English Grammar with Tanveer Kurd
5000 Words
Superlative adjectives
Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a quality (the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of objects.
Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).
The group that is being compared with can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final example below).
Examples
My house is the largest one in our neighborhood.
This is the smallest box I've ever seen.
Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.
We all threw our rocks at the same time. My rock flew the highest. ("of all the rocks" is understood)
Forming regular comparatives and superlatives
Forming comparatives and superlatives is easy. The form depends on the number of syllables in the original adjective.
One syllable adjectives
Add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative. If the adjective has a consonant + single vowel + consonant spelling, the final consonant must be doubled before adding the ending.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
tall taller tallest
fat fatter fattest
big bigger biggest
sad sadder saddest
Two syllables
Adjectives with two syllables can form the comparative either by adding -er or by preceeding the adjective with more. These adjectives form the superlative either by adding -est or by preceeding the adjective with most. In many cases, both forms are used, although one usage will be more common than the other. If you are not sure whether a two-syllable adjective can take a comparative or superlative ending, play it safe and use more and most instead. For adjectives ending in y, change the y to an i before adding the ending.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
happy happier happiest
simple simpler simplest
busy busier busiest
tilted more tilted most tilted
tangled more tangled most tangled
Three or more syllables
Adjectives with three or more syllables form the comparative by putting more in front of the adjective, and the superlative by putting most in front.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
important more important most important
expensive more expensive most expensive
Irregular comparatives and superlatives
These very common adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better best
bad worse worst
little less least
much more most
far further / farther furthest / farthest
Examples
Today is the worst day I've had in a long time.
You play tennis better than I do.
This is the least expensive sweater in the store.
This sweater is less expensive than that one.
I ran pretty far yesterday, but I ran even farther today.
Comparing attributes
When comparing the attributes of two things, we use a standard set of constructions.
When attributes are equal
Comparing equal attributes is simple. To compare the attributes of two things that are equal, we use the pattern:
as + adjective describing the attribute + as
Examples
Tom is as tall as his brother.
I am as hungry as you are.
Sally is as nice as Jane.
When attributes are not equal
When the two attributes are not equal, there are three constructions with equivalent meanings.
Either use the pattern:
not as + adjective describing the attribute + as
Or use the pattern:
less + adjective describing the attribute + than : This construction is more frequent with some adjectives than with others.
Or use the pattern:
comparative adjective + than : This construction may require changing the order of the phrase or using the opposing adjective.
Examples
Mont Blanc is not as high as Mount Everest.
Mont Blanc is less high than Mount Everest.
Mont Blanc is lower than Mount Everest.
Mount Everest is higher than Mont Blanc.
Norway is not as sunny as Thailand.
Norway is less sunny than Thailand.
Thailand is sunnier than Norway.
Norway is cloudier than Thailand.
Adjectives comparing equal quantities
To compare two things that are equal, we use the pattern:
as + adjective indicating quantity + (noun) + as
The quantity adjective you use depends if the noun in the comparison is countable or uncountable.
Countable nouns
Use as many and as few with countable nouns. Note that the noun may be ommitted when it is understood from the context, as in the last example below.
Examples
They have as many children as we do.
We have as many customers as they do.
Tom has as few books as Jane.
There are as few houses in his village as in mine.
You know as many people as I do.
I have visited the States as many times as he has.
I have three brothers. That's as many as you have. ("brothers" is understood)
Uncountable nouns
Use as much or as little with uncountable nouns. Note that the noun may be ommitted when it is understood from the context, as in the last example below.
Examples
John eats as much food as Peter.
Jim has as little patience as Sam.
You've heard as much news as I have.
He's had as much success as his brother has.
They've got as little water as we have.
I'm not hungry. I've had as much as I want. ("food" is understood.
Adjectives comparing unequal quantities
To compare two things that are unequal, we use the pattern:
adjective indicating quantity + (noun) + than
The quantity adjective you use depends if the noun in the comparison is countable or uncountable.
