Adjectives | Chapter 6 | English Grammar | Benjamin Hathaway

1001 Questions and Answers on English Grammar by Benjamin Hathaway Adjectives Question 1. What is an adjective? It is a word that qualifies or limits the meaning of a noun or pronoun. Question 2. Give examples. A wise man. Five children. That book. The fourth verse. The twinkling stars. Question 3. Into what two general classes are adjectives divided? Descriptive and definitive Question 4 What is a descriptive adjective? One that denotes some quality Question 5 The descriptive adjectives have what subclasses? 3. Common, proper and participle Question 6 Define a common adjective It is an ordinary adjective expressing quality or situation as good, bad, happy, hard, flexible, eastern, western, outer, inner, etc. Question 7. Define a proper adjective. It is one derived from a proper noun as American, Italian, Spanish, Websterian, Platonic, Alpine, Newtonian. Question 8. Define a participle adjective. It is a participle placed before a noun which it qualifies as a bereaved husband, an enduring friendship, a written article, a shining light. Question 9. What is a definitive adjective? It is one that limits the meaning of a noun without denoting quality. Question 10. The definitive adjectives have what subclasses? 2. Prenominal and numeral and articles. Question 11. Define a pronominal adjective. It is one that, without an article prefixed, may represent a noun understood, as all should aim high. This is wrong. That is not what I wish. Question 12. How are pronominal adjectives subdivided? Into distributives, demonstratives, and indefinites. Question 13. What are distributives? Those adjectives that represent objects separately. Question 14. How many and what are they? There are only four. Each, every, either and neither. Question 15. What are demonstratives? Those adjectives that point out objects definitely. Question 16. Mention the principal demonstratives. This, that, These, those, former, latter, both, you, yonder, same. Question 17. What is the difference between this, these, and that, those? This refers to what is near, and that to what is remote. These and those are simply plural forms of this and that. Question 18. When are adjectives used as nouns? When the qualified nouns are understood, some descriptive and few definitive adjectives are used as nouns, as the wicked are miserable, the wise are provident, she robbed me of my hopes, my all, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Question 19. How then should these words be passed? The same as nouns. Question 20. What are indefinitives? They are adjectives that refer to objects in a general way. Question 21. Name the principal indefinite. All, any, some, such, other, certain, divers, former, latter, own, much, enough, few, little, many, no, none, one, other, which, whichever, whichsoever, what, whatever, whatsoever. Question 22. Define a numeral adjective. It is one that expresses number. Question 23. Into what classes are they divided? Three classes. Cardinal, ordinal, and multiplicative. Question 24. What is a cardinal adjective? One that denotes simply a definite number as 1, 2, 3, 40, 50. Question 25. What is an ordinal adjective? It is one that marks a definite place in a series as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 40th, 50th. Question 26. What is a multiplicative adjective, one that denotes how many fold, as single, double, triple, quadruple, twofold, threefold. Question 27. Are number words always adjectives, only when modifying nouns? They are often names, and therefore nouns, as six is an even number. Four times seven are twenty-eight. Question 28. Which of the indefinites are used with either singular or plural nouns? Any, such, all, some, same, latter, former, and own, as any people, any persons, such conduct, such circumstances, all year, all ages, etc. Question 29. Which are used with singular nouns only? Little and much limit singular nouns only, as man needs but little wealth. Much learning makes a wise man. Question 30. Which are used with plural nouns only? Many, several, both, and few, as many men of many minds. We give several examples. Both countries are at peace. Few there be who are perfect? Note. Many a, such a, not a, and but a, meaning only a, before nouns are usually considered phrase adjectives, modifying nouns. As many a noble man has perished, such a day as that was, not a sound was heard. Note. The articles a, an, and the have already been treated of question 31 what inflections changes of form have adjectives a most english adjectives have no variation of form to express differences of number gender or case the only exceptions are this and that which were the plural noun changed to these and those this is a relic of the ancient english in which the adjective as well as the noun was inflected many adjectives have a change of form to express the degree of quality possessed by the object represented by the noun, when compared with other objects possessing the same quality, as a bright day, a brighter day, the brightest day. Question 32. What is this last inflection called? It is called comparison. Question 33. Define comparison. It is the variation in form of an adjective to denote different degrees of the same quality? Question 