Download Lesson 9 Adjectives

Lesson 9 Adjectives
9.1 Definition
Adjectives modify nouns. Adjectives can be used before a noun (I like Chinese food) or
after certain verbs (It is hard). We can often use two or more adjectives together (a
beautiful young French lady).
Generally speaking, adjectives answer the following questions:

Which?

What kind of?
How many?

9.2 Kinds of Adjectives
9.2.1
Determiners 限定詞 (some grammarians do not consider determiners as
adjectives, but give them a class of their own.)
Determiners are words like the, an, my, some. They are grammatically similar.
They all come at the beginning of noun phrases, and usually we cannot use more
than one determiner in the same noun phrase.
9.2.1.1
Articles (A / An or The)
An article is an adjective that modifies nouns. The English language has two
types of articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns;
a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the
definite article and a/an the indefinite article.
9.2.1.1.1
Uses of the indefinite article a/an:
9.2.1.1.1.1

To talk about something for the first time:
There’s a kitchen and a dining room.
9.2.1.1.1.2 To describe “one of many”:

Christianity is a religion.
9.2.1.1.1.3 With jobs and professions:
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
I’m a teacher. She is an engineer.
9.2.1.1.1.4 With certain expressions of quantity:

a little food, a few beds, a couple of friends,
9.2.1.1.1.5 Only with singular count nouns:

a bottle of water, a new glass of milk, a boy, a country
9.2.1.1.1.6
Use a for nouns and adjectives which begin with a
consonant sound, and an for nouns and adjectives which begin with a
vowel sound:

a boy, an armchair, an honor, an easy way, a beautiful girl, a user (sounds like
‘yoo-zer,’ i.e., begins with a consonant ‘y’ sound, so ‘a’ is used); a university,
a unicycle, an unusual problem, a European country (sounds like
‘yoo-ro-pi-an,’ i.e., begins with a consonant ‘y’ sound), a uniform, an elephant;
an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan.
9.2.1.1.1.7 When describing people or things in quantity with adjectives,
we usually use a or an before the adjectives:




We had a record rice crop that year.
We walked a good three miles before we came to a village.
Everything happened in a mere two minutes.
A record 5,000 graduates pursue degrees this year.
9.2.1.1.2
Uses of the definite article the:
9.2.1.1.2.1 To talk about something again:

In the kitchen there’s a table, and on the table there’s a cat.
9.2.1.1.2.2 With certain places and names:

the Alps, the USA, the West.
9.2.1.1.2.3 When there is only one:

the president, the government, the sun, the weather.
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9.2.1.1.2.4 To refer to a specific group of people or things, or a particular
member of a group, when the is used before a singular count
noun:


the most popular movie of the year; Islam is the religion practiced by all the
believers in the Koran.
The dunce wonders; the wise man asks.（愚者惑而不問，智者問而不惑）

A Brief History of the Western Novel.
9.2.1.1.2.5 When information given in the sentence limits the plural count
noun to all the members in a specific category: (see also 9.2.1.1.4)

Christianity and Buddhism are the religions practiced by our classmates
(meaning: Christianity and Buddhism are all the religions practiced by our
classmates.)
(“Christianity and Buddhism are religions practiced by our classmates” is
also correct, meaning: Christianity and Buddhism are two/two of the
religions practiced by our classmates.)
9.2.1.1.2.6 Use of the in front of abbreviations and their full forms but not
before acronyms and their full forms. Eg.




He is in charge of the ICAC. (ICAC is an abbreviation)
He is in charge of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. (full form
of ICAC)
For its first few years, NATO was not much more than a political association.
(NATO is an acronym)
For its first few years, North Atlantic Treaty Organization was not much more
than a political association. (full form of NATO)
9.2.1.1.3 Uses of a/an/the for singular countable nouns
All singular countable nouns must be preceded by either an indefinite
article (a or an) or a definite article (the).
society as a whole
問：The society as a whole（整個社會）的 the 字有沒有誤用？
答：這位讀者是今年中文大學英文系新生，說「上課時見到」這寫法。但不管是
見於書本還是黑板，the society as a whole 的 the 都應刪去。「整個社會」英
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文可說 society as a whole 或 the community as a whole，例如：This is a policy
that should benefit society as a whole/ the community as a whole（這政
策應對整個社會有利）。韋氏詞典 Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's
English Dictionary society 條也有以下例句：Poverty hurts society as a
whole（貧窮有損整個社會）。
「整個社會」的另一說法是 society at large 或 the community at large。例
如：This is a policy that should benefit society at large。
9.2.1.1.4
Uses of the for plural countable nouns
9.2.1.1.4.1 When the plural countable noun does not represent all the
members in a specific category, no article comes before it: (see
also 9.2.1.1.2.5)

