Adjectives and Adverbs

[2.1] How to study this unit?

[2.2] Adjectives and adverbs

[2.3] Adjectival group

[2.4] Adverbial group

[2.5] Bibliographical references

2
UNIT
UNIT 2 – Scheme

Scheme
Adjectival Group Adverbial Group

Elements of Elements of
Comparison Comparison Types of
the adjectival Types of the adverbial
and and adverbs
group adjectives group
intensification intensification

Pre-modifier Pre-modifier
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Head Head Determined Determined

Functional Adjectives by form by meaning
classification and
Post- participles Post-
modifier modifier

Determined by Semantic
Complement form classification Complement
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Pay attention to…

2.1. How to study this unit?

In order to study this unit you should read:

Hewings, M. (2005). Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press. (p. 132, p. 134, p. 136.). Available at the virtual campus under the art. 32.4 of the
Spanish Intellectual Property Law.

In this unit we will study different aspects of the adjectives and adverbs in English:

» Firstly, we will describe the elements of the adjectival group (AdjG).

» Secondly, we will analyze the types of adjectives, their comparison and
intensification, and the order of adjectives.
» And finally we will discuss the adverbial group (AdvG) and the position of the
adverb in the clause.

2.2. Adjectives and Adverbs

The adjectival group and the adverbial groups have similar structures, although their
uses and functions differ greatly. Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey Pullum offer the
following definition of adjectives: “Adjectives typically denote properties of objects,
persons, places, etc.: properties related to age (old, young), size (big, small), shape
(round, flat), weight (heavy, light), colour (black, blue), merit or quality (good, bad),
and so on” (2005, p. 112, bold and italics in original).

Adverbs, according to Downing and Locke “express a wide variety of types and subtypes
of meaning” (2006, p. 503). They modify mainly verbs, as their name suggests, but they
can also modify “clauses, adjectives and other adverbs” (Downing & Locke, 2006, p.
503). Whereas the main function of the adjectives is to modify nouns, adverbs have a
wider variety of syntactic functions.

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2.3. Adjectival group

The main and obligatory element of the adjectival group is the head, which is always
an adjective. The other elements of the group are optional. In pre-head position we
place the pre-modifier and in post-head position we can have post-modifier or
complement. The post-modifier and the complement can appear in the same
group.

The Adjectival
Group

Pre-modifier Head Post-modifier Complement

Figure 1. The structure of the adjectival group.

Here are a few examples:

Extremely dangerous

Extremely is the pre-modifier and dangerous is the head.

Very funny

Very is the pre-modifier and funny is the head.

It was hot for spring.

In the adjectival group -hot for spring-, hot is the head and for spring is the post-
modifier.

My brother is good at playing football.

In the adjectival group -good at playing football-, good is the head and at playing
football is the complement.

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According to Downing and Locke (2006), “the difference between a post-modifier and a
complement is that the complement is controlled by the adjectival head (good at...,
glad that..., glad to... etc.), whereas the post-modifier is not” (p. 476, italics in original).

I am very glad that my team won the Super Bowl.

The structure of the adjectival group -very glad that my team won the Super Bowl- is
as follows: very (pre-modifier) / glad (head) / that my team won the Super Bowl
(complement).

Types of adjectives

» Classification determined by the form of the adjective.

o Simple: Simple adjectives, like good, bad, small, short, are usually monosyllabic
or disyllabic and have no distinctive features that can help us identify them as
belonging to the word class examined here.
o Derived: Adjectives can be formed by adding prefixes and/or suffixes to other
word classes. Some examples are: hand + y = handy; beauty + ful = beautiful;
happy + un = unhappy.
o Compound: Some ways of composing adjectives are:
• number + noun: a ten-storey building.
• adjective or adverb + past participle: a well-behaved child, an old-fashioned
coat, a highly-respected professor, a well-balanced diet...
• noun + adjective: a tax-free savings account, fat-free meal…

» Functional classification of adjectives.

o Demonstrative: this, that, these, those.
o Distributive: every, each, either, neither.
o Quantitative: some, any, no, little, few, much, many, etc.
o Interrogative: what, which, whose.
o Possessive: my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their.
o Of quality: huge, famous, delightful, attractive, amazing, etc.

