UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CHIMBORAZO

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIN HUMANAS

Y TECNOLOGAS
ENGLISH MAJOR

GRAMMAR V
THEME:
USEFUL ADJECTIVES BIG, LARGE, GREAT
GROUP MEMBER:
Erika Arguello
Mario Salazar
Shirley Vsquez

WHAT IS AN ADJECTIVE?

An adjective is a word that defines, qualifies or

modifies the meaning of a noun, or more rarely of a
pronoun.
There are two main categories of adjectives:
a) Determining adjectives.
b) Descriptive adjectives.

BIG,
LARGE,
GREAT

BIG, LARGE, GREAT

ARE FREQUENTLY USED WITH THE
FOLLOWING NOUNS

Big:

man/house/car/boy/dog/smile/
problem/surprise/question/difference.
Large:
numbers/part/area/room/
company/eyes/family/volume/
population/problem
Great:
success/majority/interest/
importance/difficulty/problem/
pleasure/beauty/artist/surprise

Forms of use
Example
Size/Measure
The city has a big stadium
informal (number: high) What's the biggest number you can think of?
BIG: ADJECTIVE

informal
(important, My upbringing had a big influence on the way I view
major)
poverty.
informal (loud)
The engine exploded with a big bang and a cloud of
smoke.
informal (sibling: older) My big sister's always mean to me.
(intense)

I get a big thrill watching live football.

informal (adult, grown) The boy wants to be a fireman when he is big.

figurative, informal
(pretentious)

He's too big to associate with normal people.

informal, ironic
(generous)
informal (tall)
informal (boastful)

You've forgiven me? Well, that's very big of you.

Your little brother's getting really big!
He's full of big claims about what he intends to do.

MORE EXAMPLES WITH BIG

That is a big house:
That is a big elephant.
You have to think where you will study next
semester that is a big decision.
Big girls do not cry.
Disco music was big in the 1970s.
Anthony is big Eminem fan.
Tommy is a big gambler.
Faustuss big brother is at university.

Avengers were a big blockbuster.

He is a big shopper.
He was a short man with great big glasses.
The whole story is just a big fat lie.
This house is rather big for us. We need something
smaller.
This is a fairly big decision to make.
We were hoping the show would be a really big success

LARGE: ADJECTIVE

Large is more formal than big and

should be used in writing unless it
is in an informal style. It is not
usually used to describe people,
except to avoid saying fat.

Forms of Use
big in size or
quantity
shirt size
wide in range
and involving
many things
exaggeratedly
large-scale

Examples
A large
area/family/house/car/appetite.
A large number of people.
I usually wear a large.
A large and complex issue.
Some drugs are being used on a much
larger scale than previously.
He likes to talk large, but I think he
exaggerates.
This is a very large project,
which will affect hundreds of
people.

EXTRA EXAMPLES OF THE

ADJECTIVE LARGE
By this time his debt had become extremely
large.
His eyes were abnormally large.
Isnt that jumper rather large?
Our house was not overly large.
Some of the clothes looked very large.
The issue looms large in political campaigns
nationwide.
The plant had grown quite large.
The universe is infinitely large.

The increasingly large numbers of senior citizens.

Brazil is the worlds largest producer of coffee.
I grew up in a large family.

GREAT ADJECTIVE
is used mostly with abstract nouns - things you cannot
see, touch etc.
EXAMPLES:
It was a great mistake.
I have great respect for her ideas.

FORMS OF USE
LARGE
1) MUCH MORE THAN AVERAGE IN DEGREE OR QUANTITY.
EXAMPLES:
The concert had been a great success.
Her death was a great shock to us all.
2)[USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] VERY LARGE; MUCH BIGGER THAN AVERAGE IN
SIZE OR QUANTITY.
EXAMPLES:
People were arriving in great numbers.
The great majority of (= most) people seem to agree with this view.
3) ONLY BEFORE NOUN] (INFORMAL) USED TO EMPHASIZE AN ADJECTIVE OF
SIZE OR QUALITY.
EXAMPLES:
There was a great big pile of books on the table.
We are all to a great extent the products of our culture.

ADMIRED
4)EXTREMELY GOOD IN ABILITY OR QUALITY
AND THEREFORE ADMIRED BY MANY PEOPLE
EXAMPLES:
He has been described as the world's greatest violinist.
Sherlock Holmes, the great detective
GOOD
(INFORMAL) VERY GOOD OR PLEASANT
It's great to see you again.
What a great goal!
We had a great time in Madrid.

IMPORTANT/IMPRESSIVE
[ONLY BEFORE NOUN] IMPORTANT AND
IMPRESSIVE
Examples:
The wedding was a great occasion.
As the great day approached, she grew more and more
nervous.
WITH INFLUENCE
HAVING HIGH STATUS OR A LOT OF INFLUENCE
Examples:
We can make this country great again.
Alexander the Great

IN GOOD HEALTH
IN A VERY GOOD STATE OF PHYSICAL OR MENTAL
HEALTH.
EXAMPLES:
She seemed in great spirits (= very cheerful).
I feel great today.
I dont feel too great. Everyone's in great form.
SKILLED
[NOT USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] GREAT AT (DOING)
SOMETHING (INFORMAL) ABLE TO DO SOMETHING
WELL
EXAMPLE:
She's great at chess.

USEFUL
GREAT FOR (DOING) SOMETHING (INFORMAL)
VERY SUITABLE OR USEFUL FOR SOMETHING
Examples:
This gadget's great for opening jars.
Try this creamit's great for spots.
FOR EMPHASIS
[ONLY BEFORE NOUN] USED WHEN YOU ARE
EMPHASIZING A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION
OF SOMEBODY/SOMETHING
Examples:
We are great friends.
I am a great admirer of your work.

ACTIVITY
Complete the following sentences with the
correct adjective.
1)There is a nice house with a big garden.
A) great
B) large
C) Big
2) Albert Eintsein was a great physicist.
a) Large
b) great
c)big

3) You have got rather

a) large
b) great
c)big
4) His work shows
a)big
b)large
c) great
5) He is making a
a)great
b)big
c) large

large

great

big

feet.

intelligence.

mistake.

6) Can you see the big trees behind the

lake?
a)big
b)large
c) great
7) My grandfather lived to a great age.
a)large
b)great
c)Big
8) The universe is infinitely large .
a)great
b)big
c) large

9) I have great respect for her ideas.

a)great
b)big
c) large
10) Do you think Winston Churchill was really
a
man?
great
a) large
b) great
c)big
11) I grew up in a large family.
a)big
b)large
c) great