Islam and Hinduism are religions.
9.2.1.1.4.2 When information given in the sentence limits the plural
countable noun to all the members in a specific category or
group, the definite article the is used: (the same as 9.2.1.1.2.5)

The boys in shorts, please stand up. (meaning: all the boys in shorts)
9.2.1.1.5

Uses of the for uncountable nouns
Uncountable nouns are always singular because they cannot be
counted. E.g.,
honesty, knowledge, wisdom, ignorance, information, evidence, research,
advice
No article comes before uncountable nouns when a specific reference
is not being made. But when it is obvious that a specific reference is
being made, the definite article the is used. E.g.

The honesty of the man is his greatest virtue.
9.2.1.1.6
You don’t use any article:
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9.2.1.1.6.1

at home

at work
in bed
by car
on foot



With certain expressions, such as:
9.2.1.1.6.2 With meals, languages, most countries, cities and towns,
streets, mountains (but mountain ranges 山脈 use the), most
islands, continents, sports, academic subjects, parts of body:

Let’s have lunch. (meals)

Please speak English. (languages)

We live in France, but we like to visit the United States. (countries)
Susan lives in Hong Kong. (cities and towns)
Chu Hai College is located on Yi Lok Street. (streets)








Sue climbed the Himalayas and eventually reached Mount Everest. (mountain
ranges and mountains)
He lives in Easter Island. (islands)
She went to Europe last summer. (continents)
They play football. (sports)
She is good in mathematics. (academic subjects)
There is hair on his arms. (parts of body)
9.2.1.1.7
Geographical use of the:
9.2.1.1.7.1 Do not use the before:
9.2.1.1.7.1.1

Names of most countries/territories, eg.
Italy, Mexico, Bolivia, Japan, China, Australia, Brazil. Congo
(however, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the United States, the Bahamas,
the Vatican, the Dominican Republic, the People’s Republic of China, the
United Kingdom, the Gambia.)
9.2.1.1.7.1.2 Names of cities, towns, provinces, or states:

Seoul, Manitoba, Guangdong, Miami
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9.2.1.1.7.1.3 Names of streets:

Washington Boulevard, Main Street, Yi Lok Street, Nathan Road
9.2.1.1.7.1.4 Names of lakes and bays:

Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie
(except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes)
9.2.1.1.7.1.5

Names of mountains:
Mount Everest, Mount Fuji
(but use the with ranges of mountains, like the Andes, the Rockies, or unusual
names like the Matterhorn)
9.2.1.1.7.1.6

Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, Africa
9.2.1.1.7.1.7

Names of continents:
Names of islands:
Easter Island, Maui, Key West, Cheung Chau
(except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary
Islands)
9.2.1.1.7.2 Do use the before:
9.2.1.1.7.2.1 Names of rivers, oceans and seas:

the Nile, the Amazon, the Yellow River, the Pacific Ocean
9.2.1.1.7.2.2 Points on the globe:

the Equator, the North Pole
9.2.1.1.7.2.3 Geographical areas:

the Middle East, the West
9.2.1.1.7.2.4 Deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas:

the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula
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9.2.1.1.8
Pronunciation:
9.2.1.1.8.1
a vowel:

a boy

a user
a university
a unicycle
a European country



A is used before a consonant sound, even if it is written as
9.2.1.1.8.2 An is used before a vowel sound, even if it is written as a
consonant:

an unusual problem

an honour
an hour
an FBI agent


9.2.1.1.8.3 The is pronounced “the” before a consonant sound:

the uniform, the boy, the house
but pronounced “dee” before a vowel sound:

dee H-bomb, dee egg, dee elephant
9.2.1.2 Possessive Adjectives / Possessive Determiners
A possessive adjective, also known as possessive determiner, modifies a noun
by telling who owns or “possesses” something. It answers the question
“Whose?”
Possessive adjectives/determiners can eliminate repetition in a sentence by
replacing a determiner phrase, which is also a noun phrase. They allow us, for
example, to say: “The boy took off his hat.” instead of “The boy took off the
boy's hat.”
The possessive adjectives are:
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