Countable nouns
Use more and fewer with countable nouns. Note that the noun may be ommitted when it is understood from the context, as in the last example below.
Examples
They have more children than we do.
We have more customers than they do.
Tom has fewer books than Jane.
There are fewer houses in his village than in mine.
You know more people than I do.
I have visited the States more times than he has.
I have three brothers. That's more than you have. ("brothers" is understood)
Uncountable nouns
Use more or less with uncountable nouns. Note that the noun may be omitted when it is understood from the context, as in the last example below.
Examples
John eats more food than Peter.
Jim has less patience than Sam.
You've heard more news than I have.
He's had more success than his brother has.
They've got less water than we have.
I'm not hungry at all. I've had more than I want. ("food" is understood).
Using adverbs in English
Adverbs modify, or tell us more about, other words. Usually adverbs modify verbs, telling us how, how often, when, or where something was done. The adverb is placed after the verb it modifies.
Examples
The bus moved slowly.
The bears ate greedily.
The car drove fast.
Sometimes adverbs modify adjectives, making them stronger or weaker.
Examples
You look absolutely fabulous!
He is slightly overweight.
You are very persistent.
Some types of adverbs can modify other adverbs, changing their degree or precision.
Examples
She played the violin extremely well.
You're speaking too quietly.
Forming adverbs from adjectives
In most cases, an adverb is formed by adding -ly to an adjective
Adjective Adverb
cheap cheaply
quick quickly
slow slowly
If the adjective ends in -y, replace the y with i and add -ly
Adjective Adverb
easy easily
angry angrily
happy happily
lucky luckily
If the adjective ends in -able, -ible, or -le, replace the -e with -y.
Adjective Adverb
probable probably
terrible terribly
gentle gently
If the adjective ends in -ic, add -ally. Exception: public -> publicly
Adjective Adverb
basic basically
tragic tragically
economic economically
Some adverbs have the same form as the adjective: early, fast, hard, high, late, near, straight, & wrong
Examples
It is a fast car.
He drives very fast.
This is a hard exercise.
He works hard.
We saw many high buildings.
The bird flew high in the sky.
Well is the adverb that corresponds to the adjective good.
Examples
He is a good student.
He studies well.
She is a good pianist.
She plays the piano well.
They are good swimmers.
They swim well.
Comparative and superlative adverbs
With adverbs ending in -ly, you must use more to form the comparative, and most to form the superlative.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
quietly more quietly most quietly
slowly more slowly most slowly
seriously more seriously most seriously
Examples
The teacher spoke more slowly to help us to understand.
Could you sing more quietly please?
With short adverbs that do not end in -ly comparative and superlative forms are identical to adjectives: add -er to form the comparative and -est to form the superlative. If the adverb ends in e, remove it before adding the ending.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
hard harder hardest
fast faster fastest
late later latest
Examples
Jim works harder than his brother.
Everyone in the race ran fast, but John ran the fastest of all.
Some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
badly worse worst
far farther/further farthest/furthest
little less least
well better best
Examples
The little boy ran farther than his friends.
You're driving worse today than yesterday !
He played the best of any player.
Adverbs of place
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens. Adverbs of place are usually placed after the main verb or after the clause that they modify. Adverbs of place do not modify adjectives or other adverbs. Some examples of adverbs of place: here, everywhere, outside, away, around
Examples
John looked around but he couldn't see the monkey.
I searched everywhere I could think of.
I'm going back to school.
Come in!
They built a house nearby.
She took the child outside.
Here and there
Here and there are common adverbs of place. They give a location relative to the speaker. With verbs of movement, here means "towards or with the speaker" and there means "away from, or not with the speaker".
Sentence Meaning
Come here! Come towards me.
The table is in here. Come with me; we will go see it together.
Put it there. Put it in a place away from me.
The table is in there. Go in; you can see it by yourself.
Here and there are combined with prepositions to make many common adverbial phrases.
Examples
What are you doing up there?