Semantic classification of adjectives. If we take into account the way in which

adjectives modify nouns, we can divide them broadly in two groups:
Descriptors describe the referent as to:
• Time and age: recent, new, old.

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• Colour: pink, blue, yellow.

• General quality: hard, soft, bright.
• Evaluative (reflect the subjective opinion of the speaker): amazing, horrible,
cute.
o Classifiers can restrict the referent:
• On the basis of its relation to another element: final, initial, main.
• On the basis of its relation to a group: Russian, Christian.
• On the basis of its association with technology, culture, science: digital watch,
medical terminology.

» Adjectives and participles. Some present and past participles can perform
functions typically performed by adjectives, hence the classification of these words
can be problematic. In some cases, the interpretation depends on the context, for
instance:

The images were frightening.

Here frightening is a participial adjective.

He was frightening her with his horror stories.

Here frightening is a verb participle.

To distinguish between -ing participial adjectives and participles, Downing and

Locke (2006) adopt the following criterion:

» If it can be graded or intensified, it will be considered a participial adjective.

A very confusing letter.

» If it cannot be graded or intensified, it will be considered a participle.

*more rising prices.

The rising prices of oil.

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Look at the *more dancing girl.

Look at the dancing girl.

Past participles represent a similar problem. In some cases they are considered
adjectives; in others, the passive form of a verb. According to Ron Cowan, “past
participles describe a state (e.g. The vase is broken, with the past participial
adjective broken, means the vase is in the state of being broken” (2008, p. 242,
italics in original). To illustrate the idea that some participial adjectives can be
ambiguous, Cowan gives the following example: “The shop is closed at five o’clock”
(2008, p. 242).

Present (-ing) and past (-ed) adjectives and participles

Generally speaking, participial adjectives ending in -ed describe people’s thoughts and
feelings and participial adjectives ending in -ing describe the person, thing, action, or
event that causes this feeling.

The film was boring. I was bored.

Other examples are:

amused amusing
annoyed annoying
confused confusing
excited exciting
exhausted exhausting
frightened frightening
satisfied satisfying
Table 1. Examples of Present (-ing) and past (-ed) adjectives and participles

I am tired because I have a tiring job.

The girl was frightened when she heard steps behind the door.
Living in a house that people believed was inhabited by a ghost was a frightening
experience.

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I’ve got some exciting news.

Everybody was excited to hear that the famous writer was going to speak about his
new novel.

Comparison and Intensification

Gradable adjectives express a quality that can be represented in different degrees.

Whereas non-gradable adjectives are sometimes referred to as limit or extreme
adjectives. Extreme adjectives, like terrible, and limit adjectives, like dead, are not
conceived as gradable.

dead - *more dead - *the most dead

An animate being is either dead or alive, but cannot be *more dead.

Non-gradable adjectives can however be pre-modified by certain adverbs.

He is completely dead.
I am absolutely determined to pass this exam.

stupid ridiculous
clever brilliant
expensive exorbitant
pleasant delightful
Table 2. Gradable and non-gradable adjectives

Classifiers are another group of adjectives that cannot be graded.

political party - *more political party

nuclear plant - *more nuclear plant
German cars - *more German cars

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Comparative and superlative degrees

When we want to say that a person or thing has more of less of a certain quality, we use
gradable adjectives in comparative or superlative degree.

Positive Comparative Superlative

small smaller the smallest

easy easier the easiest

difficult more difficult the most difficult

good better the best

Table 3. Degrees and their forms

» One-syllable adjectives form their comparative and superlative forms by adding –er
and –est to the base form:

Positive Comparative Superlative

tall taller the tallest

light lighter the lightest

brave braver the bravest

Table 4. One-syllable adjectives and their comparative and superlative forms

» Adjectives of two syllables ending in –y form their comparative and superlative by

adding –er and –est, respectively. The final –y is transformed into –i-:

Positive Comparative Superlative

happy happier the happiest

lucky luckier the luckiest

pretty prettier the prettiest

Table 5. Comparative and superlative forms of two-syllable adjectives ending in -y

» Adjectives that have three or more syllables:

Positive Comparative Superlative

handsome more handsome the most handsome
boring more boring the most boring
intelligent more intelligent the most intelligent
Table 6. Adjectives that have three or more syllables

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» Irregular comparative and superlative forms:

Positive Comparative Superlative

good better the best
bad worse the worst
little less the least
further the furthest
far
farther the farthest
many
more the most
much
Table 7. Irregular comparative and superlative forms

The scale of degree Form

Comparative superiority darker

Superlative superiority the darkest

Equality as clever

Comparative inferiority less interesting

Superlative inferiority the least difficult

Sufficiency cheap enough

Table 8. Grading options. Source: Adapted from Downing and Locke (2006)

Order of adjective of quality

The order of adjectives of quality in English is established, although several

possibilities, differing slightly from one another, are considered correct.

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There is a general agreement that we place subjective adjectives, which indicate the
opinion of the speaker, first:

1 Opinion lovely, boring, intelligent.

2 Size big, small, tall.

3 Age young, old.

4 Shape round, square, triangular.

5 Color red, white, black.

6 Origin Spanish, English, French.

7 Material plastic, metal, wooden.

Purpose
(often seen as forming a
8 swimming, cleaning, riding.
compound noun, which
cannot be separated)
Table 9. Order of adjectives

My expensive black leather riding boots.

Her charming small white cottage
A dirty old plastic chair
Two lovely round wooden tables

Adjectives in context

Adjectives appear in different positions depending on their syntactic function.

» Attributive adjectives pre-modify the head of the nominal group and are placed
in pre-head position.

What is the secret to raising a happy child?

You can read about amazing things that happened in the world today.
A loving mother never gets tired of helping her child.

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» Predicative adjectives appear after verbs such as be, become, seem:

She is beautiful.
The lecture was very interesting.
The singer seems impatient.

Other verbs that can be used with predicative adjectives are: appear, feel, get, grow,
look (=appear), make, smell, sound, taste, turn.

Your idea sounds great.

He turned pale when he saw his girlfriend in the restaurant.
Her children make her happy.

Some adjectives can have only attributive function, some others can have only
predicative function. However, most adjectives can be used in both attributive
and predicative position.

» Attributive only: eventual, main, own, former, mere, principal, etc.

He has a nice little flat in Manhattan. (His flat is small.)

It was sheer luck that the police found his car before midnight.

» Predicative only: afloat, afraid, alert, alike, alive, alone, ashamed, asleep, awake,
aware, fond, liable, unaware.

The child was awake, so I turned on the lights.

I saw the *awake child, so I turned on the lights.
She was aware of the difficulties, however she kept on walking up the hill.
The *aware woman kept on walking up the hill.

» Both attributive and predicative:

An amazing story - The story is amazing.

A cheap perfume - The perfume is cheap.
A black table - The table is black.

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Adjectives can be followed by several structures:

» Adjective + to clause:

He is clever enough to understand the advantages of this proposal.

» Adjective + that clause

I am sure that I sent the message.

» Adjective + infinitive with to

He was careful not to break the crystal vase.

» It + linking verb + adjective + infinitive with to

It is wonderful to see you again.

» Adjective + wh- clause

I wasn’t sure what to do.

2.4. Adverbial Group

The main element of the adverbial group is the head, which is obligatorily an adverb.
The other three elements are:
» the pre-modifier, placed in pre-head position;
» the post-modifier, placed in post-head position;
» the complement, placed in post-head position.

These three elements are optional. The head can combine with any of the three
optional elements or with the three of them simultaneously.

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The Adv erbial

Group

Pre-modifier Head Post-modifier Complement

Figure 2. The structure of the adverbial group.

Here are some examples:

He will probably disagree with you.

The adverbial group is probably, which is as well the head.

This formula is easy enough for you to remember.

The adverbial group is enough, which is also the head.

He was driving so slowly that we arrived late at the party.

The adverbial group is so slowly that we arrived late at the party. Structure: so (pre-
modifier) / slowly (head) / that we arrived late at the party (complement)

Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and clauses.