my, your, his, her, its, our, their
whose (interrogative)
number
person
gender
possessive
adjective
example sentence
singular
1st
male/female
my
This is my book.
2nd
male/female
your
I like your hair.
3rd
male
his
His name is “Phil.”
female
her
Her name is “Sue.”
neuter 中性的
its
The dog is licking
its paw.
plural
1st
male/female
our
We have sold our
house.
2nd
male/female
your
Your children are
lovely.
3rd
male/female/neuter
their
The students
thanked their
teacher.
singular/plural 1st/2nd/3rd
9.2.1.3
male/female (not
neuter)
whose
Whose phone did
you use?
Other Determiners / Indefinite Adjectives:

each (= every one separately) (adjective / adverb / pronoun) eg. Each student
had a different explanation.

every (= each, all; every is half-way between each and all. It sees things or
people as singular, but in a group or in general.) (adjective / adverb) eg.
She’s beautiful in every way.

(Verbs with each and every are always conjugated in the singular.)
either (adjective / adverb / pronoun / conjunction) eg. You may choose either
answer.

neither (adjective / adverb / pronoun / conjunction) eg. Neither answer is
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correct.

some (= a little, a few or a small number or amount) (adjective / adverb /
pronoun) eg. We met some years ago.

any (= one, some or all) (adjective / adverb / pronoun) eg. Have you any spare
change?





















(Usually, we use some in positive sentences and any in negative and
question sentences. However, we may use some in a question when we
expect a positive YES answer, eg. Would you like some more tea?)
no (adjective / adverb / noun) eg. I wanted no part of it. He has no heart. He
has no nose. He has no fingers. He has no friends in this city. I have no idea.
There is no reason why should come. (singular / plural noun after no).
much (adjective / adverb /noun) eg. It takes too much time.
many (adjective / pronoun / noun) eg. A journey of many miles begins with a
single step.
more (adjective / adverb / noun / pronoun) eg. Would you like more sugar?
most (adjective / adverb / noun / pronoun) eg. Choosing a fitting color takes
the most time.
little (adjective / adverb / noun) eg. I got very little sleep last night.
less (adjective / adverb / noun / preposition) eg. Two is less than three.
least (adjective / adverb / noun) eg. The least noise would startle her.
few (adjective / noun / pronoun) eg. One of his few pleasures is to go hiking.
fewer (adjective / pronoun) eg. He caught fewer fish than the rest of us.
fewest (adjective) eg. Please answer the questions in the fewest possible
words.
what (adjective / adverb / pronoun) eg. What a charming girl!
whatever (adjective / adverb / pronoun) eg. She will buy the painting at
whatever price.
which (adjective / pronoun) eg. Which tie should I wear?
whichever (adjective / pronoun) eg. Choose whichever one you want.
both (adjective / pronoun / conjunction) eg. He soaked both feet in water.
half (adjective / adverb / noun) eg. He owns a half share in the company.
all (adjective / adverb / noun / pronoun) eg. I have been waiting all week to
see her.
several (adjective / pronoun) eg. He arrived several hours late.
enough (adjective / adverb / pronoun) eg. There’s enough food for everyone.
another (adjective / pronoun) eg. Please look at it from another angle.
Note that some determiners/indefinite adjectives are also indefinite pronouns
(see 11.2.4.1 and 11.2.4.2). Eg.
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

I'd like another drink, please. (determiner/indefinite adjective)
That drink was good. Can I have another? (indefinite pronoun)
9.2.2 Demonstrative Adjectives
9.2.2.1 The demonstrative adjectives this, that, these, those answer the
question “which?” or “which one?” Eg.


Let’s play this game and later watch that movie.
These mangoes are very sweet, but I don’t like those sour grapes.
9.2.2.2
Remember that the demonstrative adjectives this, that, these, those
are identical to demonstrative pronouns. Obviously, you use them differently.
While a demonstrative adjective qualifies a noun, a demonstrative pronoun
stands alone, replacing the noun. (see 11.2.3.2) Eg.


