Forma adjectivului
Adjectivele sunt invariabile. Ele nu îsi schimba forma în functie de gen sau numar.
Ex.: A hot potato, some hot potatoes.
Pentru a sublinia sau accentua sensul unui adjectiv se pot folosi very, really:
Ex.: A very hot potato, some really hot potatoes.
Pozitia adjectivului
* De obicei adjectivul se aseaza în fata substantivului determinat:
Ex.: A good movie.
* Dupa verbe auxiliare ca to be, to become, to seem, to look, to taste, to appear, to feel, to keep, to make, to smell, to sound, to turn, etc:
Ex.: The movie is good.
You seem upset.
This cheese tastes different.
* Dupa substantiv în expresii fixe:
Ex.: the Princess Royal, the President elect, the court martial
* Câteva adjective, ca de exemplu chief, main, poor (=unfortunate) stau numai în fata substantivului determinat:
Ex.: This is the main purpose of the meeting.
That poor woman was living in a garage.
* Altele pot sta numai dupa un verb auxiliar: asleep, upset, awake, afraid, alike, alive, alone, annoyed, ill, well, sorry
Ex.: He's asleep.
I'm alone.
* Unele adjective îsi schimba sensul în functie de pozitia pe care o ocupa. Adjectivele involved, present, concerned au sens diferit daca sunt plasate în fata substantivului sau dupa acesta.
Ex.: These are the people involved / concerned. (the people who have something to do with the matter)
They had an involved discussion on the matter. (detailed, complex)
I am a concerned mother. (worried, anxious)
The list of the students present is outside, on the door. (students who were there)
The present status of the matter requires urgent attention. (current)
Functiile adjectivului
Adjectivul ne spune mai multe despre calitatile substantivul determinat. Adjectivele pot exprima:
* Sentimente sau calitati:
Ex.: They make an original couple.
She is a single mother.
* Nationalitatea sau originea:
Ex.: Ricardo is Spanish. His mother is Argentinean and his father is Canadian.
I bought him a Swiss watch for Christmas.
* Diferite caracteristici ale unui obiect:
Ex.: The table is long.
The steel tray was a gift.
* Vârsta:
Ex.: My hat is too old. I will buy another one.
He is still very young, almost a boy.
* Dimensiuni, marime si masuri:
Ex.: "Gone with the Wind" is a very long film.
That boy is too tall.
* Culoarea:
Ex.: I have a red jacket to go with my new white skirt.
* Materie / material:
Ex.: He wore a cotton shirt.
It was a silver tray, not a steel tray.
* Forma:
Ex.: A rectangular envelope.
A round table.
* Judecati, pareri sau opinii:
Ex.: Grammar is fascinating.
The show was entertaining.
Ordinea adjectivelor
Atunci când se folosesc doua sau mai multe adjective pentru a descrie acelasi substantiv, ordinea lor depinde de functiile acestora. Exista mai multe variante, dar cea mai obisnuita ordine este: Value/opinion, Size, Age/Temperature, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material
Value/opinion
delicious, lovely, charming
Size
small, huge, tiny
Age/Temperature
old, hot, young, little
Shape
round, square, rectangular
Colour
red, blonde, black
Origin
Swedish, Victorian, Chinese
Material
plastic, wooden, silver
Exemple:
a green round plastic bucket
an elegant little French clock
a small round wooden table
Gradele de comparatie ale adjectivelor
Formarea comparativului si superlativului
Exista trei grade de comparatie ale adjectivelor: pozitiv (înalt), comparativ (mai înalt), superlativ (cel mai înalt). În limba engleza, comparativul si superlativul se formeaza astfel:
Numar de silabe (Pozitiv)
Comparativ
Superlativ
o silaba
+ -er
+ -est
tall
taller
tallest
Adjectivele formate dintr-o silaba [consoana + o vocala + consoana] vor dubla consoana finala:
fat
fatter
fattest
big
bigger
biggest
sad
sadder
saddest
doua silabe
+ -er SAU more + adj
+ -est SAU most + adj
+ Adjectivele terminate în: -y, -ly, -ow
+ Adjectivele terminate în: -le, -er sau -ure
+ Urmatoarele adjective: handsome, polite, pleasant, common, quiet
happy
happier/ more happy
happiest/ most happy
yellow
yellower/ more yellow
yellowest/ most yellow
simple
simpler/ more simple
simplest/ most simple
tender
tenderer/ more tender
tenderest/ most tender
Daca nu esti sigur, foloseste more + adj SAU most + adj.
Nota: Adjectivele terminate în -y ca de exemplu happy, pretty, busy, sunny, lucky etc. vor înlocui -y cu -ier sau -iest la forma comparativa si superlativa:
busy
busier
busiest
trei sau mai multe silabe
more + adj
most + adj
important
more important
most important
expensive
more expensive
most expensive
Exemple:
a. A cat is fast, a tiger is faster but a cheetah is the fastest.
b. A car is heavy, a truck is heavier, but a train is the heaviest.
c. A park bench is comfortable, a restaurant chair is more comfortable, but a sofa is the most comfortable.
Forme neregulate
Urmatoarele adjective au forme de comparativ si superlativ total neregulate:
Pozitiv
Comparativ
Superlativ
good
better
best
bad
worse
worst
little
less
least
old
older / elder
oldest / eldest
much / many
more
most
far
further / farther
Comparatia adjectivelor
* the + superlative
Ex.: This is the oldest theater in London.
* comparative + than - pentru a compara diferentele dintre doua obiecte, evenimente sau fiinte:
Ex.: He makes fewer mistakes than you do.
Thailand is sunnier than Norway.
Albert is more intelligent than Arthur.
* as + adjective + as - constructie folosita pentru a compara oameni, locuri, fiinte, evenimete sau obiecte, între care nu exista diferente:
Ex.: Peter is 24 years old. John is 24 years old. Peter is as old as John.
Ramona is as happy as Raphael.
A tiger is as dangerous as a lion.
* not as + adjective + as - putem arata diferentele dintre doua substantive folosind contructia not so/as ...as:
Ex.: Mont Blanc is not as high as Mount Everest.
Norway is not as sunny as Thailand
