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Adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They tell us more about people or things. On the other hand, adverbs are connected with other words, usually verbs. They tell us how something happens.

Adverbs can be made by adding ‘ly’ to certain adjectives.
English is an easy language. (Adjective)

She fed a hungry child


Amanda can learn English easily. (Adverb)
Some people like slow music. (Adjective)

Grandfather walks slowly. (Adverb)
Philosophy is an interesting subject. (Adjective)
Krishnamurti spoke interestingly about philosophy. (Adverb)
She fed a hungry child. (Adjective)
The child ate hungrily. (Adverb)

The director wants to have a quick word with you. (Adjective)
The director walked away quickly after the board meeting. (Adverb)
I usually travel by a slow train. (Adjective)
The train moved very slowly. (Adverb)

Hiranthi was dressed in a beautiful frock. (Adjective)
She walked along the lane beautifully. (Adverb)
Dr John speaks perfect English. (Adjective)
He does everything perfectly. (Adverb)

I failed the examination due to my bad handwriting. (Adjective)

Some people behave badly at public functions. (Adverb)
An angry passenger scolded the conductor. (Adjective)
The customer spoke angrily. (Adverb)
The country needs a strong leader. (Adjective)
The doctor advised him strongly not to smoke. (Adverb)
Jane is a quiet girl who minds her own business. (Adjective)

She left the room quietly. (Adverb)
More examples
Adjectives Adverbs
possible possibly
happy happily
real really
complete completely
wrong wrongly
final finally
sincere sincerely
loud loudly
thirsty thirstily
probable probably
usual usually
nice nicely

wonderful wonderfully
cold coldly
unhappy unhappily

Jack ran downhill with a pail of water.


comfortable comfortably

Some adverbs tell us when or where something happens.

Father is leaving the island tomorrow.
Jack ran downhill with a pail of water.
I met the policeman there.
Some adverbs tell us how much.
Grandfather does not go out much.

Small children watch television a lot.
Nethmi can play the violin a bit.
I can sing a little.

We use some adverbs only at the end of a sentence.
Sharon speaks English well.
They make good furniture here.

Sam bought a hybrid car yesterday.
I do not enjoy pop music much.
Adverbs can go before adjectives and past participles.
I’m terribly sorry for what happened.
The project report is nearly ready.
We have completely finished the building work.



 


Match words and meanings

Here’s am exciting way to enrich your vocabulary. Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’ and check your answers with the key. The first has been done for you.

[Column A]

Y... 1. discernment
.... 2. discharge
.... 3. discipline
.... 4. disclose
.... 5. discolour
.... 6. discomfit
.... 7. discomfort
.... 8. disconcert
.... 9. disconnect
.... 10. disconnected

.... 11. disconsolate
.... 12. discontent
.... 13. discontinue
.... 14. discontinuous
.... 15. discord
.... 16. discordant
.... 17. discount
.... 18. discourage
.... 19. discourse
.... 20. discourteous

.... 21. discover
.... 22. discredit
.... 23. discreet
.... 24. discrepancy
.... 25. discrete

[Column B]

A. to allow someone officially to leave somewhere
B. to unfasten something
C. to stop doing something
D. communication in speech or writing
E. to find information
F. to cause people to stop respecting someone
G. to change from the original colour
H. the state of not agreeing
I. to make someone feel less confident
J. with breaks

K. to make someone feel uncomfortable
L. careful not to cause embarrassment
M. to make someone feel suddenly uncertain
N. a feeling of wanting better treatment
O. a feeling of being uncomfortable physically or mentally
P. not well joined together
Q. producing an unpleasant sound
R. having a clear independent shape or form
S. difference between two things that should be the same
T. not polite

U. a reduction in the usual price
V. extremely sad and disappointed
W. to make something known publicly
X. training which produces obedience
Y. the ability to judge people and things well

Key:

2. A 3. X 4. W 5. G 6. K 7. O 8. M 9. B 10. P 11. V 12. N 13. C 14. J 15. H 16. Q 17. U 18. I 19. D 20. T 21. E 22. F 23. L 24. S 25. R


Starters:

Comparative and superlative patterns

'Less' and 'least' are the opposites of more and most.
A Trishaw is less expensive than a cab.

Doctors advise us to exercise more and eat less


We go out less these days due to rainy weather.
Some employees do less work but ask for more pay.
She is least interested in politics.
We should try to spend less money.
Doctors advise us to exercise more and eat less.
We use 'less’ to refer to uncountable nouns.
Today there is less traffic on the street.

We use 'fewer’ to refer to countable nouns.
There are fewer buses after 9 p.m.
'Least’ means “less than anything or anyone else.”
He is the least likely of the two contestants to win the coveted post.

Disaster comes when we least expect it.
That is the news I least wanted to hear.
He is a person I like (the) least.
'More’ means a larger or extra number or account.
Would you like some more ice cream?
We are unable to cope with any more students.
Add some more sugar to my cup of tea.

Listen more and talk less!
More people live in cities than in villages.
The noise is more than I can tolerate.

Martin Wickremasinghe was more of a novelist than a poet.
When it comes to money, more the merrier!
Let's recruit a more beautiful girl than Jane.
You should choose a more sensible way of living.
I find mathematics more difficult than poetry.

'Most’ means 'the biggest number or amount of something.’
Which of you earn the most money?
Who is the most intelligent boy in your class?

Most of the students learn in the Sinhala medium.
It was a most beautiful morning (very)
Much/far/a bit

We can use 'much’, 'far’ or 'a bit’ before a comparative.
It's much faster by train.
A motorcycle is far cheaper than a car.

This sofa is a bit more comfortable.
A computer can do this job much more efficiently.
'Faster’ and 'faster/more’ and 'more expensive’
We use the above expressions to say that something is increasing all the time.

The boulder was rolling faster and faster down the hill.
Vegetables are getting more and more expensive.

The faster, the better.
This is an emergency. The faster you drive, the better.
A: Are you looking for a cheap car?
B: Yes, the cheaper the better.

Quiz on idioms

An idiom is a special kind of phrase. It is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one it would have if the meaning in each word were taken individually. Tick the meaning of each idiom in bold and check your answers with the key.

1. If someone beats the daylight out of you...

(a) they attack you physically
(b) they attack you verbally
(c) they praise you

2. The dog days of someone's career means...

(a) the period when nothing happens
(b) the period when they are enjoying much success.
(c) the period when they are not having much success.

3. His car has seen better days...

(a) it is expensive
(b) it is now old and in poor condition
(c) it is cheap.

4. If someone's days are numbered...

(a) they are not likely to survive
(b) they are bound to live long
(c) they are very methodical

5. If someone comes back from the dead...

(a) they return from the cemetery
(b) they return from a long journey
(c) they become active again after a period of inactivity

6. If someone wants you dead...

(a) they come after you
(b) they ignore you
(c) they praise you

7. If something is as dead as a dodo...

(a) it is no longer active or popular
(b) it is not available
(c) it makes no sound

8. If someone is as dead as a doornail...

(a) they are silent
(b) they are living
(c) they are dead

9. Cleopatra was drop-dead beautiful...

(a) very beautiful
(b) very ugly
(c) very proud of her beauty

10. If someone is as deaf as a past...

(a) they are very deaf
(b) they are partially deaf
(c) they are silent.

Key:

1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (a)

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