Adjectives : The word qualifying a noun or a pronoun is called an Adjective. They are used before a noun or a pronoun.
e.g.: good, fair, kind, brave etc.
Kinds of Adjectives
1. Descriptive Adjectives (Adjectives of Quality): clever, honest, fat, large, big etc.
2. Quantitative Adjectives (Adjectives of Quantity): any, some, little, enough, much etc.
3. Numerical Adjectives (Adjectives of Number)
a) Definite Numerals: one, two, three, four, five etc. (Cardinals).
first, second, third, fourth etc. (Ordinals).
b) Indefinite Numerals: all, no, many, few, some, any, certain, several etc.
4. Distributive Adjectives: each, every, either, neither etc.,
5. Demonstrative Adjectives: this, that, these, those, such etc.,
6. Interrogative Adjectives: what, which, whose etc.,
7. Emphasizing Adjectives: own, very etc.,
8. Exclamatory Adjectives: what and how.
9. Relative Adjectives: what, which, whatever, whichever etc.,
10. Possessive Adjectives: my, our, your, his, her, its, their, mine, ours, yours, his, her, its, theirs.
11. Proper Adjectives: Indian, English etc.,
12. Participial Adjectives: smiling, pleasing, guiding, drunken etc.,
Adjectives – Degrees of Comparison
a) Positive Degree: brave, intelligent
b) Comparative Degree: braver, more intelligent
c) Superlative Degree: bravest, most intelligent Adjectives – Uses
In a sentence, adjectives can be used in two ways.
Attributively: e.g.: Ravi is a brave boy.
Predicatively: e.g.: Ravi is brave.
Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is 5.
1. We have two routes to reach Secunderabad from Koti. (1)/ One is via Musheerabad and (2)/ the other is via Sitaphalmandi. (3)/ Which is the nearest route? (4)/ No error (5).
2. Since the situation is going to be out of control, (1)/ the Government wants to take (2)/ the most extreme step (3)/ of calling in army to deal with the situation. (4)/ No error (5).
3. The entire class (1)/ has praised Kiran (2)/ for his bravery and wisdom, (3)/ but he is wiser than brave. (4)/ No error (5).
4. We use several metals. (1)/ Of all these, (2)/ iron is more useful (3)/ than any metal. (4)/ No error (5).
5. Many mango trees in this orchard (1)/ are laden (2)/ with fruit. (3)/ Some mangoes taste sourly. (4)/ No error (5).
6. He is fatter (1)/ than tall. (2)/ Hence, he faces (3)/ disappointment in all the selections. (4)/ No error (5).
7. The fact that (1)/ sycophancy (2)/ is on the increase (3)/ is more universal these days. (4)/ No error (5).
8. A variety of reptiles (1)/ take refuge (2)/ in the Pacific ocean, (3)/ because the Pacific is the deepest of all other oceans in the world. (4)/ No error (5).
9. One has to have (1)/ thorough knowledge of the subject (2)/ if
one wants to progress. (3)/ Little knowledge does not ensure spectacular success. (4)/ No error (5).
10. He did the work (1)/ good enough (2)/ but (3)/ it did not satisfy the boss. (4)/ No error (5).
11. Both the cars (1)/ attracted me most (2)/ I finally decided to buy (3)/ the expensive one. (4)/ No error (5).
12. He is the first (1)/ lawyer in Madras High court (2)/ as (3)/ he wins almost all the cases he takes up. (4)/ No error (5).
13. Both Preetham and Praneeth (1)/ are clever, (2)/ but (3)/ Praneeth is more cleverer than Preetham. (4)/ No error (5).
14. Even though I am senior (1)/ than (2)/ a good number of employees (3)/ the Manager has not given me promotion so far. (4)/ No error (5).
15. As he is (1)/ most hardworking teacher (2)/ in the school, (3)/
Sunder is felicitated by the management. (4)/ No error (5).
16. The scheme proposed (1)/ by Sankar (2)/ is preferable than
the schemes proposed (3)/ by the rest of the executives. (4)/ No error (5).
17. Since the two first chapters (1)/ are very interesting, (2)/ I have decided (3)/ to read the book and complete it at a stretch. (4)/
No error (5).
18. As a result of (1)/ resentment, (2)/ not less than thirty members of Legislative Assembly (3)/ belonging to different districts
have tendered their resignations. (4)/ No error (5).
19. The party held (1)/ a mammoth conference for two days (2)/ in Hyderabad to mark its Silver Jubilee. (3)/ Hundreds of party men
attended the conference on both days. (4)/ No error (5).
20. We were very happy that (1)/ the audience responded well (2)/ and gave all the speakers (3)/ a patiently listening. (4)/ No error
(5).
21. Nagendra is (1)/ one of the (2)/ efficient (3)/ directors in the company. (4)/ No error (5).
22. She is not (1)/ attending the meetings (2)/ these days (3)/ since she has been sick for six months. (4)/ No error (5).
