Interesting adjectives.
Special cases: a with it boutique. (Adj * law-abiding citizens.
an "it" girl, a know-it-all person, a life-changing experience, a time-saving/consuming Project, a hair-raising / mind-blowing / breathtaking horror story / movie, an eye-rising, heart-stopping girl... ...
Definition of twentysomething
a person who is in his or her twenties <a twentysomething profesional>
Twenty-Something (Noun): An individual in his or her twenties who is living life, making plenty of mistakes, and pretending to have his or her sh*t together. (PS: It's okay, no one actually does.)
The Twenty-Something Years: A state of confusion, celebration, and attempted adulting.
Somewhere between college house parties & existing IRL (in real life).
The 'best years'. Truth.
once in a lifetime
Extremely rare, especially as an opportunity. For example, An offer like that will come just once in a lifetime (This phrase is often used hyperbolically). Noun: A once-in-a-lifetime experience or opportunity is very special because you will probably only have it once: A tour of Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime experiencea life-long / uphill struggle
easy on the eye(s): ): I don't know who she is but she's very easy on the eyes. (good looking, physically attractive)
Staring at the television for a long period of time is not easy on the eyes. (not tiring to look at)
* a "with it" boutique. (Adj)
He's so infatuated with her that he'd do anything to get her attention.
lo•cu•tion (lō kyo̅o̅′shən), n. 1. a word, phrase, expression, or idiom. 2. a particular form of expression
so bold as to adjadjective: (daring enough to do [sth])loc adj. locución adjetiva : Unidad léxica estable formada de dos o más palabras que funciona como adjetivo ("de fácil manejo", "a contraluz", "de fiar").
Anna was so bold as to question her manager's decision to his face. (tan descarado como para)
What Is an Adjective Phrase? (with Examples)
An adjective phrase (or adjectival phrase) is a phrase that tells us something about the noun it is modifying. The head (principal) word in an adjective phrase will be an adjective. In the examples below, the adjective phrase is shaded and the head word (i.e., the adjective) is in bold:- The nearby motel offers cheap but comfortable rooms. (In this example, the head adjective starts the adjective phrase.)
- These are unbelievably expensive shoes. (In this example, the head adjective ends the adjective phrase.)
- Sarah was fairly bored with you. (In this example, the head adjective is in the middle of the adjective phrase.)
More Examples of Adjective Phrases
Here are some more examples of adjective phrases (with the head adjectives in bold):- The extremely tired lioness is losing patience with her overly enthusiastic cub.
- My mother was fairly unhappy with the service.
- Her baking always smells very tempting.
- The consequences of agreeing were far too serious.
- The people of Somalia have suffered far too much for far too long.
- A waiting time of three years of marriage is much too long.
- Unfortunately, this happens way too often.
- Besides, I have way too much respect for life [...] to not care.
- The dog covered in mud looked pleased with himself.
Adjective Phrases Can Be Used Attributively or Predicatively
An adjective phrase can be an attributive adjective or a predicative adjective.Attributive Adjective. An attributive adjective is one that sits inside the noun phrase of the noun it modifies. Look at these two examples:
- The beautifully carved frames are worth more than the painting. (This is an attributive adjective phrase. It sits inside the noun phrase The beautifully carved frames.)
Predicative Adjective. A predicative adjective sits outside the noun phrase of the noun it modifies. Typically, a predicative adjective is linked to the noun it modifies with a linking verb. For example:
- The curtains look far too long. (This is a predicative adjective phrase. The linking verb is look.)
- The frames were beautifully carved by monks. (This is a predicative adjective phrase. The linking verb is were.)
Examples of Adjective Phrases Used Attributively and Predicatively
Let's look at the earlier examples:PERSONALITY / CHARACTER ADJECTIVES
http://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/grammar/adjectives/personality/words-for-describing-personality.HTML
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=7620
Latin Root Words
Active (energetic, dynamic), adaptable, adorable, affable (ammicable), (dis)agreeable, ambitious, arrogant, argumentative, artificial, attentive (alert), calm, capable, classy (elegant, stylish), comical (humorous, comic), cautious (discreet), cruel, conservative, conventional, demanding, diligent, discrete, efficient, egocentric, extrovert(ed), fantastic, generous, (dis)honest, individualistic, introverted (introvert, distant), intuitive (instinctive), (im)mature, modern modest, narcissistic, natural (spontaneous), obedient, (im)partial (un)just, perfectionistic, productive, protective, punctual, sensible, sensitive, (in)sincere (hypocritical, false), sociable (social), talented, unsociable (unsocial, antisocial)
Attractive,
****************
Active: energetic, with a lot of get-up-and-go (energy), Exp: He's always on the go (nunca para)
Annoying
Arrogant: patronizing, superior, cocky, full of oneself, snobbish, conceited, pretentious, big-headed, stuck-up, uppish, capricious, boastful, swanky, ostentatious)
Bossy: authoritarian, domineerinng, controlling, strict, iron-handed, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical.