Types of adverbs

» Classification determined by the form of the adverb

o Simple: Simple adverbs have one or two syllables. Examples include: far, near,
here, there, soon, ago, etc.
o Derived: Derived adverbs can be formed by adding prefixes and/or suffixes to
other word classes. Example: bad + ly = badly, slow + ly = slowly, happily,
easily, etc.
Some adjective-adverb pairs when the adverb is formed by adding -ly to the
adjective have unrelated meaning.

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You can find ideas for short hairstyle in this magazine.

(short - adjective = small in length)

Shortly afterwards, he became one of the best paid actors in the world.
(shortly - adverb = soon)

Other suffixes used to form adverbs are: -wise, like in clockwise, -ways, like in
sideways.

In some cases adjectives and adverbs have the same form and are defined as
belonging to one class or another by the context.

You can read your weekly horoscope on the last page.

(weekly - adjective)

Workers are usually paid weekly.

(weekly - adverb)

Adverbs formed by adding the suffix -ward(s), like in upward(s),

downward(s), forward(s), backward(s), etc.

o Compound. For example: here, there, where + preposition = hereafter,

thereupon, therein, whereupon. Other examples include: nevertheless,
furthermore, anywhere, nowhere, moreover, etc.

» Grammarians provide different classifications of adverbs according to their

meaning (literal or figurative). For instance, in Understanding English Grammar:
A Linguistic Introduction (2011), Thomas E. Payne distinguishes the following types
of adverb: manner, time, extent, epistemic, location, and hedging (pp. 73-74).

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The classification below is adapted from Downing & Locke’s English Grammar: A
University Course (2006).

Circumstantial adverbs: where, when and how things happen

I used to play outside in the neighbourhood when I was
Position
a child.
Space Direction Climb upward and west towards the village.
Distance A small school was built near the church.
Moment Yesterday the children learnt a new song.
The general manager always tries to discover new
Time Frequency
techniques for efficient production.
We refer briefly to cultural differences in the second
Duration
chapter.
The door quickly close behind them.
Manner
She happily participates in all the trips organised by her friends.
Domain Technically speaking, the project was not feasible.
Stance
Personal opinion Hopefully, we will find tickets for the concert.
Adverbs of degree
Ten years ago, he was the most talented singer in
completely, partially, Germany.
enough, utterly, really,
very… It is quite obvious from the results that this approach
was beneficial for the students.
Connective adverbs:
Ana is not very rich, nevertheless she is happy.
A band was playing Christmas carols in the yard.
meanwhile, Meanwhile, the teacher had to make sure all the
nevertheless, students understand the new grammar item.
furthermore…
Children should feel happy at school. Furthermore,
their parent’s support is essential for their emotional
development.
Table 10. Classification of adverbs. Adapted from Downing & Locke’s English Grammar: A University
Course (2006)
Position of adverbs

There is not a general rule about the position of adverbs that can apply to all the
adverbs. The position of adverbs in the clause is determined by their meaning. The
position of some adverbs is flexible.

» Adverbs of manner are usually placed after the verb. If there is an object, they are
placed after the object.

The male bird sings beautifully to attract the female.

The host opened the door widely.

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In this case, the object (the door) is short.

If the object is long, we place the adverb before the verb.

He secretly hid his bag with all his valuables.

» Adverbs of place are usually placed after the verb if there is no object, but there are
some exceptions.

We can meet anywhere near the hotel.

I couldn’t find the dress I saw in the magazine anywhere.

Adverbs like here and there can be placed at the beginning of the clause and can be
followed by a noun subject.

Here we go again.

» Adverbs of direction are usually found in end position. They can sometimes be
placed at the beginning of the clause for emphasis.

You should not hide the toy under the table.

Under the table was his favourite hiding place when he was young.

Adverbs like before, early, late are placed at the end of the clause.

He revealed the truth about their marriage late. They had already escaped.

» Adverbs of time (afterwards, eventually, now, soon, then, etc.) are usually placed
at the beginning or at the end of the clause.

Eventually, you will get the help you need. You will get the help you need
eventually.

With compound verbal forms, some adverbs of time can be placed after the auxiliary
verb.

We will soon receive more detailed answers to our questions.

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When yet is used as an adverb of time, it is usually placed at the end of the clause.

I haven’t seen his last film yet.

