Business English at Work 2003 Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Adjectives
Adjective
An adjective is a word that modifies (describes) a noun or a pronoun. Several adjectives often appear in one sentence. More than one adjective may describe the same noun or pronoun.

Business English at Work

PP 12-2a

Adjectives
continued

Adjective

An adjective answers these questions:

What kind? green, old, round, strong Which one? this, that, these, those How many? two, few, 300, two-thirds, all, some Whose? hers, Marias, companies
Business English at Work PP 12-2b

Adjectives
Limiting Adjectives
Indicate how many. May be numbers or words. We must wait six weeks for the new chairs. Lisa charges a $200 consulting fee.

Business English at Work

PP 12-3

Adjectives
Descriptive Adjectives Before Nouns
Answer the question What kind? Usually precede nouns or follow linking verbs. Are placed as closely as possible to the noun or pronoun they modify.
We request sealed bids for the workstation estimates. Back disorders may result from poor posture.
Business English at Work PP 12-4

Adjectives
Descriptive Adjectives After Linking Verbs
Modify nouns or pronouns used as subjects. Act as complements (predicate adjectives).
Proper office lighting is important. The noise in this office seems excessive.

Business English at Work

PP 12-5

Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive pronouns such as my, her, his, your, its, our function as adjectives. Modify a noun or a pronoun. Answer the question whose?
You should use a keyboard that meets your needs. He liked his chair at work so much that he bought one for his home office. Richards degree is in marketing.
Business English at Work PP 12-6

Adjectives
Proper Adjectives
Proper adjectives are proper nouns or words derived from proper nouns that function as adjectives. They answer the question which?
Capitalize most proper adjectives as you would proper nouns. We selected the Italian desk lamps. Do not capitalize proper adjectives when they lose their connections with the proper nouns from which they were derived. Shelly recommends a light blue venetian blind.
Business English at Work PP 12-7

Adjectives
Demonstrative Adjectives
The four demonstrative adjectives that modify nouns are this, that, these, those. These adjectives answer the question which one? or which ones? Use this or that with singular nouns. Use these and those with plural nouns.

Business English at Work

PP 12-8a

Adjectives
continued

Demonstrative Adjectives

Examples
We recommend this computer monitor for employees with vision problems. We will have difficulty complying with that safety regulation. Many of these injuries are unnecessary. Are you sure those keyboards reduce wrist discomfort?

Business English at Work

PP 12-8b

Adjectives
Compound AdjectivesHyphenated Before and After Nouns
Some compound adjective combinations use hyphens when appearing before or after nouns or in other locations in a sentence.
This work-related injury could have been prevented. This office was described to me as fast-paced.

Business English at Work

PP 12-11

Adjectives
Compound AdjectivesHyphenated Only Before Nouns
Some compound adjective combinations use a hyphen when appearing before a noun. This well-known furniture company is the one we selected. When these combinations appear in other locations in a sentence, they do not require hyphens. We selected this furniture company because it is well known.
Business English at Work PP 12-12

Adjectives
Common Compound Adjectives
Do not use a hyphen when an adjective plus a noun combination is widely recognized as a concept or institution.
Our real estate agent recommended moving to a new location. Most of our positions require more than a high school education. To avoid wrist injury, learn the keystroke combinations for your word processing program.
Business English at Work PP 12-13

Adjectives
Nouns with Numbers
Use a hyphen to connect a number (words or figures) and a noun to form a compound adjective before a noun.
A 4-foot workstation A 15-pound object

Do not use a hyphen when the expression consisting of a number and noun follows the noun.
A workstation that is 4 feet An object that is 15 pounds
Business English at Work PP 12-14

Adjectives
Numerical Compound Adjectives
Use hyphens in the numbers between 21 and 99 when the numbers are written as words.
Eighty-two out of one hundred adults will suffer back problems at some point in their lives. Our note to the bank is for $35,533 (Thirty-five thousand five hundred thirty-three dollars).

Business English at Work

PP 12-15

Adjectives
Series of Compound Adjectives
Use a hyphen in a series of compound adjectives even though the base noun does not follow each adjective.
Are you able to lift 15-, 20-, or 30-pound objects? We had an opportunity to choose 4-, 6-, or 8-foot workstations.

Business English at Work

PP 12-16

Adjectives
Self Words
Use a hyphen when self is connected to another word to form a compound adjective.
self-confidence self-reliant self-fulfilling self-worth

Business English at Work

PP 12-17

Adjectives
Fewer/Less
Use fewer with plural nouns that can be counted. Use less with singular nouns that refer to degree or amount or to things that cannot be counted.
Using computer function keys causes fewer hand injuries. Simple ergonomic changes cost less money to implement than you might imagine. Treehorn Books had fewer complaints after lowering the bookshelves.
Business English at Work PP 12-29