Chatty (s.o. who talks a lot)
Choosy: fastidious, finicky, picky, fussy
Classy:, posh, high-class, elegant, fashionable, Stylish, mod, trendy
Cranky (grouchy, grumpy, crabby, bad/ill tempered, surly, wacky. 2. Spoiled, capricious, whimsical. (chiflado, enojadizo, malhumorado). A crabby person.
A few short weeks after the natural and nuclear catastrophe in Japan, the European right has had the cranky notion of threatening the Japanese Government. (la estrafalaria idea)
Demanding: a perfectionist (n), exacting (a boss)
Humorous: tongue-in-cheek, bantering, (cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious, (facetious remarks)
Pushy: self-assertive, assertive
wimp.(calzonazos, crybaby, chicken, quitter (perdedor, desertor)
| English | Spanish |
| ambitious | ambicioso |
| argumentative, quarrelsome | discutidor |
| bad-tempered | malhumorado |
| big-headed | creído, engreído |
| bitchy | de mala leche, venenoso; |
| brave | valiente |
| cantankerous | cascarrabias |
| carefree | despreocupado |
| careless | descuidado, poco cuidadoso |
| cautious | prudente, cauteloso, cauto; |
| conceited, full of oneself | presumido |
| conservative | conservador |
| conventional | convencional |
| cowardly | cobarde |
| crazy, nuts | loco, chiflado |
| cruel | cruel |
| charming | encantador |
| cheerful | alegre, jovial; |
| dull, boring | soso, aburrido |
| flirtatious | coqueta |
| friendly | amigable, simpático, agradable |
| generous | generoso |
| hard-working | trabajador |
| honest | honesto |
| kind | amable |
| laid-back | tranquilo, relajado |
| lazy | perezoso, vago |
| loyal | fiel |
| mean | tacaño |
| modest | modesto |
| moody | de humor cambiante |
| naive | ingenuo, inocentón |
| naughty (children) | malo, travieso (niños) |
| open-minded: narrow-minded: | de actitud abierta, sin prejuicios de mentalidad cerrada, intolerante; |
| polite | cortés, educado |
| proud | orgulloso |
| reliable: he’s a very reliable person | fiable, confiable: es una persona en la que se puede confiar |
| self-confident: to be self-confident | seguro de sí mismo: tener confianza en sí mismo |
| selfish | egoísta |
| sensible | sensato, prudente; |
| sensitive | sensible |
| shy - introverted | tímido, vergonzoso - introvertido |
| strict | estricto, severo, riguroso |
| stubborn | terco, testarudo, tozudo |
| sympathetic (understanding) | comprensivo |
| talkative | conversador, hablador |
| trustworthy | digno de confianza |
| two-faced | falso |
| weird | raro, extraño |
* * * * * * * * *
Participle Adjectives List
List of common -ed and -ing adjectives
Here’s a list of participle adjectives (-ed and -ing adjectives) in English. Remember, we usually use the past participle (-ed) to talk about someone’s feelings and the present participle (-ing) to talk about cause of the feeling.
| alarming What an alarming noise! | alarmed I was alarmed by the loud bang. |
| amusing That TV programme is really amusing. | amused He was amused to hear his little son singing in the bath. |
| boring I've never seen such a boring film! | bored The students looked bored as the teacher talked and talked. |
| confusing I find these instructions very confusing! Could you come and help me? | confused I was confused, because I asked two people and they told me two different things. |
| depressing This weather is depressing! Is it ever going to stop raining? | depressed I was feeling depressed, so I stayed at home with hot chocolate and a good book. |
| embarrassing That is the most embarrassing photo! I look terrible! | embarrassed John was really embarrassed when he fell over in front of his new girlfriend. |
| exciting It's a really exciting book. I couldn't wait to find out what happened at the end. | excited I'm so excited! I'm going on holiday tomorrow! |
| exhausting I hate doing housework! It's exhausting! | exhausted Julie was so exhausted after her exams, she spent the next three days sleeping. |
| fascinating The brain is fascinating, isn't it? It's amazing how much it can do. | fascinated Joan was fascinated by her grandmother's stories of life in the 1920s. |
| frightening What a frightening film! I don't want to walk home on my own now! | frightened I was really frightened of bees when I was little, but I don't mind them now. |
| frustrating It's frustrating when you want to say something in another language, but you don't know the word. | frustrated I tried all morning to send an email, but it wouldn't work. I was so frustrated! |
| interesting That was a very interesting book. | interested She's interested in animals, so she's thinking of studying to be a vet. |
| overwhelming I find London a bit overwhelming. It's so busy and noisy. | overwhelmed Julie felt overwhelmed. She'd moved house, got a new job and was learning to drive, all at the same time. |
| relaxing A nice hot bath is so relaxing after a long day. | relaxed She was so relaxed, sitting in front of the fire, that she didn't want to move. |
| satisfying John loves his new job as a teacher. He says it's very satisfying when he makes a student understand. | satisfied I'm very satisfied that I managed to order the meal in French. |