When just is used as an adverb of time, it is usually placed before the main verb in
compound verbal forms.

They have just found the way out.

» Adverbs of frequency: A.J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet divide adverbs of

frequency in two groups and then establish a number of rules that affect one of the
groups or both of them (1987, pp. 56-57). The following groups and related rules are
adapted from their work A Practical English Grammar (1987).

(a) always, continually, frequently, occasionally, often, once, twice, sometimes,

usually, etc.
(b) ever, hardly ever, never, rarely, seldom, etc.

Groups a and b are usually placed:

o Before the main verb:

I occasionally travel to China on business.
I have never seen such a beautiful picture!

o After the verb to be

She was often alone in the castle.

o Adverbs in group a can also be placed at the beginning or end of a clause.

Sometimes they take a walk along the river.

o Adverbs in group b, hardly ever, never, rarely, etc. (but not ever alone) can be
placed at the beginning of the clause, but then inversion is needed.

Hardly ever did we go to London when we lived England.

Rarely are relationships as easy as people expect them to be.

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o When there are several adverbs in end position, in written discourse they are
usually ordered as follows: manner, place, time.

We got there yesterday.

there is an adverb of place, and yesterday is an adverb of time.

o Adverbs like apparently, clearly, presumably, honestly, naturally, sadly, wisely,

wrongly, surprisingly, etc., that express the speaker’s attitude or opinion have a
flexible position in the clause. Here are two examples:

Surprisingly, all the students passed the exam.

All the students passed the exam, surprisingly.

Honestly, I can say I don’t like this restaurant.

I can honestly say I don’t like this restaurant.
I can say I honestly don’t like this restaurant.

In short:

Adverb Position
Place End
Manner Mid or end
Time (a particular moment, like yesterday) Front or end
Time (indefinite, like already) Mid
Frequency Mid
Degree/intensifier (really) Before the word they modify
Table 11: Common positions of adverbs.

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Comparison and Intensification

» Comparative and superlative degrees: Adverbs can be graded using the same
structures as adjectives.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Early Earlier Earliest
Carefully More carefully Most carefully
Slowly More slowly Most slowly
Well Better Best
Badly Worse Worst
Little Less Least
Much More Most
Table 12. Comparison and intensification of adverbs

o Positive form (sometimes called “comparison of equality”): as . . . as . . .

The journey didn’t take as long as we thought.

My friend is paid as badly as I am.

o Comparative forms:

My teacher speaks English better than the flight attendant.

In the adverbial group -better than the flight attendant-, better is the head, and than
the flight attendant is the complement.

o Correlative forms: with two adverbs.

The sooner you start studying, the better you will do at the test.

» Adverbs modified by other word classes:

o Intensification

Everything happened very quickly.

He plays chess quite well.
Wait for me right there.

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o Attenuation

He reads a bit slowly for his age.

I almost never go to the cinema alone.

o Description

I am leaving the city late today.

» Adverbs modify other words classes:

Some adverbs are used to intensify verbs. Possible and impossible combinations of
adverb + verb do not have grammatical or semantic explanation. In many cases the
use of one combination or another is determined by the frequency of use. Impossible
combinations include: *strongly like, *sincerely agree, and *fully think, among
others.

Possible combinations include the following:

Adverbs Verbs
Greatly, thoroughly,
Like, enjoy, appreciate,
really, completely,
depend, forget
strongly, entirely
Absolutely, totally,
Agree
quite
Totally Disagree

Completely, perfectly Understand

Sincerely, seriously Believe

Table 13. Adverbs that intensify verbs.

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Before we explained the difference between gradable and non-gradable adjectives.

Gradable adjectives express qualities that can be graded, like good - better - the best,
while extreme adjectives cannot be graded.

Gradable adjectives Non-gradable adjectives

important essential
big enormous
happy delighted
tired exhausted
Adverbs used to intensify Adverbs used to intensify non-
gradable adjectives gradable adjectives
Awfully, extremely,
Absolutely, completely,
fairly,
entirely, pretty, quite, really,
pretty, quite rather,
simply, totally, utterly.
really, terribly, very.
Table 14. Difference between gradable and non-gradable adverbs and adjectives

My son thinks geography is hard and he is absolutely right.

