📘 Adjectives — Full Notes + Rules for Competitive Exams (WBCS, SLST, PSC, SSC, NTPC, IAS)
1. Definition
An adjective is a word that qualifies or modifies a noun or pronoun by describing its quality, quantity, number, origin, or by pointing out or showing possession.
2. Examples
-
She has a red dress. (quality)
-
There are five students in the class. (number)
-
This is my pen. (possession)
-
I like Indian food. (origin)
3. Position
-
Attributive Position — before a noun (beautiful girl).
-
Predicative Position — after a linking verb (She is beautiful).
-
Postpositive Position — immediately after a noun (the president elect).
4. Functions
-
Describing a noun/pronoun
-
Specifying number or quantity
-
Showing possession
-
Comparing two or more things
-
Expressing emphasis or exclamation
5. How to Identify
Ask about the noun/pronoun:
-
What kind? (brave soldier)
-
Which one? (this pen)
-
How many? (three books)
-
Whose? (my car)
Look for suffixes like -ous, -ful, -able, -al, -ive, -ic, -less, -y, -ish.
6. Classification of Adjectives
-
Adjectives of Quality — brave, kind, honest.
-
Adjectives of Quantity — some, much, little.
-
Adjectives of Number
-
Definite: one, two, first.
-
Indefinite: some, few, many.
-
Distributive: each, every, either.
-
-
Demonstrative Adjectives — this, that, these, those.
-
Possessive Adjectives — my, your, his, her, our, their, its.
-
Interrogative Adjectives — which, what, whose.
-
Proper Adjectives — Indian, Shakespearean.
-
Emphasizing Adjectives — own, very.
-
Exclamatory Adjectives — what, how.
7. Characteristics
-
Adjectives do not take plural forms in English (❌ beautifuls flowers).
-
When preceded by "the", an adjective can represent a whole group (the poor = poor people).
-
Order of multiple adjectives:
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose → Noun
Example: a beautiful big old round red Italian wooden dining table.
8. Degrees of Comparison
-
Positive — tall
-
Comparative — taller (compares two)
-
Superlative — tallest (compares more than two)
Rules:
-
Short adjectives → add -er/-est (tall → taller → tallest).
-
Adjectives ending in -y → change to -ier/-iest (happy → happier → happiest).
-
Long adjectives → use more/most (more interesting, most interesting).
-
Irregular: good → better → best; bad → worse → worst; far → farther/further → farthest/furthest.
9. Rules of Adjectives for Competitive Exams
Rule 1:
No double comparatives or superlatives.
❌ more better → ✅ better
❌ the most tallest → ✅ the tallest
Rule 2:
Comparative is followed by than; superlative is preceded by the.
-
She is taller than her brother.
-
This is the best book.
Rule 3:
When comparing two qualities of the same person, use more or less, not -er.
✅ She is more brave than wise.
❌ She is braver than wise.
Rule 4:
For two persons/things, use comparative; for more than two, use superlative.
✅ Of the two, he is taller.
✅ Of all the students, she is the tallest.
Rule 5:
Elder/eldest for persons in a family; older/oldest for general use.
-
My elder brother lives in Delhi.
-
This tree is older than that one.
Rule 6:
Use less with uncountable nouns; fewer with countable nouns.
-
We have less water.
-
There are fewer students.
Rule 7:
When two comparatives are joined, they express parallel increase or decrease:
-
The more you work, the more you earn.
-
The less you eat, the fitter you feel.
Rule 8:
Much, far, by far, a lot are used to emphasize comparative/superlative:
-
She is much better than before.
-
This is by far the most beautiful painting.
Rule 9:
If an adjective already expresses a superlative idea, do not use most.
❌ most unique → ✅ unique
❌ most perfect → ✅ perfect
Rule 10:
Some adjectives have different meanings in positive and comparative forms:
-
Late → later (time), latter (position/order).
-
Far → farther (distance), further (extent).
<<<<<<<<<<<<<🌹The End🌹>>>>>>>>>>>