| shocking What a shocking crime! It's terrible. | shocked I was shocked when my co-worked admitted stealing some money. |
| surprising It's surprising how many people don't want to travel to another country. | surprised She was surprised when she arrived at her class and found the other students doing an exam. She'd thought it was a normal lesson. |
| terrifying What a terrifying dog! It's huge! | terrified My little son is terrified of the dark. We always leave a light on in his room at night. |
| thrilling What thrilling music! It's some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. | thrilled I was thrilled to win first prize in the competition. |
| tiring My job is really tiring. I don't get home until 10pm sometimes. | tired David's too tired to come to the cinema tonight. He's going to go to bed early. |
Participle Adjectives Long List
aggravated aggravating
amazed amazing
annoyed annoying
astonished astonishing
astounded astounding
bewildered bewildering
captivated captivating
challenged challenging
charmed charming
comforted comforting
concerned concerning
convinced convincing
devastated devastating
disappointed disappointing
discouraged discouraging
disgusted disgusting
distressed distressing
disturbed disturbing
enchanted enchanting
encouraged encouraging
energise energising
entertained entertaining
exasperated exasperating
flattered flattering
fulfilled fulfilling
gratified gratifying
horrified horrifying
humiliated humiliating
inspired inspiring
insulted insulting
intrigued intriguing
irritated irritating
mystified mystifying
moved moving
perplexed perplexing
perturbed perturbing
pleased pleasing
puzzled puzzling
sickened sickening
soothed soothing
stunned: confused - mentally confused; unable to think with clarity or act intelligently; "the flood of questions left her bewildered and confused"
stunning(ly) 1. Causing or capable of causing emotional shock or loss of consciousness. 2. Of a strikingly attractive appearance
a. Impressive: John gave a stunning performance.
b. Surprising: The President's final decision came with stunning suddenness.
tempted tempting
threatened threatening
touched touching
troubled troubling
unnerved unnerving
unsettled unsettling
upset upsetting
worried worrying
Compound Adjectives
A compound adjective is sometimes called a hyphenated adjective. What are they? Let's look at the following sentences:
- I saw a man-eating alligator.
- I saw a man eating alligator.
The second sentence doesn't.
However the meaning of the two sentences are very different as can be seen in the picture below:
I saw a man-eating alligator.
We are describing the alligator. What type of alligator is it? It is one that eats men (or people).
I saw a man eating alligator.
This sentence without the hyphen sounds like a man is eating an alligator.
(man is the subject, eating is the verb, alligator is the object or thing that is being eaten).
As you can see, the hyphen (or lack of it) makes a big difference in the meaning of the sentence.
Before we explain in more detail why we put that hyphen between those two words in the first sentence, we need to do a quick review of Adjectives.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes something.A red car (red is an adjective because it describes the car. How is the car? Red)
A big book (big is an adjective because it describes the book. How is the book? Big)
See our other grammar notes about Adjectives in English. (LINK)
But sometimes we use more than one adjective to describe something.
Compound adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words.In general we put a hyphen between two or more words (before a noun) when we want them to act as a single idea (adjective) that describes something.
- I live in an English-speaking country.
- law-abiding citizens.
- A stay-at-home person / evening.
This adjective with two words joined by the hyphen is called a compound adjective.
Some more examples of compound adjectives are:
- Our office is in a twenty-storey building.
- I have just finished reading a 300-page book.
- He is a well-known writer.
- The company is managed by fewer than two-dozen traders.
Compound Adjectives + Periods of Time
When he have compound adjectives using numbers + a time period, that word referring to a time period is in singular form and is joined to the number with a hyphen.- I work eight hours every day --> I work an eight-hour day
- I'm going on vacation for three weeks --> I have a three-week vacation
- There was a delay of 5 seconds --> There was a five-second delay
Adverbs and Compound Adjectives
Adverbs modify a verb.- She walks slowly.
Adverbs can also be used to modify an adjective.
- It is very hot today. (Very is an adverb)
- She is extremely intelligent. (Extremely is an adverb)
- It is a very hot day.
- She is an extremely intelligent girl.
Adverb + Past Participle
However when we have an Adverb + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective. Passive construction.- She is a well-known actress.