Come over here and look at what I found!
The baby is hiding down there under the table.
I wonder how my driver's license got stuck under here.
Here and there are placed at the beginning of the sentence in exclamations or when emphasis is needed. They are followed by the verb if the subject is a noun or by a pronoun if the subject is a pronoun.
Examples
Here comes the bus!
There goes the bell!
There it is!
Here they are!
Adverbs of place that are also prepositions
Many adverbs of place can also be used as prepositions. When used as prepositions, they must be followed by a noun.
Word Used as an adverb of place, modifying a verb Used as a preposition
around The marble rolled around in my hand. I am wearing a necklace around my neck.
behind Hurry! You are getting behind. Let's hide behind the shed.
down Mary fell down. John made his way carefully down the cliff.
in We decided to drop in on Jake. I dropped the letter in the mailbox.
off Let's get off at the next stop. The wind blew the flowers off the tree.
on We rode on for several more hours. Please put the books on the table.
over He turned over and went back to sleep. I think I will hang the picture over my bed.
Adverbs of place ending in -where
Adverbs of place that end in -where express the idea of location without specifying a specific location or direction.
Examples
I would like to go somewhere warm for my vacation.
Is there anywhere I can find a perfect plate of spaghetti around here?
I have nowhere to go.
I keep running in to Sally everywhere!
Adverbs of place ending in -wards
Adverbs of place that end in -wards express movement in a particular direction.
Examples
Cats don't usually walk backwards.
The ship sailed westwards.
The balloon drifted upwards.
We will keep walking homewards until we arrive.
Be careful: Towards is a preposition, not an adverb, so it is always followed by a noun or a pronoun.
Examples
He walked towards the car.
She ran towards me.
Adverbs of place expressing both movement & location
Some adverbs of place express both movement & location at the same time.
Examples
The child went indoors.
He lived and worked abroad.
Water always flows downhill.
The wind pushed us sideways.
Adverbs of time
Adverbs of time tell us when an action happened, but also for how long, and how often. Adverbs of time are invariable. They are extremely common in English. Adverbs of time have standard positions in a sentence depending on what the adverb of time is telling us.
Adverbs that tell us when
Adverbs that tell us when are usually placed at the end of the sentence.
Examples
Goldilocks went to the Bears' house yesterday.
I'm going to tidy my room tomorrow.
I saw Sally today.
I will call you later.
I have to leave now.
I saw that movie last year.
Putting an adverb that tells us when at the end of a sentence is a neutral position, but these adverbs can be put in other positions to give a different emphasis. All adverbs that tell us when can be placed at the beginning of the sentence to emphasize the time element. Some can also be put before the main verb in formal writing, while others cannot occupy that position.
Examples
Later Goldilocks ate some porridge. (the time is important)
Goldilocks later ate some porridge. (this is more formal, like a policeman's report)
Goldilocks ate some porridge later. (this is neutral, no particular emphasis)
Adverbs that tell us for how long
Adverbs that tell us for how long are also usually placed at the end of the sentence.
Examples
She stayed in the Bears' house all day.
My mother lived in France for a year.
I have been going to this school since 1996.
In these adverbial phrases that tell us for how long, for is always followed by an expression of duration, while since is always followed by an expression of a point in time.
Examples
I stayed in Switzerland for three days.
I am going on vacation for a week.
I have been riding horses for several years.
The French monarchy lasted for several centuries.
I have not seen you since Monday.
Jim has been working here since 1997.
There has not been a more exciting discovery since last century.
Adverbs that tell us how often
Adverbs that tell us how often express the frequency of an action. They are usually placed before the main verb but after auxiliary verbs (such as be, have, may, & must). The only exception is when the main verb is "to be", in which case the adverb goes after the main verb.
Examples
I often eat vegetarian food.
He never drinks milk.
You must always fasten your seat belt.
I am seldom late.
He rarely lies.
