Language/English/Grammar/Formation-of-Adjectives
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Formation of Adjectives in English
Many adjectives do not have prefixes or suffixes.
E.g.
• good, tall, fat, wide, simple, gaunt. However, adjectives may be formed by adding prefixes (before a word) or suffixes (after a word).
E.g.
• illegal, insensitive, rusty, childish, merciless, enjoyable. Usually adjectives are formed by adding suffixes to nouns.
E.g.
• baggy, hairy, hairless, burdensome, quarrelsome, beautiful.
Sometimes, adjectives may be formed by adding suffixes to verbs.
E.g.
• attractive, washable, expectant, complimentary, boring, disappointed. When a negative prefix such as un, il, dis, in, im or ir is added to an adjective, it creates an opposite or negative meaning.
E.g.
• unnatural, illogical, dishonest, infamous, immoral, irreverent