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3. Forming Adjectives

There are various ways to form adjectives from nouns and verbs as follow:

Add '–al': music=musical; nation=national; person=personal.

Add '–ful': care=careful; doubt=doubtful; peace=peaceful.

Add '–ic': acrobat=acrobatic; artist=artistic; photograph=photographic.

Add '–ive': attract*=attractive; effect=effective; act*=active; instruct*=instructive; progress=progressive.

Add '–ous': mountain=mountainous; danger=dangerous.

Add '–y': greed=greedy; oil=oily

Change 'y' to 'i' and add '–ful': beauty=beautiful; pity=pitiful.

Change 'y' to 'i' and add '–ous': mystery=mysterious; glory=glorious.

Drop 'e' and add 'y': anger=angry; ease=easy; ice=icy.

Drop 'e' and add 'al': nature=natural; agriculture=agricultural.

* Verb

 

LIST 2 shows how adjectives are formed from nouns, adjectives and verbs.