2 Some adjectives give a specific opinion. We only use these adjectives to describe particular kinds of noun:
Types of adjectives
Food: tasty; delicious
Sometimes we use more than one adjective in front of a noun:
He was a nice intelligent young man.
She had a small round black wooden box.
Opinion adjectives:
Some adjectives give a general opinion. We can use these adjectives to describe almost any noun:
good, bad, lovely, strange, beautiful, nice, brilliant, awful, important, wonderful, nasty
Furniture, buildings: comfortable; uncomfortable
People, animals: clever; intelligent; friendly
We usually put a general opinion in front of a specific opinion:
Nice tasty soup. A nasty uncomfortable armchair A lovely intelligent animal
It is very unusual to have more than three adjectives. Adjectives usually come in this order:
Link verbs
We use some adjectives only after a link verb:
afraid alive alone asleep
content |
glad |
ill |
ready |
sorry |
sure |
unable |
well |
Some of the commonest-ed adjectives are |
normally used only after a link verb: |
In front of a noun
A few adjectives are used only in front of a noun:
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annoyed; finished; bored; pleased; thrilled
We say:
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north south east west |
northern southern eastern western |
countless occasional lone |
eventful indoor outdoor |
Our teacher was ill. |
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My uncle was very glad when he heard the news.
The policeman seemed to be very annoyed
but we do not say:
We had an ill teacher.
When he heard the news he was a very glad
We say:
He lives in the eastern district. There were countless problems with the new machinery.
but we do not say:
The district he lives in is eastern The problems with the new machinery were countless.
Try these tasks to improve your adjective ordering. uncle
He seemed to be a very annoyed policeman.