- We live in a densely-populated city.
- This is a volunteer-built home.
- Our newspaper is student-run
- A well-established business; a well-established habit, a well-established Brand (since long ago). 2. a well-established fact (well-known)
Verb + Noun
- A know-it-all person (so who talks and behaves like so who knows everything)
- Rude and downright mean business person
Interrogative particle + Preposition.
- how–to books on all sorts of hobbies: Giving practical instruction and advice on how to do something yourself (as on a craft)
Participle + Preposition
sought after, in demand, desired, coveted adj. greatly desired; being searched for. longed-for, enviable, to-die-for, like gold dust An Olympic gold medal is the most sought-after prize in sport.- The most sought-after item was the silver candelabrum.
Preposition + pronoun
- If you're very with-it, you won't have shelves full of CDs or DVDs either.
"To"Infinitive + Preposition
- We had apple pie and it was to die for.
- He had a smile to die for.
- This chocolate cake is to die for!
- We had a beautiful room at the hotel and the service was to die for.
to die for: extremely good; important or desirable enough to die for; worth dying for
Noun + Past Participle
When we have a noun + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.- We should start using wind-powered generators to cut costs.
- I love eating sun-dried raisins.
Noun + Present Participle (gerund)
When we have a noun + present participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.- I bought some mouth-watering strawberries. A mouth-watering dessert.
- A smooth-talking salesman. The visitor was smooth-talking.
- That was a record-breaking jump.
- The decision-making process.
- A problem-solving approach.
- A profit-sharing plan.
- Law-abiding citizens
Present Participle + Noun
- Cutting-edge technology.
Noun + Adjective
When we have a noun + adjective, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.- She is a world-famous singer.
- This is a smoke-free restaurant.
Adjective + Noun
When we have an adjective + noun, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.- It was a last-minute decision.
- We watched the full-length version of the movie.
- large-scale development.
- special-interest groups.
- crude-oil exporting countries.
- The development was large-scale.
- His position is full-time.
- Development proceeded on a large scale.
- He works full time.
Adjective + Past Participle
When we have an adjective + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective. Hyphenate compounds made up of an adjective plus a noun to which the ending ed has been added, in any position in the sentence:- That is an old-fashioned dress
- Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures.
- A many-sided question. (having many aspects). 2. Having many interests, qualities, accomplishments, etc. Versatile: The typical person of the Renaissance was many-sided.
- I'm short-handed all over the hospital: Not having enough staff. Lacking the usual or necessary number of workers, assistants, helpers, etc. Having fewer than the usual number of people available. 2. deficient, wanting, inadequate, lacking, poor
- Your dad warned me you might be strong-willed about this. (strong-minded(ly)). con mucha voluntad, tenaz. (single-minded
Adjective + Present Participle
When we have an adjective + present participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.- She is a good-looking girl.
- The view from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is breathtaking. (view, spectacle: beautiful). 2. John speaks to his teacher with breathtaking rudeness. (cheek, insolence: astounding, amazing, surprising)
- It left a long-lasting taste in my mouth.
- They have a long-standing partnership; they've worked together for years. vs The rivalry between Romeo's family and Juliet's is long standing
- An odd-sounding name. The name was rather odd-sounding.
- This is a guarantee that no country can continue to convert forests into fast-growing plantations.
- In Beijing these days, one of the fastest-growing fortunes the world has ever seen is managed by fewer than two-dozen traders.
- Trafficking in human beings is the fastest-growing type of organised crime.
- Indeed, the Indian economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Preposition + pronoun
- If you're very with-it, you won't have shelves full of CDs or DVDs either.
Compound Adjectives with Proper Nouns
A proper noun is the name of something or someone (e.g. John, Susan Sanders).Compound Adjectives made from Proper nouns don't need a hyphen though must have capital letters.
- I bought the James Jackson tickets for us.
How do we know when to put a hyphen?
If you can use the word “and” between the two adjectives or words, then a hyphen isn't necessary.- She has a big blue book.
Can we say: She has a big and blue book. (Yes, it is possible)
- He is a world famous singer
Also, look at the following:
- It's an old coal-mining town
Here we can say it is old and a coal-mining one.
Terms Like One-and-a-Half Should Be Hyphenated
Expressions like three-and-a-half (as in three-and-a-half ounces) are classified as compound adjectives and should be hyphenated. This is done to group the words together to show they are all part of the same adjective. For example:
Two-and-a-half cakes3-and-a-quarter miles
Do Not Link the Adjective to the Noun with a Hyphen
Sometimes, the tricky bit is spotting where the compound adjective ends and the noun starts. This is important because the noun should not be joined to the adjective with a hyphen.***************************** QUOTES ***************************
* Some men dislike brainy women.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario