Page 175 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

G r a d a b l e a n d u n g r a d a b l e a d j e c t i v e s ; p o s i t i o n ( 2 )

Gradable and ungradable adjectives
Gradable adjectives can be used with adverbs such as very or extremely to say that a thing or
person has more or less of a particular quality. Ungradable adjectives themselves imply 'to a
large degree' and are seldom used with these adverbs. Instead, we can use adverbs such as
absolutely or totally.

extremely, deeply, fairly, angry, big, busy, comfortable,
gradable
hugely, immensely, pretty common, happy, important, quiet,
adverbs adjectives
(informal), rather, really, rich, strong, young
reasonably, slightly, very
absolutely, completely, amazed, awful, dreadful, furious,
ungradable
adverbs entirely, pretty, really, huge, impossible, invaluable,
adjectives
simply, totally, utterly terrible, wonderful, useless

a • Our teacher gave us a completely impossible problem to solve.
• • She was extremely rich.
Notice that not all the adverbs given can go with all the adjectives given. For example, we
« wouldn't usually say 'completely essential' (see also Unit 92). Really and pretty can be used with
• both gradable and ungradable adjectives.

More on the position of adjectives
B When we use more than one adjective before a noun, there is often a preferred order for these
adjectives. However, this order is not fixed: opinion + size/physical quality/shape/age + colour +
participle adjectives (see Unit 85) + origin + material + type + purpose + noun.
an old plastic container (= age + material + noun)
a hard red ball (= quality + colour + noun)
a frightening Korean mask (= opinion + origin + noun)
a round biscuit tin (= shape + purpose (for holding biscuits) + noun)
a small broken plate (= size + participle adjective + noun)
a useful digital alarm clock (= opinion + type + purpose + noun)
To help you to learn this order, it can be useful to remember that gradable adjectives
Q (describing opinion, size, quality, shape, and age) usually precede ungradable adjectives
• (participle adjective and adjectives describing origin, material, type and purpose).

When two gradable adjectives come before the noun, we can put either a comma or and between
them. Compare:
• an attractive, big garden and • an attractive and big garden
Two colour adjectives have and between them:
• Sweden's yellow and blue flag {not ...yellow, blue flag)
Two ungradable adjectives have and between them if they are from the same class, but and is
not used if they are from different classes. Compare:
• financial and political conditions and • improving financial conditions

Study the word order when a to-infinitive or prepositional phrase follows an adjective:
• It's a difficult word to say. / • It's an identical car to mine. </
• It's a word (that is) difficult to say. / • It's a car (that is) identical to mine. /
• It's a difficult to say word. X • It's an identical to mine car. X
Adjectives: position (1) => Ifflffig