That dress is nice. (demonstrative adjective + noun)
That smells. (demonstrative pronoun)
9.2.3
Proper Adjectives
A proper adjective is derived from a proper noun and is capitalized. Eg.
Proper noun
Proper adjective
China
Chinese
California
Californian
Mars
Martian
Spain
Spanish
Christianity
Christian
Japan
Japanese
Hollywood
Hollywood
Texas
Texas
Sometimes, as in the last two examples, a proper noun does not change at all to
become a proper adjective.
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9.2.4 Common Adjectives
A common adjective is just a simple, regular adjective. It describes a noun in a
general way. Eg.,

sharp, flexible, hot, red, hidden, nice, huge
Most common adjectives can be used to show degrees of difference of the nouns
they modify. In this application, they are classified into comparative adjectives
and superlative adjectives. Some adjectives, however, cannot be compared
because the base form expresses the only degree possible, and they are called
incomparable adjectives.
9.2.4.1
Comparative Adjectives
When we talk about two things, we can “compare” them. We can see if they are
the same or different. Perhaps they are the same in some ways and different in
other ways. We can use comparative adjectives to describe the differences.
We can use comparative adjectives when talking about two things but not three or
more things.
9.2.4.1.1
Formation of Comparative Adjectives
9.2.4.1.1.1 There are two normal ways to make or form a comparative
adjective:


short adjectives: add “-er”
long adjectives: use “more”
Short adjectives
1-syllable adjectives
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y
old, fast
happy, easy
Normal rule: add “-er”
old → older
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r
late → later
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant and after a vowel,
double the last consonant
big → bigger
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Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i
happy → happier
Long adjectives
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y
modern, pleasant
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables
expensive,
intellectual
Normal rule: use “more”
modern →
more modern
expensive →
more expensive
9.2.4.1.1.2 Exception 1:
With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use “-er” or “more,” eg.
•
•
•
•
quiet → quieter / more quiet
clever → cleverer / more clever
narrow → narrower / more narrow
simple → simpler / more simple
9.2.4.1.1.3 Exception 2:
The following adjectives have irregular forms:
•
•
•
•
good → better
well (healthy) → better
bad → worse
far → farther / further
9.2.4.1.2
Use of Comparative Adjectives
We use comparative adjectives when talking about 2 things (not 3 or 10 or
1,000,000 things, only 2 things).
Often, the comparative adjective is followed by “than.” Eg.

Shaquille O’Neal is 7’1”. He is tall. But Yao Ming is 7’5”. Yao is taller than
O’Neal.
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
China is big. But Russia is bigger.

I want to have a more powerful computer.
Is Chinese more difficult than English?

9.2.4.2
Superlative Adjectives
A superlative adjective expresses the extreme or highest degree of a quality. We
use a superlative adjective to describe the extreme quality of one thing in a group of
things.
9.2.4.2.1
Formation of Superlative Adjectives
9.2.4.2.1.1 As with comparative adjectives, there are two normal ways to
form a superlative adjective:
•short adjectives: add “-est”
•long adjectives: use “most”
We also usually add “the” at the beginning.
Short adjectives
1-syllable adjectives
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y
old, fast
happy, easy
Normal rule: add “-est”
old → the oldest
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -st
late → the latest
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant before a vowel,
double the last consonant
Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i
big → the biggest
happy → the
happiest
Long adjectives
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y
modern, pleasant
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables
expensive,
intellectual
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Normal rule: use “the most”
modern →
the most modern
expensive →
the most
expensive
9.2.4.2.1.2 Exception 1:
With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use “-est” or “ the most,” eg.
•
quiet → the quietest / the most quiet
• clever → the cleverest / the most clever
• narrow → the narrowest / the most narrow
• simple → the simplest / the most simple
9.2.4.2.1.3 Exception 2:
The following adjectives have irregular forms:
• good → the best
• bad → the worst
• far → the furthest
9.2.4.2.2
Use of Superlative Adjectives
9.2.4.2.2.1 We use a superlative adjective to describe one thing in a group of
three or more things. Eg.

Brad Miller is 7’ tall. Shaquille O’Neal is 7’1”. Yao Ming is 7’5”. Yao is the

tallest.
Canada, China and Russia are big countries. But Russia is the biggest.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

9.2.4.2.2.2 When we compare one thing with itself, we do not use “the”, eg.
• England is coldest in winter. (not the coldest)
• My boss is most generous when we get a big order. (not the most generous)
9.2.4.3
Incomparable adjectives
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Some adjectives cannot be compared because the base form expresses the only
degree possible. Eg.
•
perfect, unique, fatal, universal, dead, wrong, straight, blind, final, vertical,
right, left
9.2.5 Noun as Adjective
as adjective)
(see also 8.5.5
Two or more nouns together – noun
A noun is a person, place, thing or idea; and an adjective is a word that describes a
noun. But sometimes we use a noun to describe another noun. In that case, the first
noun acts as an adjective (see also 8.5.4 Compound noun). Eg.

news reporter

love story
Hong Kong basketball team coach
(we can have more than one “noun as adjective;” here Hong Kong, basketball
and team are all “nouns as adjective,” describing coach.)

