Gradable and ungradable adjectives_ Position
Gradable and ungradable adjectives
A. Gradable and ungradable adjectives
Gradable adjectives can be used with adverbs such as very or extremely to say that a thing or person has more or less of a particular quality. Ungradable adjectives themselves imply 'to a large degree' and are seldom used with these adverbs. Instead, we can use adverbs such as absolutely or totally.
|
Adverbs |
extremely, deeply, fairly, hugely, immensely, pretty (informal), rather, really, reasonably, slightly, very
|
+ |
angry, big, busy, comfortable, common, happy, important, quiet, rich, strong, young
|
gradable adjectives
|
|
Adverbs |
absolutely, completely, entirely, pretty, really, simply, totally, utterly
|
+ |
amazed, awful, dreadful, furious, huge, impossible, invaluable, terrible, wonderful, useless
|
ungradable adjectives |
Notice that not all the adverbs given can go with all the adjectives given.
B. More on the position of adjectives
+ When we use more than one adjective before a noun, there is often a preferred order for these adjectives. However, this order is not fixed: opinion + size/physical quality/shape/age + colour + participle adjectives + origin + material + type + purpose + noun.
· an old plastic container
· a hard red ball
· a frightening Korean mask
· a round biscuit tin
· a small broken plate
· a useful digital alarm clock
(= age + material + noun)
(= quality + colour + noun)
(= opinion + origin + noun)
(= shape + purpose (for holding biscuits) + noun)
(= size + participle adjective + noun)
(= opinion + type + purpose + noun)
+ When two gradable adjectives come before the noun, we can put either a comma or and between
them. Compare:
• an attractive, big garden and • an attractive and big garden
Two colour adjectives have and between them:
• Sweden's yellow and blue flag {not ...yellow, blue flag)
Two ungradable adjectives have and between them if they are from the same class, but and is not used if they are from different classes. Compare:
• financial and political conditions and • improving financial conditions
Advanced Grammar in use_Martin Hewings
Trương Quốc Phú @ 21:54 19/12/2009
Số lượt xem: 388
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