My son thinks geography is hard and he is quite right.
The general manager is completely aware of the difficulties.
This unpleasant conversation with your boss was entirely avoidable.

» Fairly, rather, quite, pretty (used as intensifiers): When used as adverbs of

degree, these words imply moderate intensification. They are not as strong as very,
really or extremely.

She is beautiful, but actually pretty boring.

o When quite is used with gradable adjectives and the stress is on quite, it means “it
is OK, but not as good as I expected”. The general impression is negative.

The film was quite good, but I wouldn’t watch it again.

o When quite is used with gradable adjectives and the stress is on the adjective, it
means “it is better than I expected” and it sounds positive.

The film is quite good. You should watch it!

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o Quite can also be used with limit adjectives, meaning “totally, completely”.

I was quite exhausted after the wedding. I needed a good rest.

Adverbs in context

Some words can belong to several word classes. The meaning, hence the class to which
the word belongs depends on the context. For instance: up can be an adverb, an
adjective or a preposition. The examples below show how up can be identified in
context (Cambridge Dictionary online):

» Up as an adverb: We use up as an adverb to talk about movement towards a

higher position, value, number or level.

She put the books up on the highest shelf.

» Up as an adjective: We use up as an adjective usually to talk about increases in

prices, levels or amounts.

The price of fuel is up again.

» Up as a preposition: We use up to talk about a higher position or movement to a

higher position.

He was up a ladder painting.

2.5. Bibliographical references

Downing, A. & Locke, Ph. (2006). English Grammar: A University Course. London &
New York: Routledge.

Cowan, R. (2008) The Teacher’s Grammar of English. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

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Huddleston, R. & Geoffrey, K. (2005). A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Payne, Th. (2011). Understanding English Grammar: A Linguistic Introduction.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Thomson, A.J. & Martinet A.V. (1987). A Practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

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In Depth

Adjectives and Adverbs

The master class offers a brief overview of the adjectival group and the adverbial group.
We will explain the structure of both groups and then their comparison and
intensification. It is fundamental to know the order of adjectives of quality and the
position of the adverbs in the clause for the correct use of these items in context.

This class is available in the virtual classroom

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 English Grammar

How to form Adverbs from Adjectives?

This short video provides a number of useful rules and examples of how to form
Adverbs from Adjectives. It also discusses some general spelling rules that will help you
improve your writing skills.

Access to the video through the virtual classroom or following this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR3dprR1hFU

The Cognitive Motivation for Adjective Sequences

Dirven, R. (1999). The Cognitive Motivation for Adjective Sequences in Attribution.

Journal of English Studies I, 57-67.

In this article, René Dirven examines the sequence of adjectives in their attributive
function. He argues that we can apply the principle of proximity for the position of the
three major categories of attributive adjectives. More subjective qualifications are at the
greatest distance from it and more objective adjective types, denoting properties such
as size, age, and shape, occupy a position closer to the noun.

Available at the virtual campus under the art. 32.4 of the Spanish Intellectual Property
Law.

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 English Grammar

Use Adjectives Appropriately When Writing Descriptions in English

Lizarazo Jara, O. (2012). Using a Blog to Guide Beginner Students to Use Adjectives
Appropriately When Writing Descriptions in English. PROFILE 14 (1), 187-209.

In this article, Omar Yesid Lizarazo Jara focuses on a problem students of English as a
foreign language often have when they face a writing task. As much as it is difficult for
beginners and intermediate students to use a wide range of adjectives properly,
examiners consider the correct use of adjectives indicative of a good command of
English. The article will help you improve your understanding of grammar and will give
you some valuable ideas for classroom activities.

Available at the virtual campus under the art. 32.4 of the Spanish Intellectual Property
Law.

Manner and degree: An introduction

Gehrke, B. & Castroviejo, E. (2015). Manner and degree: An introduction. Natural

Language and Linguistic Theory, 33 (3), 745-790.

The chapter explores issues related to manner and degree and the way they determine
the use of adverbs. The authors are concerned with the adverbs of manner and degree
from a semantic point of view and provide a great number of references to studies that
can be of interest to those who would like to deal with the topic in detail. The study also
reflects on how the meaning of these adverbs affect their position in the clause. The
study also examines modification.