9.3 Position of Adjectives
There are 2 basic, and 5 uniquely used positions for adjectives:
9.3.1

Before the noun, eg.

Philip likes pretty girls.
Joanna loves sweet chocolate.
9.3.2










After certain verbs (such as be, become, get, seem, look, feel, sound, smell,
taste, etc.), eg.
The girl is pretty.
Chocolate tastes good.
Because she had to wait, she became impatient.
Is it getting dark?
The examination did not seem difficult.
Your friend looks nice.
This towel feels damp.
That new film doesn't sound very interesting.
Dinner smells good tonight.
This milk tastes sour.
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Even when an adjective comes after the verb and not before a noun, it always
refers to and qualifies the subject of the sentence, not the verb. And these
verbs are “stative” verbs, which express a state or change of state, not
“dynamic” verbs which express an action. Note that some verbs can be stative
in one sense (she looks beautiful / it got hot), and dynamic in another (she
looked at him / he got the money).
Note also that in the above examples, the adjective can qualify a pronoun since
the subject may be a pronoun.
9.3.3
Adjectives are sometimes placed after nouns for the sake of emphasis, eg.

There lived a young girl pretty and quick-witted.
(There lived a young girl who is pretty and quick-witted.—“who is” is
hidden for the sake of emphasis.)

He was a great man, truthful, and fearless.
(He was a great man, who is truthful, and fearless.-- “who is” is hidden for
the sake of emphasis.)
9.3.4 Some adjectives can be placed before or after a noun, such as responsible,
present, involved, concerned, available, etc. But the meanings of the
adjectives are often different when they are placed before or after a noun.
Eg.

He is a responsible journalist. (before the noun) -- 他是個負責任的記者。

Who is the journalist responsible for the investigation?
負責調查的記者是誰？

The present committee members will be replaced soon. (before the noun) -目前的委員不久就會被取代。

The committee members present supported the proposal.
在場的委員支持建議。

I failed to follow his involved argument. (before the noun) -- 他的議論很
複雜，我無法明白。

We discussed the problems involved. (after the noun) -- 我們討論所涉及的
問題。

The concerned villagers protested against the government's land requisition.
(before the noun) -- 憂心的村民抗議政府徵地。

The villagers concerned were arrested. (after the noun) -- 涉事的村民被
捕。
(after the noun) --
(after the noun) --
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But, the meanings of the adjectives available and the best possible are the same
whether they are placed before or after a noun. Eg.

The available manpower is limited. (before the noun) -- 可動用的人力有
限。


The manpower available is limited. (after the noun) -- 可動用的人力有限。
That is the best possible solution. (before the noun) --那是最好的解決辦
法。

That is the best solution possible. (after the noun) -- 那是最好的解決辦法。
9.3.5

With some verbs, the adjective follows the object, eg.

My sister keeps her room tidy.
Philip makes me happy.
I don’t have any hamburgers left.

9.3.6









In certain phrases, the adjective always follows the noun:
time immemorial
heir apparent
Alexander the Great
God Almighty
President elect
notary public
the people present
court martial
poet laureate
9.3.7 When an infinitive is used as adjective, it is (sometimes?) placed after the
noun: (see also 5.3.4 Infinitive as adjective & 5.3.6.4 Infinitive phrase as
adjective)



He lacked the strength to resist. (adjective)
Show me the page to read. (adjective)
I have a paper to write before class.
〔to write (infinitive) before class (prepositional phrase as adverb) is the
infinitive phrase functioning as the adjective modifying the noun paper〕.
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
The step to achieve the best result may not be easy to follow.
〔to achieve (infinitive) the best result (direct object of the infinitive) is the
infinitive phrase functioning as the adjective modifying the noun step〕.
9.4 Order of Adjectives
9.4.1 When using more than one adjectives before the noun, place opinion before
fact, eg.


