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GRAMMAR 3 CONCEPTUAL MAP MODULE ADJECTIVES - Coggle Diagram

- - - - • Modification by Adverbs:
      - o Intricately patterned mittens (where "intricately" modifies "patterned").
      - • Other Words Acting as Adjectives:
      - o Some nouns, pronouns, and participle phrases can function as adjectives.
      - o Articles (the, a, an) are also considered adjectives.
  - - - • Before the Noun:
      - o A beautiful house
      - • After Indefinite Pronouns:
      - o Something wicked this way comes.
      - • Postpositive Adjectives:
      - o The president-elect
      - • Order of Adjectives in a Series:
      - o Determiner → Number → Opinion → Size → Shape → Age → Color → Origin → Material → Qualifier → Noun
      - o Example: Those two sexy, small, aerodynamic, new red Italian sports cars.
      - • Comma Usage in Adjective Series:
      - o A popular, respected, and good-looking student.
  - - - Possessive Adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
      - o My assignment is incomplete.
      - Demonstrative Adjectives (this, these, that, those)
      - o These books are interesting.
      - Interrogative Adjectives (which, what)
      - o Which color do you prefer?
      - Indefinite Adjectives (many, some, several, few, all, each)
      - o Many students attended the event.
- - - - • Rules for forming comparatives:
      - o One-syllable & some two-syllable adjectives: Add -er (e.g., big → bigger, tall → taller).
      - o Two-syllable adjectives ending in "y": Change y to i and add -er (e.g., happy → happier).
      - o Adjectives with two or more syllables: Use more before the adjective (e.g., intelligent → more intelligent).
      - o Comparisons use "than" (e.g., She is taller than her brother).
      - o Equality comparison: as + adjective + as (e.g., She is as bright as her mother).
  - - - • Rules for forming superlatives:
      - o One-syllable & some two-syllable adjectives: Add -est (e.g., tall → tallest).
      - o Two-syllable adjectives ending in "y": Change y to i and add -est (e.g., happy → happiest).
      - o Adjectives with two or more syllables: Use most before the adjective (e.g., intelligent → most intelligent).
      - o Superlatives use "the" (e.g., He is the tallest in the class).
    - - Some adjectives do not follow the standard rules:
        
        Positive Comparative Superlative
        
        good better best
        
        bad worse worst
        
        little less least
        
        many/much more most
      - 2.5 Additional Rules & Common Mistakes
        
        • Do not use "more" with -er adjectives (not "more heavier" but "heavier" instead).
        
        • Use "less" for uncountable nouns and "fewer" for countable nouns.
        
        o Example: Less water (uncountable) vs. Fewer books (countable).
- - - - Master the superlative degree of adjectives.
      - Master the use of pre-modifiers.
      - Practice with figures.
  - - - o One-syllable & some two-syllable adjectives: Add -est (e.g., large → largest).
        
        o Two-syllable adjectives ending in "y": Change y to i and add -est (e.g., happy → happiest).
        
        o Adjectives with two or more syllables: Use most before the adjective (e.g., beautiful → most beautiful).
        
        o Superlatives use "the" (e.g., Alaska is the largest state).
    - - • Florida is large.
        
        • California is larger than Florida.
        
        • Alaska is the largest state.
    - - • Definition: Words or phrases that intensify or downplay adjectives and adverbs.
      - • Examples of Intensifiers:
        
        o We were a lot more careful this time.
        
        o He works a lot less carefully.
        
        o She is wearing her very finest outfit.
      - • Examples of Downplaying:
        
        o The weather is somewhat better.
        
        o He approaches schoolwork a little less seriously.
      - • Set Phrases:
        
        o He arrived a whole lot sooner than expected.
        o That's a heck of a lot better.
  - - - • Bad vs. Badly
        
        o I feel bad (correct, "feel" is a linking verb).
        
        o I feel badly (incorrect, implies inability to feel).
        
        • Good vs. Well
        
        o I did well on the test (correct, "well" is an adverb).
        
        o I feel good (correct, "good" follows a linking verb).
        
        o I feel well (correct only when referring to health).
      - • Sure vs. Surely
        
        o I am sure about it.
        
        o She will surely arrive on time.
        
        • Real vs. Really
        
        o This is a real problem.
        
        o She did really well on the test.
      - • Near vs. Nearly
        
        o The school is near my house.
        
        o I nearly finished my homework.
- - - - • Proper adjectives come from proper nouns and must be capitalized.
      - o Christian music, French fries, English Parliament, Ming Dynasty.
      - • Certain periods of time are also capitalized:
      - o Renaissance poet, Victorian era (but medieval writer).
      - • Directional & seasonal adjectives are not capitalized unless they are part of a title:
      - o We took the northwest route during spring.
      - o The town’s annual Fall Festival.
    - - • Other words that require capitalization:
      - o First words in a sentence.
      - o Personal names and titles.
      - o Geographical names.
      - o Days, months, and holidays.
      - o The personal pronoun I.
      - o Nationalities and languages.
      - o Religions.
      - o Company and organization names.
    - - Examples for Practice:
      - • today is Wednesday. → Today is Wednesday.
      - • gone with the wine. → Gone with the Wind.
      - • golden bridge. → Golden Gate Bridge.
    - - • Definition: When the + adjective refers to a group of people, it acts as a noun.
        o The poor, the rich, the homeless, the elderly.
      - • Difference from collective nouns:
        
        o Collective nouns (e.g., team, family) can be singular or plural.
        
        o Collective adjectives are always plural and take a plural verb.
      - Examples:
        
        • The rural poor have been ignored by the media.
        
        • The elderly are beginning to demand their rights.
        
        • The young at heart are always a joy to be around.
      - Understanding the Missing Noun:
        
        • The poor are being ignored. → (Poor people are being ignored.)
        
        • The rich should pay more taxes. → (Rich people should pay more taxes.)
    - - Adjective Clauses & Phrases
        
        • Adjective Clause: A group of words with a subject + verb acting as an adjective.
        
        o My sister, who is much older than I am, is an engineer.
        
        • Adjective Phrase: An adjective clause without a subject + verb.
        
        o He is the man keeping my family in the poorhouse.
      - Overuse of Adjectives
        
        • Use adjectives carefully—verbs and nouns should carry most of the description.
        
        • Avoid weak adjectives like interesting, beautiful, lovely, exciting—instead, show the qualities through strong writing.
      - Example of Rich Adjective Use (Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel)
        
        • He remembered yet the East India Tea House at the Fair, the sandalwood, the turbans, and the robes, the cool interior and the smell of India tea...
        
        • Modern prose uses fewer adjectives—whether that’s a loss is up to the writer!