Many adverbs that express frequency can also be placed at either the beginning or the end of the sentence, although some cannot be. When they are placed in these alternate positions, the meaning of the adverb is much stronger.
Adverb that can be used in two positions Stronger position Weaker position
frequently I visit France frequently. I frequently visit France.
generally Generally, I don't like spicy foods. I generally don't like spicy foods.
normally I listen to classical music normally. I normally listen to classical music.
occasionally I go to the opera occasionally. I occasionally go to the opera.
often Often, I jog in the morning. I often jog in the morning.
regularly I come to this museum regularly. I regularly come to this museum.
sometimes I get up very early sometimes. I sometimes get up very early.
usually I enjoy being with children usually. I usually enjoy being with children.
Some other adverbs that tell us how often express the exact number of times an action happens or happened. These adverbs are usually placed at the end of the sentence.
Examples
This magazine is published monthly.
He visits his mother once a week.
I work five days a week.
I saw the movie seven times.
Using "yet"
Yet is used in questions and in negative sentences to indicate that something that has not happened or may not have happened but is expected to happen. It is placed at the end of the sentence or after not.
Examples
Have you finished your work yet? (= simple request for information)
No, not yet. (= simple negative answer)
They haven't met him yet. (= simple negative statement)
Haven't you finished yet? (= expressing surprise)
Using "still"
Still expresses continuity. In positive sentences it is placed before the main verb and after auxiliary verbs such as be, have, might, will. If the main verb is to be, then place still after it rather than before. In questions, still goes before the main verb.
Examples
She is still waiting for you.
Jim might still want some.
Do you still work for the BBC?
Are you still here?
I am still hungry.
Order of adverbs of time
If you need to use more than one adverb of time in a sentence, use them in this order:
1: how long 2: how often 3: when
Examples
1 + 2 : I work (1) for five hours (2) every day
2 + 3 : The magazine was published (2) weekly (3) last year.
1 + 3 : I was abroad (1) for two months (3) last year.
1 + 2 + 3 : She worked in a hospital (1) for two days (2) every week (3) last year.
Adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. They are usually placed either after the main verb or after the object.
Examples
He swims well.
He ran quickly.
She spoke softly.
James coughed loudly to attract her attention.
He plays the flute beautifully. (after the direct object)
He ate the chocolate cake greedily. (after the direct object)
An adverb of manner cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. The adverb must be placed either before the verb or at the end of the clause.
Examples
He ate greedily the chocolate cake. [incorrect]
He ate the chocolate cake greedily. [correct]
He greedily ate the chocolate cake. [correct]
He gave us generously the money. [incorrect]
He gave us the money generously. [correct]
He generously gave us the money. [correct]
If there is a preposition before the verb's object, you can place the adverb of manner either before the preposition or after the object.
Examples
The child ran happily towards his mother.
The child ran towards his mother happily.
Adverbs of manner should always come immediately after verbs which have no object (intransitive verbs).
Examples
The town grew quickly after 1997.
He waited patiently for his mother to arrive.
These common adverbs of manner are almost always placed directly after the verb: well, badly, hard, & fast
Examples
He swam well despite being tired.
The rain fell hard during the storm.
The position of the adverb is important when there is more than one verb in a sentence. If the adverb is placed before or after the main verb, it modifies only that verb. If the adverb is placed after a clause, then it modifies the whole action described by the clause. Notice the difference in meaning between the following sentences.
Example Meaning
She quickly agreed to re-type the letter. the agreement is quick
She agreed quickly to re-type the letter. the agreement is quick
She agreed to re-type the letter quickly. the re-typing is quick
He quietly asked me to leave the house. the request is quiet
He asked me quietly to leave the house. the request is quiet
He asked me to leave the house quietly. the leaving is quiet
Literary usage
Sometimes an adverb of manner is placed before a verb + object to add emphasis.
Examples
He gently woke the sleeping woman.
She angrily slammed the door.
Some writers put an adverb of manner at the beginning of the sentence to catch our attention and make us curious.
