My Article on Adjectives Part-2

                                          Adjectives

Till now,   you have learnt an Adjective is a word which denotes the quality of a Noun and also learnt what adjectives are, how to use them effectively in describing a noun. Now you must  learn their usage.

Use of Adjectives:

1. Adjectives are used to clarify nouns.

2. Adjectives describe a noun’s color, material, shape, size, amount, price, quality, origin, personality, weight, temperature, weight, age, direction, etc.

Usage of Some Adjectives :

1.     Later, Latter;  Latest ,Last,-

ü Later and  Latest  denote time;

E g: 1. I will come later.[here later means next].

2. What’s the latest news in today’s newspaper?

ü Latter and Last denote position.

E g: 1.The latter part of the movie is good. [here   latter part  means second part of the movie is good]

2. He lives in the last house.

2 .Elder, older, eldest, oldest:

ü Elder and eldest are used for persons only, they denote the position of member of a family with reference to another or others of the same family. Elder is never followed by than.

ü Older and eldest are used of both persons and things.

E g: 1. He is  my  elder brother.[if the person is same family we have to use elder]

2. His eldest son joined the Army.

3. He is older than my brother.[here the person does not belong to same family so we have to use older not elder].

4. He is oldest man in the village.

5. This is the oldest house in Delhi. [here oldest refers to place].

3. Farther, Further:

ü Farther denotes a greater distance between two points.

ü Further means something additional.

E g:  1.Bombay is farther from Delhi than Calcutta. [here farther means very long ]

2. We can’t go any farther without a rest.

3. I will do it without further delay.

4. We must get further   information.[here further means additional]

4. Nearest,  next:

ü Nearest denotes space or distance;

ü Next denotes order or position.

E  g: 1.They took the thief to the nearest police station.

2. Ravi lives in the next house.

5. Some, any: To express quantity some is used in positive sentences, any is used in negative sentences.

 1. There is some butter in the cupboard. [positive sentence]

2. I didn’t give him any butter. [ negative sentence]

3. She has bought some pens.

4. She didn’t buy any pens.

ü Any is used in affirmative sentences when it had an emphatic  meaning .

E g:  1. Any fool can do it.

2. Give me a book .Any book will do.

3. He will pay any price he is asked.

6. Much, many;

ü Much denotes quantity;   many  

ü denotes number.

E g:  1.There isn’t much tea in the pot.

In this sentence, tea is measurable so we should use ‘much’.

2.     We haven’t many books.

Here, books are countable so we should use ‘many’.

3. Has he many friends in the town?

4. Don’t eat too many sweets.

7. little,  a little, the little:

ü Little means almost nil.

E g: 1.There is little hope of his recovery.[here little means no guarantee to his life.]

2. I have little money in my pocket [means no money in my pocket].

ü A little denotes some at least.

E g: 1.There is a little hope of his recovery.

2. I have a little money in my pocket.[here a little means some money is in my pocket]

ü The little denotes the small quantity.

E g : 1. He wasted the little money he had.

In this example the little means he wasted   the minimum money he had].

8. Few, a few, the few ;

ü Few –denotes not many

E g: 1. Few men can keep a secret.

2. He has read few    books [here few means he did not read any books].

ü A few-denotes some at least- a certain number

E g:  1.He has a few friends.[it means he has less number of  friends.]

ü The few-denotes not many but some.

E g: 1.The few are rich, the many are poor.

2. He lost the few friends he had.[it means he lost some of his friends].

9. First, foremost:  1.First refers to position, foremost refers to the most important.

E g: 1.January is the first month of the year.

3.     Ravivarma was the foremost painter of his period.

Here, foremost refers to Ravivarma is the important painter in his times.

                         Thank you.