F. Adjectives, Adverbs and Adverbials

F1. Still, yet, already

a. We use 'still' to show that something continues up to a time in the past present or future. It goes in front of the main verb. (e.g. The children still enjoyed playing games. They are still living next door. We will still be on holiday.)
1. or after the present simple or the past simple of be:. (e.g. Her grandfather is still alive. They were still unhappy.)
2. Still is also possible in negative sentences (before the negative)

b. We use 'yet' mainly in negative sentence and questions, usually with perfective aspect, to show that something has not happened by a particular time. 'yet' comes at the end of the sentence. (e.g. It was late, but they hadn’t arrived yet. Have you fixed the car yet? She won’t have sent the email yet.) yet = until now.
1. We often use Yet with the present perfect. (Have you met ~ yet?)
2. 'She hasn't come yet'. But 'still ~ not' shows a stronger feeling of surprise or importance.

c. We use 'already' to show that something has happened sooner than it was expected to happen. It comes before the main verb. (e.g. The car is OK. I’ve already fixed it. It was early but they were already sleeping.)
1. or after the present simple or past simple of the verb be. (e.g. It was early but we were already tired. We are already late.)

F2. Any more/ any longer/ no longer, even

a. Any more/ any longer/ no longer to say that a situation has changed. Any more and any longer go at the end of a sentence. (e.g. We used to be good friends, but we aren't any more (or any longer))
1. No longer goes in the middle of the sentence. (BK no longer works here.)

b. Very often we use Even with the verb in the middle of a sentence. (e.g. We are very rich. We even have our own private jet. Julie is very fit. She's just run five miles and she's not even out of breath.)
1. can use Even + comparative (cheaper/ more expensive etc.) (e.g. I got up very early, but Ann got up even earlier.)
2. Even though/ even when/ even if + subject + verb (e.g. He never shouts, even when he's angry.)
3. can not use even (+ subject + verb) (e.g. Even though she can't drive, she has bought a car. (not Even she can't drive)

F3. Adjectives and Adverbs: quick/ quickly

a. Adverbs are formed from an Adjective + ly: quick/ serious/ careful/ quiet/ heavy/ bad
1. Some adjectives end in ~ly: friendly/ lively/ elderly/ silly/ lovely

b. Adjectives tell us about a noun, use adjectives before nouns: Jon is a careful driver
1. Adverbs tell us about a verb: Jon drove carefully along the narrow road.
2. use adjectives after some verbs, especially be, and also look/ feel/ sound etc. (e.g. I feel happy, The children were playing happily)

c. use adverbs before adjectives and other adverbs. (e.g. reasonably cheap, incredibly quickly)
1. use an adverb before a past participle (injured/ organised/ written etc.) seriously injured, badly organised.

 

F4. Adjectives and adverbs: well/ fast/ late, hard/hardly

a. Good is an adjective. The adverb is well
1. use well (not good) with past participles (dressed/ known etc.): well-dressed, well-educated
2. well is also an adjective with the meaning 'in good health'

b. fast/hard/late are both adjectives and adverbs (e.g. Jay is a hard worker. Jay works hard. (not works hardly)
1. Lately = recently (e.g. have you seen BK lately?)

c. Hardly + very little, almost not. (e.g. We've only met once or twice. We hardly know each other)
1. can use hardly + any/ anybody/ anyone/ anything/ anywhere (e.g. How much money have you got? Hardly any. (very little, almost none)
2. I can hardly do something = it's very difficult for me, almost impossible.
3. Hardly ever = almost never
4. Hardly also means 'certainly not'

F5. So and such

a. use so + adjective/adverb (e.g. so quick, so quickly) and use such + noun (e.g. such a book, such people)

b. So and such make the meaning of an adjective (or adverb) stronger (e.g. We had such a good time)
1. use so and such with the meaning ""like this"" (e.g. I didn't realise it was such an old house.)
2. so long vs. such a long time; so far vs. such a long way; so much, so many vs. such a lot (of)

F6. Enough and too

a. Enough goes after adjectives and adverbs (e.g. Let's go. We've waited long enough)
1. too~: more than is necessary, not ~ enough: less than is necessary

b. enough normally goes before nouns. (e.g. enough money)
1. We didn't have enough time (not the time wasn't enough), There is enough money (not the money is enough)

c. say enough/too ~ for somebody/ something (e.g. This house is too big for us.)
1. But say enough/ too ~ to do something (not for doing) (e.g. They're too young to get married.

d. The food was very hot. We couldn't eat it = The food was so hot that we couldn't eat it = The food was too hot to eat. (without it)

F7. Quite, pretty, rather and fairly

a. use quick/ pretty/ rather/ fairly + adjective or adverbs (e.g. It's fairly cold)
1. Quite/ pretty/ rather / fairly = less than very but more than a little

b. Pretty is an informal word and is used mainly in spoken English
1. Quite goes before a/an (e.g. Ann has quite a good job. Vs. Ann has a pretty good job.)
2. quite a/an + noun (without an adjective) It was a quite a surprise (= quite a big surprise)
3. quite a lot of ~ (e.g. There were quite a lot of people at the meeting)
4. quite + verb, especially like and enjoy (e.g. I quite like golf, but it's not my favourite sport)

c. Rather is similar to quite and pretty. Often use rather for negative ideas.
1. use rather for positive ideas (good/ nice etc.), it means 'unusually' or 'surprisingly'

d. Fairly is weaker than quite/ rather/ pretty

e. quite also means 'completely' (e.g. Are you sure? Yes, quite sure (=completely sure)
1. Quite means completely with adjectives: sure, certain, right, wrong, true, safe, clear, obvious, different, unnecessary, incredible, extraordinary, amazing, impossible
2. use quite (= completely) with some verbs (e.g. I quite agree with you. (= I completely agree)

f. Not quite = not completely

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