34. How many degrees of quality may be so denoted? But three are denoted. Question 35. How are the three forms designated? As positive, comparative and superlative degrees. Question 36. What is the positive degree? It is the simplest form of the adjective and simply expresses the quality of the object as good, bad, sweet, red, white. Question 37. What is the comparative degree? It expresses quality in a greater or less degree than the positive as milder, less mild, happier, less happy. Question 38. What is the superlative degree? It denotes the highest or lowest degree of quality as coldest, least cold. mildest, least mild. Question 39. Do any adjectives not denoting quality ever vary in form for different uses? A few do so, as few, fewer, fewest, many, more, most. How are most adjectives compared? By adding r or er to the positive to form the comparative, and st or est to form the superlative. Question 41. How is the variation in the degree of quality expressed accomplished when the adjective itself does not change its form? By the addition of more to the simple adjective to form the comparative, and most to form the superlative. These form phrases and adjectives. Question 42. Compare wise, hard, sweet, smooth, famous, distant, hard, harder, hardest wise wiser wisest sweet sweeter sweetest smooth smoother smoothest famous more famous most famous distant more distant most distant question 43 when is an adjective said to be compared regularly when it takes r or er or more for the comparative an st or est or most for the superlative. Question 44. What adjectives are compared regularly? Most monosyllables and many dissyllables when accented on the first syllable. Question 45. How are adjectives compared irregularly by a change of word as good, better, best? Question 46. Compare little, near, many, much, bad, ill. First we will give the positive degree, then the comparative degree, then the superlative degree. Little, less, least. Near, nearer, next or nearest. Many, more, most. Much, more, most Bad, worse, worst Ill, worse, worst Question 47 How is a little of a quality indicated by the adjective? By means of the suffix I-S-H As bluish, sweetish, blackish Or by the words rather and somewhat Question 48 When are adjectives said to be redundant? when they have more than one comparative and superlative question forty nine how compare far for near hind out up in low and late such as denote place or situation have more than one superlative as far farther or further farthest or farthermost for former foremost or first near nearer nearest or next hind hinder hindmost or hindermost out outer outmost or outermost up upper upmost or uppermost in inner inmost or innermost low lower lowest or lowermost late later or latter latest or last question fifty when are adjectives said to be defective when they have either the positive or the comparative degree wanting as under undermost nether nethermost front frontmost end endmost question fifty one what word is sometimes used instead of less in giving a comparative degree the word lesser as lesser faults lesser Asia question fifty two what is the difference between later latest and latter last when time is referred to later is used as later news latest news when order is meant latter is used as the latter of the series the last of the series question fifty three between older oldest and elder eldest older is applied to persons and animals equally elder is only applied to persons in the same family as james is older than john he is the oldest man she is an elder sister he is the eldest of the family question fifty four what of the two comparatives of far when distance is meant farther should be used as he lives farther from town than i do neptune is the farthest planet from the sun when the word more can be substituted for the comparative and convey the same meaning further should be used as he had nothing further to say if the society had no further business adjournment is in order question fifty five name some adjectives having in themselves a superlative signification that do not admit of comparison extreme perfect right wrong infinite ceaseless supreme omnipotent eternal question fifty six what is ascending comparison it is passing from the positive to a higher degree as fair fairer fairest question fifty seven what is descending comparison it is passing from positive to a lower degree of quality as fair less fair least fair question fifty eight compare stupid generous studious hospitable stupid stupider stupidest generous more generous most generous studious less studious least studious hospitable less hospitable least hospitable question fifty nine when cardinal and ordinal numerals are used together which should come first the ordinal should be used first as the first two letters of the alphabet not the two first letters of the alphabet question sixty which is right to say page twenty or page twentieth ordinals should be preceded by the and cardinals not therefore say page twenty the twentieth page there were ten ascensions he made the tenth ascension etc question sixty one what is a compound adjective two descriptive adjectives joined by a hyphen as a high-sounding epithet a light brown color an ill-mated pair end of section six recording by Verity Kendall