The use of adjectives after verbs
After be/look/feel/seem/smell/taste/sound we use adjectives:
□ Do you fee/ tired? The dinner smells good.
□ Tom sounded angry. Your friend seems nice.
After other verbs we use adverbs (badly/well/carefully) (see "Adverbs"):
□ Drive carefully. Susan plays tennis well.
□ John behaved badly last night.
(= seem) + adjective □ Tom looked sad when I saw him.
(at) + adverb □ Tom looked at me sadly.
(taste, feel, smell)
EXERCISES______________________________________________________________
Ex. 5. (A, B) Supply adjectives or adverbs in the following sentences.
1. The child's skin feels_________ .
Everything went________ . (smooth/smoothly).
2. You cook_________ .
Your cooking is_________ . (good/well)
3. The water smells_________ .
The film ended_________ . (bad/badly)
4. She looked_________ .
He answered________ . (nice/nicely)
Ex. 6. (B) Translate the words in brackets.
1. What beautiful flowers. They (хорошо пахнут) too.
2. Jack read his new story to me. It (звучало интересно). I hope the editor will like it.
3. I can't eat it. It (ужасно на вкус) and too much salt.
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4. I wasn't very well yesterday but today I (чувствую себя прекрасно).
5. Have you been out in the rain? You (выглядишь промокшим).
6. Ann (казалась расстроенной) yesterday. Do you know what had happened?
Ex. 7. (B) Translate the sentences.
1. Он зло посмотрел на меня, когда я прервал (interrupt) его.
2. Пожалуйста, закрывай дверь тихо, ребенок спит.
3. Ты можешь быть хоть минутку спокойным? Я так устала. Посиди спокойно (quiet).
4. Том прекрасно себя ведет и хорошо готовит.
5. Мне это не нравится, все это дело выглядит небезопасным (safe).
6. Все волнения были позади. Он прибыл живым и здоровым.
7. Поторопись! Ты такой медлительный.
8. Суп вкусный (прекрасный на вкус).
9. Веди машину осторожно. Кажется, дорога очень скользкая (slippery).
10. Она была печальна; она печально смотрела на меня.
3. THE COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
COMMON COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS:
We use the comparative when comparing one person or thing with another. We use the superlative when comparing one person or thing with more than one.
| ADJECTIVES | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE | |
| One-syllable and some two-syllable words ending in -y, - er, - ow, -le | hot large narrow simple | ... + -er | ... + -est |
| hotter larger narrower simpler | hottest largest narrowest simplest | ||
| Two or more syllable words | beautiful interesting | more +... | most+ ... |
| more beautiful more interesting | the most beautiful the most interesting | ||
| Irregular forms | good bad old far | better worse older elder farther further | the best the worst the oldest the eldest the farthest the furthest |
SPELLING RULES
7. Adjectives like hot (big, fat, sad, wet) double the consonant: hot - hotter - the hottest.
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2. Adjectives like nice (fine, large, late, safe) add -r, -st:
nice - nicer - the nicest.
3. With adjectives like busy we use -i in place of -y:
busy - busier - the busiest.
NOTE:
Some two-syllable adjectives like happy (clever, common, narrow, pleasant, quiet, simple, stupid) have two comparative or superlative forms:
- either with -er/est:
□ She's cleverer than you. She's the cleverest person I know.
- or with more/the most
□ She's more clever than you. She's the most clever person I know.
COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS OFTEN CONFUSED:
'OLDER/ELDER'
1. Further and farther refer to distance:
□ London is five miles further/farther. Further (Not "farther") can mean "in addition":
□ There is no further information.
2. We use elder/eldest before a noun only with reference to people in a family:
□ my elder brother/son, the eldest child, he's the eldest
(but not "He is elder than me.")
We use older/oldest for people and things:
□ He is older than I am. This book is older.
3. Lesser is formed from less but is not a true comparative. We cannot use than after it. Lesser means "not so great" and we use it in fixed phrases like: the lesser of two evils.
4. Latest/last:
□ I bought the latest (i.e. most recent) edition of today's paper.
