Adjectives: Modifiers to Adjectives

On this page:
Number-Noun & Adverb Modifiers
Tall-High Modifiers
Long-Wide Modifiers
Dimension Modifier Exceptions
Modifiers for Colors
Common Mistakes
Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3

Modifiers to Adjectives

Indicating how much or to what degree

Number-Noun & Adverb Modifiers

MEASUREMENT MOFIERS
A specified amount can be used to modify another adjective. The measurements are plural.
SUBJECT - VERB	NUMBER-NOUN	ADJECTIVE
The bridge towers are	746 feet / 227 meters	tall.
The roadway is	500 feet / 152 meters	high.
The bridge	8,981 feet / 2,737 meters	long.
The roadway is	90 feet / 27 meters	wide.
The water below is	242 feet / 74 meters	deep.

DEGREE ADVERBS
An adverb can be used to modify the degree or extent of an adjective.
SUBJECT - VERB	ADVERB	ADJECTIVE
The bridge towers are	very / rather/ pretty	tall.
The roadway is	so / moderately	high.
The bridge is	pretty / quite	long.
The roadway is	fairly / adequately	wide.
The water below is	quite / extremely	deep.

With most other adjectives (e.g., shallow, large, big, small, little) specified amounts are not used.
So, very, rather, pretty, quite – emphasize the adjective; fairly, moderately, somewhat – de-emphasize (lessen) the adjective. See Adverbs of degree.

Adjective Modifiers

Measurements Tall — High

Modifiers to Tall and High

TALL
Tall – measuring a long distance from the ground to the top.
PEOPLE
This man is 170 centimeters tall.
OBJECTS
This is a tall window.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
This is a tall rock formation. Used with formations that have a baseline: monoliths such as Half Dome, Meteora, Ayers Rock or Cathedral Rock)
OTHER USES AND EXPRESSIONS
I'd like a tall glass (drinking) of water. A Sequoia is a tall tree. He told a tall tale. (unbelievable) Mr. Lincoln wore a tall hat.

HIGH
High – having great extent or reach upward; suspended above
PEOPLE
This man is forty-feet high in the air.
OBJECTS
This is a high window.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
This is a high mountain. Used with mountains without a well-defined baseline.
OTHER USES AND EXPRESSIONS
We built a high fence / wail. The water level is high today. Our tax rates are high. The stock market is high.

Adjective Modifiers

Measurements Long — Wide

Modifiers to Long and Wide

LONG
Long – reaching or extending horizontally (linear)
PEOPLE (BABIES)
The baby is twenty-five inches long.
OBJECTS
There is a long window in my office. (Long in shape, but also "a high window, a wide window")
RIVERS
The Chicago river is 156 miles long.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
This is a long mountain chain. ( a series of mountains that stretch a long distance on a continent)
FURNITURE
The dining table is 100 centimeters long. long bed, table (dimension)

WIDE
Wide – having considerable or great extent from side to side
PEOPLE
— (rude!)
OBJECTS
My office window is five-feet wide
RIVERS
The Amazon is202 miles wide.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
The Grand Canyon ranges from four to eighteen miles wide.
FURNITURE
The side table is 65 centimers wide. wide bed, table (dimension)

Dimension Adjectives

Exceptions

Adjectives that do not take number modifiers

MODIFIER SPECIFIES DIMIENSION
The modifiers below are used with number modifiers to measure the dimensions of something.
DEEP	The river is deep. The river is twelve-feet deep.
HIGH	The wall is rather high. The wall is four-meters high.
TALL	Jack is tall. Jack is 178 centimeters tall.
LONG	The pool is long. The pool is fifty-meters long.
WIDE	The pool is wide. The pool is twenty-feet wide.
OLD	The house is old. The house is fifty-years old.
AROUND	The tree is around. The tree is ten-meters around.
AWAY	The beach is away. The beach is ten-miles away.

MODIFIER ONLY
These modifiers are not used to specify dimensions. They are used without number modifiers.
SHALLOW	The river is shallow. The river is twelve-feet shallow.
LOW	The wall is rather low. The wall is four-meters low.
SHORT	Jim is short. Jim is 155 centimeters short.
—	—
NARROW	The bridge is narrow. The bridge is six-meters narrow.
YOUNG	The house is young. The house is fifty-years young.
FAR	The school is far. The school is ten-miles far.
NEAR	The beach is near. The beach is two-miles near.

Adjective Modifiers

Colors

Modifiers for Colors

NOUNS AS MODIFIERS TO ADJECTIVES	SUBJECT - VERBADJECTIVEADJECTIVE
A color can be modified with an item (noun) that naturally occurs with a variation of the color.	A color can also be modified with other adjectives to indicate intensity, hue or pattern of the color.
It's a moss green color.	It's a light / pale green color.
It's a neon green light.	It's a dark / deep green paint.
It's a lime green fruit.	It's a yellow / yellowish green. paper.
It's an emerald green lake.	It's a dirty / dusty green wall.
It's a hunter green hat.	It's a dirty / dusty green wall.

NOUNS AS MODIFIERS TO ADJECTIVES

SUBJECT - VERBADJECTIVEADJECTIVE

A color can be modified with an item (noun) that naturally occurs with a variation of the color.

A color can also be modified with other adjectives to indicate intensity, hue or pattern of the color.

It's a moss green color.

It's a light / pale green color.

It's a neon green light.

It's a dark / deep green paint.

lime

It's a lime green fruit.

It's a yellow / yellowish green. paper.

It's an emerald green lake.

It's a dirty / dusty green wall.

It's a hunter green hat.

It's a dirty / dusty green wall.

Common Mistakes

Errors and Solutions

ERROR	SOLUTION
*The statue is eight-foot high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal.	The statue is eight-feet high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal. The modifier "eight feet" modifies an adjective "high". Quantities that modify adjectives may be singular or plural ( eight feet, one foot). In contrast, the modifier "two-foot" modifies a noun. Noun modifiers are almost always singular.

ERROR

SOLUTION

*The statue is eight-foot high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal.

The statue is eight-feet high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal.

The modifier "eight feet" modifies an adjective "high". Quantities that modify adjectives may be singular or plural ( eight feet, one foot). In contrast, the modifier "two-foot" modifies a noun. Noun modifiers are almost always singular.

*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.
Pop-Q – "High"