I. 定義
形容詞是指描述或修飾句子中某一人、事、物的字。
· the handsome doctor
· the lugubrious lieutenant
· a solid commitment
· a year's pay
· a five-year-old girl
· the unhappiest, richest virgin
如果有一組包含一個主詞和動詞的字當做形容詞用，那麼它被稱為形容詞子句 (Adjective Clause)：My cousin, who is much younger than I am, is an attorney. 如果一個形容詞子句被拿掉主詞和動詞，那麼剩下的修飾語就變成形容詞片語 (Adjective Phrase)：He is the man who is keeping my family in the poorhouse.
II. 形容詞的位置
形容詞幾乎都是緊接出現在他們所修飾的名詞或名詞片語之前。有時它們以一串形容詞的型態出現，若是這種情況，它們根據類別以一定的順序來排列。當不定代名詞 -- 如 something, someone, anybody -- 被形容詞修飾時，形容詞位在代名詞的後面：
a. Anyone capable of doing something horrible to someone nice should be punished.
b. There’s something interesting on the front page.
c. There is nothing wrong with her question.
d. Everything at school was new to the little boy.
e. Someone in a big jacket just came to look for you.
某些形容詞與某些字結合時永遠是後置詞 (postpositive -- 位在它們所修飾的字之後)：
The president elect, heir apparent to the Glitzy fortune, lives in New York proper.
III. 形容詞的等級
形容詞可以表達修飾的等級：
Mary is a rich woman, but Elisa is richer than Mary, and Annie’s the richest woman in town.
這三個比較等級被稱為原級 (positive)、比較級 (comparative) 與最高級 (superlative)。我們使用比較級來比較兩個事物，最高級來比較三個或三個以上的事物。注意：比較級通常有 than 這個字，而最高級的前面必須加 the (或 所有格)。字尾加 -er 和 -est 已足以構成大部分的比較級和最高級，但當一個兩音節的形容詞的最後一個字母是 y 時，我們必須去掉 y，加 -ier 和 -iest (happier and happiest)；再者，當一個形容詞具有超過兩個的音節時，我們必須使用 more 和 most。
rich - richer - richest
lovely - lovelier - loveliest
beautiful - more beautiful - most beautiful
某些形容詞的比較級與最高級為不規則型態
good - better - best
bad - worse - worst
little - less - least
much, many, some - more - most
far - further - furthest
注意：已經表達比較的極限的形容詞沒有比較級或最高級 -- 如 unique -- 不過，大多數形容詞都有比較級。此外，我們也要注意不要將 more 跟由 -er 所構成的比較級形容詞用在一起，也不要將 most 跟由 -est 所構成的最高級形容詞用在一起 (例如，不可寫成 "something is more heavier or most heaviest.")。
【比較級句型】
‧ He is taller than I.
‧ Tom is more diligent than his brother.
‧ New York is a much bigger city than Taipei.
‧ New York has more people than Taipei.
‧ He is the taller of the two.
‧ John is the stronger of the two.
‧ In the winter, the days get shorter and shorter.
‧ The girls began to feel more and more nervous.
‧ The lecture became less and less interesting.
‧ The younger you are, the easier it is to learn.
‧ The more we get, the more we want.
【最高級句型】
‧ Annie is the smartest student in her class.
‧ This hotel is the most expensive hotel in town.
‧ He is the tallest among the boys.
‧ Elisa is the oldest of the three women.
‧ Jonathan is my youngest brother.
‧ The film was most interesting.
‧ Bob said that he would most willingly marry Nina.
IV. as -- as 結構被用來產生表示相等的比較關係：
She is as foolish as she is large.
He is as strong as his father.
"Taller than I / me"?
當我們以 "than" 做比較時，這個字後面是要接主詞型態還是受詞型態? "taller than I/she" 或 "taller than me/her"? 正確的答案是"taller than I/she"。這是 "He is taller than I am/she is tall." 的減化，第二個子句的動詞 "am" 或 "is" 被省略了。
V. 專有形容詞的大寫
當一個形容詞的起源是個專有名詞時，它可能必須大寫。因此，我們寫成Christian music, French fries, the English Parliament, the Ming Dynasty, Jeffersonian democracy。若干時期已具有專有形容詞的地位：the Nixon era, a Renaissance/Romantic/Victorian poet (但 a contemporary novelist 和 medieval writer)。方向和季節形容詞不大寫，除非它們是名稱或標題的一部份：
They took the northwest route during the spring thaw. They stayed there until the town's annual Fall Festival of Small Appliances.
