Adjectives and adverbs

An adjective describes a thing. An adverb describes an action. Mixing them up is the error an examiner notices first, because it appears in almost every sentence you write.

The order of adjectives

When you use two or more adjectives before a noun, English fixes their order. Native speakers never think about it, but they always follow it.

Opinion (beautiful)Size (small)Age (old)Shape (round)Colour (blue)Origin (Pakistani)Material (wooden)Purpose (writing)

a beautiful small old round blue Pakistani wooden writing desk. In practice you will rarely use more than three, but they must come in this order.

Making an adverb from an adjective

Adverb formation rules
Rule	Examples
Most adjectives: add -ly	quick → quickly, careful → carefully, slow → slowly
Ends in y: change to -ily	easy → easily, happy → happily, angry → angrily
Ends in -le: change to -ly	simple → simply, terrible → terribly
Irregular	good → well, fast → fast, hard → hard, late → late

Comparing two or more things

Comparative and superlative rules
Type of word	Rule	Examples
One syllable	add -er / -est	tall → taller → the tallest
One syllable ending in one vowel + one consonant	double the consonant	big → bigger → the biggest
Two syllables ending in y	change to -ier / -iest	easy → easier → the easiest
Two or more syllables	use more / the most	expensive → more expensive → the most expensive
Irregular	learn them	good → better → the best · bad → worse → the worst · far → further → the furthest · little → less → the least · many → more → the most

The five comparison patterns
Pattern	Example
A is -er than B	Lahore is bigger than Multan.
A is as … as B (equal)	This test is as difficult as the last one.
A is not as … as B	My English is not as strong as hers.
A is the -est in / of a group	She is the best student in the class.
the more … the more	The more you read, the better you write.

Adjective and adverb mistakes
Wrong	Right	Why
She is more taller than me.	She is taller than me.	Never use more and -er together.
He speaks English very good.	He speaks English very well.	Good describes a noun; well describes a verb.
It is more better.	It is better.	Better is already comparative.
I am boring in this class.	I am bored in this class.	-ing describes the thing; -ed describes the person feeling it.
a red big Pakistani car	a big red Pakistani car	Size comes before colour, colour before origin.

Check yourself

Compare, describe and correct.

big → comparative and superlative
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bigger → the biggest
expensive → comparative and superlative
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more expensive → the most expensive
good → comparative and superlative
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better → the best
Make an adverb: careful, easy, good
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carefully, easily, well
Fix: She is more taller than me.
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She is taller than me.
Fix: He speaks English very good.
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He speaks English very well.
Fix: The lecture was boring, so I felt boring.
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The lecture was boring, so I felt bored.
Put in order: Pakistani / a / old / beautiful / carpet
Show the answer
a beautiful old Pakistani carpet

More practice on this topic: 14 exercises →