1.2 TRY SOMETHING NEW: Gradable and ungradable adjectives

 0    52 flashcards    josehbaltazar
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Question English Answer English
What are adjectives?
In the examples below, these adjectives are used to describe an elephant. Large, grey, and friendly are all examples of adjectives
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What are adjectives? in English
Adjectives are describing words.
Describing feelings and things
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'-ed' and '-ing' adjectives.
Adjectives that end in -ed are used to describe
tired, bored, excited
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how people feel/how a person feels
Adjectives that end in -ing are used to describe
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things and situations. refer to the thing/person/situation that causes the feeling
tired / tiring; bored / boring; excited / exciting
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Few, but common, adjectives end in either -ed or -ing
Feel
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annoyed, bored, confused, depressed, excited, frustrated, frightened, satisfied, shocked
Describe
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annoying, boring, confusing, depressing, exciting, frustrating, frightening, satisfying, shocking
What are gradable adjectives?
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Adjectives used to describe qualities that can be measured in degrees.
Big, angry, small, expensive, cold, are (?)
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gradable adjectives.
married, furious, impossible, excellent, freezing, are (?)
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non-gradable or ungradable adjectives...
Ungradable / non-gradable / extreme adjectives
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Adjectives used to describe qualities that are completely present or completely absent.
They can be used in comparative or superlative forms, or with modifiers such as very or extremely, to show that person or thing has more or less of a particular quality.
big, bigger, biggest
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Gradable adjectives
They do not occur in comparative and superlative forms, and cannot be used with modifiers such as very or extremely, because we don't usually imagine degrees of more or less of the quality being described
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Ungradable adjectives.
Modifiers used with gradable adjectives
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Modifiers used with gradable adjectives: extremely, very, quite
Modifiers used with non-gradable adjectives
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Modifiers used with non-gradable adjectives: absolutely, completely, totally, utterly.
Modifiers used with gradable and ungradable adjectives
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Modifiers used with gradable and ungradable adjectives: really, fairly, pretty
Ungradable / non-gradable adjectives sometimes occur with modifiers such as completely
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to emphasize the extent of the quality: the questions were completely impossible; the food was absolutely superb; this book is absolutely excellent; this food is absolutely delicious; that's a completely idiotic idea.
Don't talk to Jenny, she's very angry. Gradable or ungradable adjectif?
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Angry is a gradable adjective.
Sorry, I can't stop, I'm extremely busy. Gradable or ungradable?
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Busy is a gradable adjective.
I'm worried about Tom, he's dreadfully unhappy. Gradable or ungradable?
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Unhappy is a gradable adjective.
This is a very important matter. Gradable or ungradable?
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Important is a gradable adjective.
That slice of cake is rather big. Gradable or ungradable?
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Big is a gradable adjective.
I felt really (?) because I tried so hard but I still failed the driving test
frustrating/frustated
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I felt really frustated because I tried so hard but I still failed the driving test
And it's your fifth time! How (?)
embarrassing / embarrassed
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And it's your fifth time! How embarrassing!
I was (?) interested in the book
very / really / totally
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I was very interested in the book.
Yes, it was (?) fascinating
very / really / totally
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Yes, it was totally fascinating.
I was (?) relieved at the end
very / really / absolutely
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I was really relieved at the end.
Yes, and we won! I was (?) over the moon
very / really / absolutely
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Yes, and we won! I was really over the moon.
Base adjectives
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Base adjectives are normal adjectives that don't have the idea of 'very'
Strong adjectives
gorgeous = very beautiful huge = very big
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Strong adjectives, however, are extreme adjectives that have the idea of 'very'
beautiful
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gorgeous
ugly
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awful
dirty
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filthy
good
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superb, great, fantastic
bad
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terrible
happy
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thrilled
angry
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furious
hungry
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starving
tired
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exhausted
funny
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hilarious
big
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huge, enormous
small
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tiny
fat
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obese
scared
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terrified
cold
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freezing
hot
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boiling
The use of very, absolutely and really with base and strong adjectives
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Very, absolutely and really are used differently according whether the adjective is a base or a strong one
Base adjectives
very absolutely really
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He was very happy; He was really happy
Strong adjectives
very absolutely really
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he was absolutely thrilled. he was really thrilled.
Adverbs with gradable adjectives
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very, extremely, a bit, slightly
Really is used with both.
Adverbs with ungradable adjectives
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absolutely, completely, totally, utterly.
Really is used with both.
Un-gradable/non-gradable/extremely adjectives sometimes occur with
The questions were completely impossible. The food was absolutely superb. This book is absolutely excellent. This food is absolutely delicious. That's a completely idiotic idea.
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modifiers such as completely to emphasize the extent of the quality.

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