VI. 集合形容詞
當定冠詞 the 與一個敘述一群人的形容詞結合時，這個片語可做為名詞：the poor, the rich, the oppressed, the homeless, the lonely, the unlettered, the unwashed, the gathered, the dear departed。集合名詞 (通常為單數，但在某些上下文中可為複數) 與集合形容詞之間的差別在於後者永遠是複數，因此需要複數動詞：
blind ; deaf ; elderly ; old ; poor
rich ; sick ; young ; wounded
· The rural poor have been ignored by the government.
· 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.
· The wounded are taken care of at this hospital.
VII. 形容詞的反義字
一個形容詞的負面或反義字可用若干方法來組成。方法之一是找出一個意思相反的形容詞，也就是一般所謂的反義字 (antonym)。handsome 的反義字是 ugly，fat 的反義字是 thin。另一個構成形容詞反義字的方法是加字首(prefix)。fortunate 的反義字是 unfortunate，prudent 的反義字是 imprudent，considerate 的反義字是 inconsiderate，honorable 的反義字是 dishonorable，alcoholic 的反義字是 nonalcoholic。第三個產生形容詞反義字的方法是將形容詞與 less 或 least 結合來產生一項意思相反的比較。我們說 "This is the least beautiful city in the state." 總比說 "This is the ugliest city in the state." 溫和多了。這種結構不宜跟已經是表示負面意思的形容詞一起使用："He is less unlucky than his brother."。對於兩件事物或兩個人的比較，使用比較級的 less，若是多件事物或多個人的比較，則使用最高級的 least。
· My brother is less patient than my sister.
· Mary is less tall than John.
· This group is the least likely of the four to win.
· Of all the new sitcoms, this is my least favorite show.
VIII. 形容詞的其他考量
分詞型態 (以 -ing 和 -ed 做字尾的動詞型態) 的形容詞對一些學生來說可能非常麻煩。a frightened child 和 a frightening child 是完全不同的兩碼事：一個是受驚的小孩，一個是令人吃驚的小孩。一般而言，字尾為 -ed 的形容詞意謂名詞與某事物有一種被動的關係，例如：課程內容使你困惑不解，所以 you are confused。字尾為 -ing 的形容詞意謂名詞扮演一個比較主動的角色 -- 你語無倫次，顛三倒四，所以 you are confusing (to others, including your professor)。
IX. 字尾為 -ed 的修飾語後面常常接介系詞，例如：
· We were amazed at all the circus animals.
· We were amused by the clowns.
· We were annoyed by the elephants.
· We were bored by the ringmaster.
· We were confused by the noise.
· We were disappointed by the motorcycle daredevils.
· We were disappointed in their performance.
· We were embarrassed by my brother.
· We were exhausted from all the excitement.
· We were excited by the lion-tamer.
· We were excited about the high-wire act, too.
· We were frightened by the lions.
· We were introduced to the ringmaster.
· We were interested in the tent.
· We were irritated by the heat.
· We were opposed to leaving early.
· We were satisfied with the circus.
· We were shocked at the level of noise under the big tent.
· We were surprised by the fans' response.
· We were surprised at their indifference.
· We were tired of all the lights after a while.
· We were worried about the traffic leaving the parking lot.
X. a-形容詞
最常見的所謂 a-形容詞是 ablaze, afloat, afraid, aghast, alert, alike, alive, alone, aloof, ashamed, asleep, averse, awake, aware。這些形容詞大多以述語的型態出現 (亦即，它們位在連綴動詞的後面)。
· The girls were ashamed.
· The spinster remained aloof.
· The woods were ablaze.
· I'm not averse to (= I like) the occasional glass of champagne myself.
· I'm not feeling very alert today - not enough sleep last night!
· I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
· He managed to keep/stay afloat by holding on to the side of the boat.
然而，有時你會發現 a-形容詞出現在它們所修飾的字的前面：the alert dog, the aloof physician。當 a-形容詞出現在它們所修飾的字的前面時，它們本身常常被其他字所修飾：the nearly awake student, the terribly alone scholar。此外，a-形容詞有時被 "very much" 所修飾：very much afraid, very much alone, very much ashamed 等等。
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