Page 56 - DENG103_English - I

Unit 5: Parts of Speech: Adjective and Preposition

It would be folly, of course, to run more than two or three (at the most) adjectives together. Notes
Furthermore, when adjectives belong to the same class, they become what we call coordinated
adjectives, and you will want to put a comma between them: the inexpensive, comfortable
shoes. The rule for inserting the comma works this way: if you could have inserted a conjunction—
and or but—between the two adjectives, use a comma. We could say these are “inexpensive
but comfortable shoes,” so we would use a comma between them (when the “but” isn’t there).
When you have three coordinated adjectives, separate them all with commas, but don’t insert
a comma between the last adjective and the noun (in spite of the temptation to do so because
you often pause there):
a popular, respected, and good looking student

5.3 Capitalizing Proper Adjectives

When an adjective owes its origins to a proper noun, it should probably be capitalized. Thus
we write about Christian music, French fries, the English Parliament, the Ming Dynasty, a
Faulknerian style, Jeffersonian democracy. Some periods of time have taken on the status of
proper adjectives: the Nixon era, a Renaissance/Romantic/Victorian poet (but a contemporary
novelist and medieval writer). Directional and seasonal adjectives are not capitalized unless
they’re part of a title:
We took the northwest route during the spring thaw. We stayed there until the town’s annual
Fall Festival of Small Appliances.

Collective Adjectives

When the definite article, the, is combined with an adjective describing a class or group of people,
the resulting phrase can act as a noun: the poor, the rich, the oppressed, the homeless, the lonely,
the unlettered, the unwashed, the gathered, the dear departed. The difference between a Collective
Noun (which is usually regarded as singular but which can be plural in certain contexts) and a
collective adjective is that the latter is always plural and requires a plural verb:
• The rural poor have been ignored by the media.

• The rich of Connecticut are responsible.
• The elderly are beginning to demand their rights.
• The young at heart are always a joy to be around.

Adjectival Opposites

The opposite or the negative aspect of an adjective can be formed in a number of ways. One
way, of course, is to find an adjective to mean the opposite—an antonym. The opposite of beautiful is
ugly, the opposite of tall is short. A thesaurus can help you find an appropriate opposite.
Another way to form the opposite of an adjective is with a number of prefixes.
The opposite of fortunate is unfortunate, the opposite of prudent is imprudent, the opposite
of considerate is inconsiderate, the opposite of honorable is dishonorable, the opposite
of alcoholic is nonalcoholic, the opposite of being properly filed is misfiled. If you are not sure
of the spelling of adjectives modified in this way by prefixes (or which is the appropriate
prefix), you will have to consult a dictionary, as the rules for the selection of a prefix are
complex and too shifty to be trusted. The meaning itself can be tricky; for instance, flammable
and inflammable mean the same thing.

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