Examples
Slowly she picked up the knife.
Roughly he grabbed her arm.
Expressing very strong feelings Expressing strong feelings Expressing somewhat doubtful feelings
extremely, terribly, amazingly, wonderfully, insanely especially, particularly, uncommonly, unusually, remarkably, quite pretty, rather, fairly, not especially, not particularly
The movie was amazingly interesting. The movie was particularly interesting. The movie was fairly interesting.
She sang wonderfully well. She sang unusually well. She sang pretty well.
The lecture was terribly boring. The lecture was quite boring. The lecture was rather boring.
Inversion with negative adverbs
Normally the subject goes before the verb, however, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion when placed at the beginning of the clause. The order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject. This inversion is only used in writing, not in speaking.
Adverb Normal word order Inversion
Never I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.
Rarely She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.
Not only She did not only the cooking but the cleaning as well. Not only did she do the cooking, but the cleaning as well.
Scarcely I scarcely closed the door before he started talking. Scarcely did I close the door before he started talking.
Seldom We seldom cross the river after sunset. Seldom do we cross the river sunset.
Adverbs of certainty
Adverbs of certainty express how certain we feel about an action. Adverbs of certainty go before the main verb unless the main verb is 'to be', in which case the adverb of certainty goes after.
Examples
He definitely left the house this morning.
He surely won't forget.
If there is an auxiliary verb, the adverb of certainty goes between the auxiliary and the main verb.
Examples
He has certainly forgotten the meeting.
Sometimes these adverbs of certainty can be placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Examples
Undoubtedly, Winston Churchill was a great politician.
Certainly, I will be there.
Probably, he has forgotten the meeting.
When the adverb of certainty surely is placed at the beginning of the sentence, it means the speaker thinks something is true, but is looking for confirmation.
Examples
Surely you've got a bicycle.
Surely you're not going to wear that to the party.
Viewpoint and commenting adverbs
There are some adverbs and adverbial expressions which tell us about the speaker's viewpoint or opinion about an action, or make some comment on the action. These adverbs are different from other adverbs because they do not tell us how an action occurred. Commenting and viewpoint adverbs modify entire clauses rather than single verbs, adverbs, or adjectives. There is no real distinction between commenting adverbs and viewpoint adverbs, except in their sentence placement. Many adverbs that can be used as viewpoint adverbs can also be used as commenting adverbs. However, in some cases, an adverb is far more common as one or the other.
Sentence placement
Viewpoint adverbs are placed at the beginning, or more rarely, at the end of the sentence. They are usually separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Commenting adverbs are placed before the main verb unless the verb "to be" is used, in which case placement can be either before or after the verb. In some cases, commenting adverbs placed before the main verb will also be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, although in most cases they will not be. In the examples below, viewpoint and commenting adverbs are shown in the correct sentence placements. When a sentence placement is unusual, stilted, or too formal for spoken language, it is marked with an asterisk.
Viewpoint or commenting adverb At the start of a sentence Before the main verb At the end of a sentence
clearly Clearly, he doesn't know what he is doing. He clearly doesn't know what he is doing. He doesn't know what he is doing, clearly.
obviously Obviously, you are acting silly. You are obviously acting silly You are acting silly, obviously.
personally Personally, I'd rather go by train. I'd personally rather go by train. I'd rather go by train, personally.
presumably Presumably, he didn't have time to go to the post office. He presumably didn't have time to go to the post office. He didn't have time to go to the post office, presumably.
seriously Seriously, I can't give this speech. I seriously can't give this speech. I can't give this speech, seriously.
surely Surely you tried to get here on time. You surely tried to get here on time. You tried to get here on time, surely.
technically Technically, we cannot fly to Mars and back. We technically cannot fly to Mars and back. We cannot fly to Mars and back, technically.
undoubtedly Undoubtedly, he has a good reason not to come. He undoubtedly has a good reason not to come. He has a good reason not to come, undoubtedly.
