第二十一章 形容词

1. 形容词的种类

种类示例
品质形容词:它们表示人或事物的性质或特征,英语中的绝大部分形容词属于此类。bad(坏的), big(大的), cold(冷的), healthy(健康的), small(小的)
颜色形容词:它们用来形容颜色。green(绿的), red(红色的), yellow(黄色的)
类属形容词:此类形容词表示属于哪一类。medical(医学的), political(政治的), rural(乡村的)
强调形容词:这些形容词起强调作用。total(完全的), sheer(十足的)
-ing形容词:这类形容词由现在分词转变而来,一般具有主动的意义。tiring(累人的), pleasing(使人高兴的), interesting(使人感兴趣的)
-ed形容词:大多数-ed形容词都与及物动词有关,由过去分词转变而来,一般具有被动意义。confused(困惑的), excited(激动的), surprised(感到惊讶的)
封装形容词:封装形容词在英语中比较普遍,其大多由关系从句省略简化而来。hard-working(勤劳的), low-lying(低洼的), soft-hearted(心肠软的)

2. 形容词的位置

形容词在英语中一般位于名词之前。当名词由多个形容词修饰时,它们的先后顺序通常依据与名词的贴近程度来决定。与名词语义关系越紧密的形容词应当越靠近名词。如果几个形容词的重要性或贴近度相当,则常见的规律是音节较少的形容词放在前面,音节较多的放在后面。

通常情况下,形容词的排列顺序为:限定词(如冠词/物主代词/指示代词/名词所有格)●一般性意见类形容词●表示大小或长度的形容词●表示形状的形容词●表示年龄或新旧的形容词●表示颜色的形容词●表示国籍、地区或来源的形容词●表示材料或成分的形容词●表示用途或类别的形容词●核心名词,如:a beautiful tiny boxy modern white Japanese silk wedding dress。

以下两种情况还需注意:

  1. something, anything, nothing 等不定代词被形容词修饰时,形容词放在不定代词后面,如:
    - I think there's something wrong with the phone. 我觉得这个电话有问题。
    - Did she tell you anything interesting? 她跟你说过什么有趣的事吗?
    - There is nothing dangerous here. 这儿一点都不危险。
  2. 由两个或两个以上的词组成的形容词词组修饰名词时一般须放在名词之后。
    - This is a book easy to read. 这是一本容易读的书。
    - That's a house expensive to build. 那是一座建造成本很高的房子。

3. 形容词的原级、比较级和最高级

1) 构成规则

绝大多数形容词(多为品质形容词)有三种形式:原级、比较级和最高级,以表示形容词说明的性质在程度上的不同。形容词的比较级和最高级形式是在形容词的原级形式的基础上变化而来的,分为规则变化和不规则变化:

比较级和最高级的构成规则示例
一般来说,单音节的形容词和部分双音节的形容词在词尾加er构成比较级,在词尾加est构成最高级。great(原级), greater(比较级), greatest(最高级)
young, younger, youngest
以e结尾的单音节形容词词尾分别加r和st。wide, wider, widest
large, larger, largest
以重读闭音节结尾的单音节形容词,如果词尾只有一个辅音字母,在加-er和-est之前要双写词尾的辅音字母。big, bigger, biggest
hot, hotter, hottest
当双音节形容词以辅音字母加y结尾时,一般将y变成i再分别加-er和-est。happy, happier, happiest
busy, busier, busiest
部分双音节形容词和所有多音节(三音节或以上)形容词的前面须分别加more和most构成比较级和最高级。modern, more modern, most modern
beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
attractive, more attractive, most attractive
有些形容词的比较级和最高级不规则,需要记忆。bad/ill, worse, worst
good/well, better, best
little, littler/less, littlest/least
many/much, more, most
old, older/elder, oldest/eldest
far, farther/further, farthest/furthest

2) 形容词的原级、比较级和最高级的具体运用

用法示例
原级:形容词的原级可与as...as连用表示"和......同样.....",与not as/so...as连用表示"不如......那样..."。You are as sweet as sugar. 你甜如蜜。
I'm not as tall as him. 我没有他那么高。
Some motels are not as comfortable as a good hotel. 有些汽车旅馆不如好酒店舒适。
比较级:用于两个人或事物的比较。其结构形式为:主语+谓语(系动词)+形容词比较级+than+对比成分。也就是,含有形容词比较级的主句+than+从句。注意从句常常省去意义上和主句相同的部分,而只剩下对比的成分。
★一个事物的逐渐增长或减少用两个由and连接的比较级表示。
★我们使用"the+比较级"这个结构来表达一个事物的变化对应地伴随着另一事物的变化。
Our teacher is taller than we are. 我们老师的个子比我们的高。
It is much warmer today than it was yesterday. 今天的天气比昨天暖和很多。
The other teams played better than us. 其他球队比我们打得更好。
The weather is getting colder and colder. 天气越来越冷了。
The longer people have to wait, the more impatient they get. 人们等待的时间越长,他们就越不耐烦。
最高级:三个或三个以上的人或物进行比较时,以the+最高级的方式来表达。This is the oldest theatre in London. 这是伦敦最古老的剧院。
Of all Saturn's moons, Titan is the largest. 在土星的所有卫星中,土卫六是最大的。
This is the most spacious room in the house. 这是这所房子里最宽敞的房间。

4. 练习

单选:选择最合适的答案。

  1. A:How is the weather today?
    B:It's \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
    A. hot and sun B. cold and wind C. warm and sunny D. snow and windy
  2. I'm as tall as Jimmy although he's \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ than me.
    A. old B. older C. oldest D. young
  3. Although Mary is a new teacher, she knows \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ student in her class.
    A. either B. all C. every D. none
  4. A little wine will not be \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ to your health. Just don't drink too much.
    A. helpful B. helpless C. harmful D. harmless
  5. Air pollution has become \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ than ever before.
    A. serious B. more serious C. most serious D. the most serious
  6. The Great Wall of China is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ wall in the world.
    A. long B. longer C. longest D. the longest
  7. A: Which is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, the sun, the moon or the earth?
    B: Of course the moon is.
    A. small B. smaller C. smallest D. the smallest
  8. Ten years ago the population of our village was \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ that of theirs.
    A. as twice large as B. twice as large as C. twice as much as D. as twice much as
  9. Of the two sisters, Betty is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ one, and she is also the one who loves to be quiet.
    A. a younger B. a youngest C. the younger D. the youngest
  10. Can we do our work better with \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ money and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ people?
    A. lesser, few B. less, fewer C. little, less D. few, less

注:此处仅保留部分代表性练习,完整练习请参考纸质版或后续版本。