Available at the virtual campus under the art. 32.4 of the Spanish Intellectual Property
Law.

UNIT 2 –In Depth © Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

 English Grammar

Adverbs of manner

This is the official website of the British Council. They provide

interesting and clear explanations and examples not only of
several types of adjectives and adverbs. You can also do some
online exercises that will help you put the knowledge you have
acquired in this chapter in practice. On this website you can
also find links to teaching material for young learners that you
can use in class.

Access to the website through the virtual campus or the following link:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/adverbials/adverbs-
manner

UNIT 2 –In Depth © Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

 English Grammar

Exercises

Task: Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs

Part 1

Analyse the following groups:

Example: This majestic new world (Nominal group).

This (determiner) majestic (pre-modifier) new (pre-modifier) world (head)

1. Too noticeable to be here.

2. Very conscientious of you.

3. Abundant traces of an ancient civilization.

4. The real name of the city.

5. Fond of old style video games.

6. Too quickly for me.

7. A bread crust pecked by birds.

8. Resentful of his power.

9. Endless sleepy stories about long lost worlds.

10. Pretty expensive.

Objective: learn the internal structure of the nominal, adjectival, and adverbial group.

UNIT 2 – Exercises © Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

 English Grammar

Part 2

Give ten examples of sentences containing the items below. Please underline the item
in each example.

Example: uncountable noun

Please check the quality of your drinking water and report any problems to the local
authorities.

1. Compound singular noun

________________________________________________________
2. Countable noun modified by determiners that indicate plurality
________________________________________________________
3. Uncountable noun preceded by a quantifier
________________________________________________________
4. Noun in genitive case used to indicate place of business
________________________________________________________
5. Indefinite pronouns
________________________________________________________
6. Non-gradable adjective
__________________________________________________________
7. The word table and three adjectives preceding it. Pay special attention to the order
of adjectives.
________________________________________________________
8. Adjective in its predicative function.
________________________________________________________
9. Adverb of time.
________________________________________________________
10. Adverb used to intensify non-gradable adjective
________________________________________________________

Objective:
» Learn the main features of nouns, pronouns, adverbs, and adjectives.
Assessment criteria: each correct answer counts 0.5 points.

UNIT 2 – Exercises © Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

 English Grammar

Test

1. Choose the correct answer. In the sentence: She is beautiful, but pretty boring.
A. Pretty boring is an adjectival group. Pretty is the head of the group and boring
is a post-modifier.
B. Pretty boring is an adjectival group. Pretty is the pre-modifier and boring is
the head of the group.
C. Pretty boring is an adverbial group. Pretty is the head of the group and boring
is post-modifier.

2. In the sentence: My sister-in-law works with seriously ill patients. The adjectival
group is:
A. Seriously ill patients.
B. Ill.
C. Seriously ill.

3. The adjectives angry, deep, fast, young are:

A. Gradable.
B. Non-gradable.
C. Both A and B are correct.

4. Choose the correct answer:

A. The meeting was really important for me.
B. The meeting was pretty important for me.
C. Both A and B are correct.

5. Choose the correct answer:

A. I greatly admire Shakespeare.
B. I admire Shakespeare greatly.
C. Both A and B are correct.

6. My neighbor is _______ terrified of cats.

A. Absolutely.
B. Extremely.
C. Both A and B are correct.

UNIT 2 – Test © Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

 English Grammar

7. The structure of the adverbial group so early in the morning is as follows:

A. so (pre-modifier) / early (head) / in the morning (post-modifier).
B. so (head) / early in the morning (post-modifier).
C. so early (head) / in the morning (complement).

8. The comparative and superlative forms of narrow are:

A. More narrow / the most narrow.
B. Narrower / the narrowest.
C. Both A and B are correct.

9. In the sentence Emily Dickinson’s poems are much admired.

A. much is an adjective.
B. much is a pronoun.
C. much is an adverb.

10. Choose the correct answer:

A. My sister is working extremely hard.
B. My sister is working extremely hardly.
C. Both A and B are correct.

UNIT 2 – Test © Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)