bravely Bravely, I kept on walking. I bravely kept on walking. *I kept on walking, bravely.
carelessly Carelessly, she threw her book into the pond. She carelessly threw her book into the pond. *She threw her book into the pond, carelessly.
certainly Certainly you should be there. You certainly should be there. / You should certainly be there. You should be there, certainly.
cleverly Cleverly, Sally hid the jellybeans. Sally cleverly hid the jellybeans. *Sally hid the jellybeans, cleverly.
definitely *Definitely, you are smart. You defintely are smart. / You are definitely smart. *You are smart, definitely.
foolishly Foolishly, they cried out. They foolishly cried out. They cried out, foolishly.
generously Generously, he donated the money. He generously donated the money. *He donated the money, generously.
stupidly Stupidly, they played in the street. They stupidly played in the street. *They played in the street, stupidly.
obviously Obviously, we are lost. We are obviously lost. / *We obviously are lost. We are lost, obviously.
kindly Kindly, she fed the cat first. She kindly fed the cat first. She fed the cat first, kindly.
luckily Luckily, you got here on time. You luckily got here on time. You got here on time, luckily.
fortunately Fortunately, we found the boat. We fortunately found the boat. We found the boat, fortunately.
naturally Naturally, you cannot be in the circus now. You naturally cannot be in the circus now. You cannot be in the circus now, naturally.
wisely Wisely, she stayed home to take a nap. She wisely stayed home to take a nap. She stayed home to take a nap, wisely.
confidentially Confidentially, I never gave him the envelope.
I never gave him the envelope, confidentially.
theoretically Theoretically, we could send astronauts to Mars. We could theoretically send astronauts to Mars. /
truthfully Truthfully, I don't like chocolate much. I truthfully don't like chocolate much. I don't like chocolate much, truthfully.
disappointingly Disappointingly, she got fourth place. She disappointingly got fourth place. She got fourth place, disappointingly.
thoughtfully Thoughtfully, I turned away. I thoughtfully turned away. I turned away, thoughtfully.
simply *Simply, I don't want to come. I simply don't want to come.
unbelievably Unbelievably, she showed up late again. She unbelievably showed up late again. She showed up late again, unbelievably.
unfortunately Unfortunately, there is no more room. There is unfortunately no more room. / There unfortunately is no more room.
Relative adverbs
The relative adverbs where, when & why can be used to join sentences or clauses. They replace the more formal structure of preposition + which used to introduce a relative clause.
Formal structure, preposition + which More common stucture using a relative adverb
That's the restaurant in which we met for the first time. That's the restaurant where we met for the first time.
That picture was taken in the park at which I used to play. That picture was taken in the park where I used to play.
I remember the day on which we first met. I remember the day when we first met.
There was a very hot summer the year in which he was born. There was a very hot summer the year when he was born.
Tell me the reason for which you came home late. Tell me (the reason) why you came home late.
Interrogative adverbs
The interrogative adverbs why, where, how, & when are placed at the beginning of a question. These questions can be answered with a sentence or a prepositional phrase. After an interrogative adverb in a question, you must invert the subject and verb so that the verb comes first.
Examples
Why are you so late? There was a lot of traffic.
Where is my passport? In the drawer.
How are you? I'm fine.
When does the train arrive? At 11:15.
Uses of how
How can be used to form questions in four different ways. How can be used by itself to mean "in what way".
Examples
How did you make this sauce?
How do you start the car?
How can I get to your house?
How can be used with adjectives to ask about the degree of an attribute.
Examples
How tall are you?
How old is your house?
How angry is mother?
How can be used with much and many to ask about quantity. Much is used with uncountable nouns and many is used with countable nouns.
Examples
How many people are coming to the party?
How much flour do I need?
How much are these tomatoes?
How can be used with other adverbs to ask about the frequency or degree of an action.
Examples
How quickly can you read this?
How often do you go to London?
How loudly does your brother scream
Mukhlis
- Writer