I like big black dogs. (NOT black big dogs)
She was wearing a beautiful long red dress. (NOT a long red beautiful dress)
a nice French car (NOT a French nice car)

9.4.2

When two adjectives come after a verb, they are separated by and. When
more than two adjectives come after a verb, the last two are separated by
and. Eg.

It was hot and sultry.
The clouds appeared white and fluffy.
She looked smart and charming.
The boy was handsome, polite and lovable.


9.4.3

When two or more adjectives come before a noun, they are not usually
separated by and.

A large, round vase (NOT A large and round vase)
A fat old lady (NOT A fat and old lady)
Note that when the last two are adjectives of color they are usually
separated by and.


A black and white photo.
A blue and red sparrow.
9.4.4


Place numbers before adjectives, eg.
Six large tables (NOT Large six tables)
Five beautiful women (NOT Beautiful five women)
Note that commas are sometimes used to separate adjectives used before a
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noun. This is common in long sequences. Commas are, however, dropped
before short common adjectives.
9.4.5

Possessive adjectives come before any (genuine) adjectives, eg.
Your big blue eyes (NOT Big blue your eyes)
9.5 Common confusions between adverbs, adjectives and some expressions
(see also 10.5)
9.5.1
Bad or Badly?
When you want to describe how you feel, you should use the adjective bad,
because an adjective always follows verbs like “feel, taste, smell, sound, look,
appear, and seem” — when it modifies the noun before the verb. So you would
say, “I feel bad,” or “It tastes bad.”
You would use the adverb badly to modify dynamic verbs, so you would
say, ”Sam plays football badly.”
9.5.2
Good or Well?
Good is an adjective, so you do not do good or live good, but you do well and
live well—well used here as an adverb. Remember, though, that an adjective
follows sense-verbs and be-verbs, so you also feel good, look good, smell good,
are good, have been good, etc.
Confusion can occur because well can function either as an adverb or an
adjective. When well is used as an adjective, it means “not sick” or “in good
health.” For this specific sense of well, you could say I feel well or I am well —
for example, after recovering from an illness. When not used in this
health-related sense, however, well functions as an adverb; for example, “I did
well on my exam.”
9.5.3
Double-negatives
Scarcely and hardly are already negative adverbs. To add another negative term
is redundant, because in English only one negative is ever used at a time.


I can scarcely hear you. (not scarcely not...)
Hardly anyone came to the party. (not hardly no one...)
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9.5.4
Sure or Surely?
Sure is an adjective, and surely is an adverb. Sure is also used in the idiomatic
expression sure to be. Eg.

I am sure that you were there.
(sure is an adjective that modifies the pronoun I.)

He is surely ready to take on the project.
(surely is an adverb that modifies the adjective ready.)

She is sure to be a great leader.
(sure to be is an idiomatic phrase that functions as an adjective that modifies
the pronoun she.)
9.5.5
Real or Really?
Real is an adjective, and really is an adverb. Eg.

She did really well on that test.
(really is an adverb that modifies the adverb well.)

In China, the real problem is corruption.
(real is an adjective that modifies the noun problem.)
9.5.6
Near or Nearly?
Near can function as a verb, an adverb, an adjective, or a preposition. Nearly is
used as an adverb to mean “in a close manner” or “almost but not quite.” Eg.

Facebook’s 2009 revenue neared $800 million.
(neared is a verb in the past tense.)

The project is nearly finished.
(nearly is an adverb that modifies the verb finished.)

The cat crept near.
(near is an adverb of place that modifies the verb crept.)

First cousins are more nearly related than second cousins.
(nearly is an adverb that modifies the verb related.)

The detective solves the mystery in a scene near the end of the movie.
(near is a preposition. The prepositional phrase near the end of the movie
modifies the noun scene.)
Some materials are adapted from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/537/02/.
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9.5.7
Art vs Arts
Art and arts can also be used as adjectives, when art refers to artistic 藝術的,
and arts refers to things about a branch of learning. Eg.

art collector（藝術收藏家）

art form（藝術形式）
art gallery（藝術品陳列館）
arts subject（文科）
arts degree（文學學位）
arts faculty（文學院）




Art and arts can also be nouns. See 8.9.1.
9.5.8
Few vs A few
Few, when used without a preceding a, means "very few", "not enough" or "none
at all". On the other hand, a few is used to indicate "not a large number". Eg.

I heard from few close friends. (suggests that my close friends have
abandoned me.)

