibition of Victorian pieces of furniture.
Adjective form: An adjective is invariable, i.e., it will not change its form based on gender or the number of the noun or pronoun it modifies.

Position: Adjectives can premodify a noun. This is called the attributive function.

While Shannon Lucid, the first American astronaut, was on the Mir SpaceStation, she and the Russians spent their time performing scientific experiments and exercising to stay in good physical condition.

They can also occur alone as a complement or after the noun phrase. This is called the predicative function.

The forest fires in the western United Stated have been far worse in recent years.


Formation: New adjectives can be formed throughthree processes:
1. using participial forms
2. adding word endings or derivational suffixes
3. compounding (i.e. combining two words)



THE COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

There are 3 degrees of comparison:
• Positive degree: expresses equality
• Comparative degree: expresses superiority
• Superlative degree: expresses supremacy

FORMATION OF DEGREE OF COMPARISON
1. Monosyllabicadjectives ending in 2 consonants or ending in a consonant preceded by two vowels add –er or –est to form the comparative and superlative degree respectively.
Small smaller smallest
Hard harder hardest
Tall taller tallest
Sweet sweeter sweetest
Fair fairer fairest


Exceptions : real morereal most real
right more right most right
wrong worse worst
2. Monosyllabic adjectives ending in -e add -r and –st to form the comparative and superlative degree.
Large larger largest
Brave braver bravest
3. The final consonant letter of the word is doubled in the case of words of one syllable containing one vowel letterfollowed by one consonant letter.
Big bigger biggest
Thin thinner thinnest
Fat fatter fattest
Hot hotter hottest
4. Single syllable adjectives ending in –y preceded by a consonant change this y to i.
Dry drier driest
Exception : Shy shyer shyest

5. If a monosyllabic adjective ends in y , butthis is preceded by a vowel that y is retained.
Grey greyer greyest
6. Two syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, -y or –ow add –er and –est to form the
comparative and the superlative degree respectively.

Clever cleverer cleverest
Noble nobler noblest
Happy happier happiest
Mellow mellower mellowest
7. With...