□ I bought the last (i.e. final) edition of today's paper.
5. The comparative and superlative of little is smaller/smallest:
□ a small/little boy, a smaller/the smallest boy.
6. English in the near future is Russian в ближайшем будущем .
EXERCISES
Ex. 1. (A) Give the comparative and superlative of the following adjectives:
polite, happy, glad, complete, grey, honourable, shy, dry, just, free, recent, merry, uncomfortable, joyful, hot, thin, accurate, narrow, real, sweet, right, wicked, yellow, cosy, merciful, bad, fat, cheap, big, clumsy, stupid, far, miserable, narrow, virtuous, simple, regular, expensive, low, deep, sad, significant, bitter, intimate, lazy, old, serious, tiny, clever, little, considerate, good, much, dark, beautiful, dear, fit.
Ex. 2. (A) Give the comparative and superlative of the following compound adjectives:
well-known, fine-looking, short-sighted, good-natured, wide-spread, kind-hearted, old-fashioned, light-minded, well-read, high-pitched, strong-willed, much-travelled, narrow-minded.
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Ex. 3. (А, В) Use the adjective in the comparative and superlative degree.
1. His poems are popular, (his novels) His poems are more popular than his novels.
2. My room's cold, (the kitchen)____________________________________________
3. My garden is nice, (school garden)________________________________________
4. Your hair is dark, (your brother's hair)______________________________________
Ex. 4. (A, B) Give both comparative or superlative forms where possible.
1. His brother is talented.
(than he) - His brother is more talented than he.
(person I have ever met) - His brother is the most talented person I have ever met.
2. His work was careless.
(than mine)__________________________________________________________
(in the class)_________________________________________________________
3. Basketball is popular.
(than tennis)_________________________________________________________
(in the USA)_________________________________________________________
4. This watch is expensive.
(than that one) _______________________________________________________
(in the shop)_________________________________________________________
5. Tuesday is convenient for me.
(than Friday) ________________________________________________________
(of all week-days)_____________________________________________________
Ex. 5. (A, B) Choose the right forms in these sentences. In some cases both forms are right.
1. Is the station much (further/farther)?
2. You'll find the explanation (further/farther) on.
3. Your record is (worse/worst) than mine.
4. It's the (less/lesser) of two evils.
5. She always wears the (last/latest) fashion.
6. We have no (further/farther) information.
7. Nick skates (good/well).
8. His (latest/last) words were: "The end."
9. She is the (oldest/eldest) member of our family.
10. My flat is (littler/smaller) than yours.
11. I've got (less/lesser) patience than you.
12. He is much (older/elder) than his wife.
13. This is the (more/most) beautiful picture I've ever seen.
14. His English is (best/better) than mine.
15. She is (better/best) now.
16. It's the (furthest/farthest) point west.
17. It's the (oldest/eldest) building in the city.
18. He's my (older/elder) brother.
19. I'm not hurt in the (least/less)!
20. It is the (more/most) I can do for you.
TO COMPARE THINGS WE USE:
as ... as \ in positive sentences and in questions
так ( ой ) же ... как □ I'm sorry I'm late. I got here as fast as I could.
□ There is plenty of food, so eat as much as you like.
twice as... as three times as ... as
в два / три раза больше
□ Petrol is twice as expensive as it was a few years ago.
□ Their house is three times as big as ours.
□ This grade is twice as expensive.
□ He is twice as old.
half as much/many half the size half my age half the weight
в два раза меньше в два раза меньше в два раза моложе в два раза легче
□ The room is half the size ...
□ He is half my age.
□ My trunk is half the weight of yours.
Not so/as ...as
не такой ... как
□ He is not so (as) tall as his father.
| намного | much |
| гораздо | far |
| значительно | a great deal |
| a lot | |
| немного | bit |
| a little |
□ The Dniper is much longer than the Thames.
□ This book is far more interesting than that one.
□ Your room is a great deal better than mine.
□ Could you speak a bit (little) more slowly?
|
|
the most ( самый )