I heard from a few close friends. (suggests that a close circle of people have
communicated with me.)

This machine is hard to use. There are few suggestions about how to use it.
(not enough suggestions)

This machine is easy to use. There are a few suggestions about how to use it.
(several suggestions)
9.6 List of Adjectives
Appearance Appearance Condition
Contd.
adorable
adventurous
aggressive
alert
glamorous
gleaming
gorgeous
graceful
alive
annoying
bad
better
Condition
Contd.
Feelings
(Bad)
impossible
inexpensive angry
innocent
annoyed
inquisitive anxious
Feelings
(Bad)
Contd.
grumpy
helpless
homeless
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attractive
grotesque
beautiful
modern
arrogant
hungry
average
beautiful
blue-eyed
bloody
blushing
bright
clean
clear
cloudy
handsome
homely
light
long
magnificent
misty
motionless
muddy
old-fashioned
brainy
breakable
busy
careful
cautious
clever
clumsy
concerned
crazy
mushy
odd
open
outstanding
poor
powerful
prickly
puzzled
real
ashamed
awful
bad
bewildered
black
blue
bored
clumsy
combative
hurt
ill
itchy
jealous
jittery
lazy
lonely
mysterious
nasty
colorful
crowded
cute
dark
drab
distinct
dull
elegant
excited
fancy
plain
poised
precious
quaint
shiny
smoggy
sparkling
spotless
stormy
strange
curious
dead
different
difficult
doubtful
easy
expensive
famous
fragile
frail
rich
shy
sleepy
stupid
super
talented
tame
tender
tough
uninterested
condemned
confused
crazy,
flipped-out
creepy
cruel
dangerous
defeated
defiant
depressed
naughty
nervous
nutty
obnoxious
outrageous
panicky
repulsive
scary
selfish
sore
filthy
ugly
ugliest
unsightly
unusual
wide-eyed
gifted
helpful
helpless
horrible
important
vast
wandering
wild
wrong
disgusted
disturbed
dizzy
dull
embarrassed
envious
evil
fierce
foolish
frantic
tense
terrible
testy
thoughtless
tired
troubled
upset
uptight
weary
wicked
frightened
grieving
worried
Feelings
(Good)
agreeable
amused
Feelings
(Good)
Contd.
happy
healthy
Shape
broad
chubby
crooked
Size
Sound
big
colossal
fat
cooing
deafening
faint
Time
ancient
brief
Early
22
brave
helpful
curved
gigantic
harsh
fast
calm
charming
cheerful
comfortable
cooperative
courageous
delightful
determined
eager
hilarious
jolly
joyous
kind
lively
lovely
lucky
nice
obedient
deep
flat
high
hollow
low
narrow
round
shallow
skinny
great
huge
immense
large
little
mammoth
massive
miniature
petite
high-pitched
hissing
hushed
husky
loud
melodic
moaning
mute
noisy
late
long
modern
old
old-fashioned
quick
rapid
short
slow
elated
enchanting
encouraging
energetic
enthusiastic
excited
exuberant
fair
faithful
fantastic
perfect
pleasant
proud
relieved
silly
smiling
splendid
successful
thankful
thoughtful
square
steep
straight
wide
puny
scrawny
short
small
tall
teeny
teeny-tiny
tiny
purring
quiet
raspy
resonant
screeching
shrill
silent
soft
squealing
thundering
swift
young
fine
friendly
funny
gentle
glorious
good
victorious
vivacious
witty
wonderful
zealous
zany
Taste/Touch Taste/Touch
Contd.
bitter
delicious
fresh
juicy
ripe
rotten
salty
melted
nutritious
plastic
prickly
rainy
rough
scattered
voiceless
whispering
Touch
boiling
breezy
broken
bumpy
chilly
cold
cool
Quantity
abundant
empty
few
heavy
light
many
numerous
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sour
shaggy
creepy
spicy
stale
sticky
strong
sweet
tart
tasteless
tasty
thirsty
shaky
sharp
shivering
silky
slimy
slippery
smooth
soft
solid
crooked
cuddly
curly
damaged
damp
dirty
dry
dusty
filthy
fluttering
fuzzy
greasy
grubby
hard
hot
icy
loose
steady
sticky
tender
tight
uneven
weak
wet
wooden
yummy
flaky
fluffy
freezing
hot
warm
wet
substantial
The List of Adjectives is adapted from
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/12894/adjective-list.
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