23. It is a big and spacious library (1)/ but (2)/ the number of books (3)/ available in it is small. (4)/ No error (5).
24. Despite (1)/ scoring nearly cent percent marks, (2)/ in some subjects, he has not been qualified (3)/ in the written examination.
(4)/ No error (5).
25. I cannot (1)/ undertake (2)/ such a strenuous task today, (3)/ as I feel uneasy. (4)/ No error (5).
26. An obedient clerk (1)/ to his officer (2)/ is always (3)/ trustworthy as he renders whole-hearted service. (4)/ No error. (5)
27. A large number of (1)/ students stood (2)/ on either side of (3)/ the road to greet the Prime Minister. (4)/ No error (5).
28. The sailors on (1)/ the sinking boat (2)/ consider the sight of an approaching ship (3)/ a great luck. (4)/ No error (5).
29. He failed for six times (1)/ in his ardent efforts (2)/ to reach his goal. (3)/ Ultimately, he succeeded in his 7th attempt. (4)/ No
error (5).
30. The team is becoming strong (1)/ year by year (2)/ as the players have (3)/ a regular rigorous practice everyday. (4)/ No
error (5).
Key with Explanations
1-4; Write ‘nearer’ instead of ‘nearest’.
Comparative Degree is used in comparing two things or persons. Superlative Degree should not be used.
2-3; Delete ‘the most’.
Unique, perfect, ideal, universal, complete and extreme are the adjectives which are not compared.
3-4; Replace ‘Wiser’ by ‘more wise’.
When two qualities of the same person or thing are compared the comparative ‘er’ is not used. For this purpose, ‘more’ is used.
4-4; Write ‘other’ after ‘any’.
When comparison is made by means of a comparative followed by ‘than’, the thing compared should be excluded from the class of
things with which it is compared by using ‘other’.
5-4; It should be ‘sour’ (adjective).
The adjective is correctly used with a verb when some qualities of the subject rather than the action of the verb is to be expressed.
6-1; Replace ‘fatter’ by ‘more fat’.
7-4; Delete ‘more’.
The adjective ‘universal’ should not be compared.
8-4; Delete ‘other’.
9-4; Write ‘a’ before ‘little’.
“Little” means “hardly any”. “A little” means ‘at least some’. “The little” means ‘not much but all there is’.
10-2; Replace ‘good enough’ by ‘well enough’.
11-4; Write ‘more’ before ‘expensive’.
12-1; Replace ‘first’ by ‘foremost’.
‘First’ means “first in order”. ‘Foremost’ means “leading or most eminent”.
13-4; Delete ‘more’.
We should avoid using double comparatives and double superlatives.
14-2; Replace ‘than’ by ‘to’.
Senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior, superior, inferior and preferable are the comparative adjectives, which should be followed
by ‘to’ instead of ‘than’.
15-2; Article ‘the’ should precede the Superlative Degree.
16-3; Replace ‘than’ by ‘to’.
The word ‘preferable’ has the force of a comparative. So, it should be followed by ‘to’.
17-1; It should be ‘the first two chapters’.
18-3; Replace ‘not less’ by ‘no fewer’.
“Less” denotes ‘quantity’. “Fewer” denotes ‘number’.
19-4; It should be ‘on both the days’.
When the word ‘both’ is used as an ‘adjective’, it should be followed by ‘the’.
20-4; It should be ‘patient’ (adjective).
21-3; It should be ‘most efficient’.
22-4; Replace ‘sick’ by ‘ill’.
‘To be sick’ means to be temporarily indisposed. ‘To be ill’ means ‘to be unwell for a long period’.
23-5; No error.
‘Less’ is the comparative form of ‘little’. Hence ‘small’ should be used here.
24-2; It should be ‘nearly full marks’.
To express that a person has got almost hundred percent of marks, we should say “He got nearly full marks”.
25-4; Replace ‘uneasy’ by ‘unwell’.
“Uneasy” conveys ‘mental discomfort’ and ‘unwell’ conveys ‘physical discomfort’.
26-1; It should be ‘a clerk obedient’.
Usually an ‘adjective’ comes before a noun, but when an adjective is connected with other word/words, it should come after the ‘noun’.
27-3; Replace ‘either side’ by ‘each side’ or ‘both sides’.
We should not say ‘either side’, because ‘either side’ means ‘either this side or that side’. It does not mean ‘both sides’.
28-4; Replace ‘great luck’ by ‘good luck’.
29-4; Replace ‘7th’ by ‘seventh’.
In English, how to write ‘numbers’ is very important.
a) Kings and queens – Roman numbers – King George V
b) Ordinal numbers- from 1 to 12 – in letters only.
c) Dates- September 5th or 5th September.
d) Cardinal numbers – from 1 to 12 in letters only. While indicating ‘time’, number can be used. e.g.: 8 a.m.
e) Number above 12 can be written either in numbers or letters.
30-1. Replace ‘strong’ by ‘stronger’.
To indicate gradual increase or change, comparative should be used.