Adjectives made from nouns

1
-y -ly

The addition of -y or -ly to a noun often makes an adjective, e.g. a windy night, fatherly advice, a daily newspaper.

Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.

salty
grassy
scholarly
rainy
friendly
ghostly
weekly
yearly

(a) It’s a very academic, _____________book.

(b) It’s been dry for two weeks but I think next weekend will be ______________

(c) We found a nice ________________place by the river for our picnic.

(d) Julia will help you. She’s a very pleasant,________________ girl.

(e) The water of the lake was rather _______________, like sea-water.

(f) A _____________figure in white suddenly appeared before us.

(g) He makes_________________ visits to his firm’s head office in Paris, usually in April.

(h) ‘Time’ is an American ___________________news magazine.

2
-ous

In each space below put an adjective ending in -ous made from the noun in brackets after the phrase.

(a) a ________________plant (poison)
(b) a _______________organisation (religion)
(c) an ________________journey (adventure)
(d) a ____________movement (nerves)
(e) a ____________country (mountain)
(f) a ______________story (humour)
(g) a _______________ escape (miracle)
(h) a _____________machine (danger)
(i) a _____________sunset (glory)
(j) an ______________politician (ambition)
(k) a ____________soldier (courage)
(I) a ____________earthquake (disaster)
(m) a ____________film star (fame)
(n) an ____________student (industry)
(0) an ____________ disease (infection)
(p) a _____________disappearance (mystery)
(q) a _______________army (victory)
(r) a ________________person (suspicion)

3
-ic
Make adjectives ending in -ic from the following nouns, making any necessary spelling changes, then put them in their correct places below.

democracy
art
drama
sympathy
climate
photography
poetry
energy
science
alcohol

(a) Whisky of course is an _________________drink.

(b) She paints and draws. She’s very ___________________

(c) Sweden and Brazil have different weather. They’re in different ____________zones.

(d) They have free elections. It’s a ______________country.

(e) I feel very fit and________________ today.

(f) She bought a camera and other __________________ equipment.

(g) She likes physics, chemistry and other ________________ subjects.

(h) He was very patient and__________________ when I told him my problem.

(i) She has a very imaginative, ________________ style of writing.

(j) The big doors suddenly opened and he entered. It was very_____________________ .

4
-ical

Make adjectives ending in -ical from the following nouns, making any necessary spelling changes, then put them in their correct places in the sentences below.

psychology
grammar
crisis
medicine
alphabet
clerk
music
theatre
politics
practice

(a) He speaks Spanish fluently but with some ______________ mistakes.

(b) The index at the back of a book is in ______________order.

(c) I never go to concerts. I’m not at all __________________ .

(d) He’s very ________________. He can make and repair almost anything.

(e) She could make a lot of money in films, but she is more interested in a ___________ career.

(f) He’s interested in __________________affairs. He might enter Parliament.

(g) Physically he was unhurt, but he suffered ________________ damage.

(h) He treated her injury although he had no ________________ qualifications.

(i) The doctors say her condition is now ____________________

(j) She wants a ________________job. She has always liked office work.

5
In each space below put an adjective made from the noun in brackets after the phrase.

(a) a ___________dress (fashion)

(b) a _____________army (triumph)

(c) an _________________letter (affection)

(d) a _________________table (circle)

(e) _________________interests (literature)

(f) a _________________house (suburb)

(g) a _____________shape (triangle)

(h) a ____________________child (trouble)

(i) a ___________________chair (comfort)

(j) a ________________ business (profit)

(k) a ________________athlete (muscle)

(l) a _________________painting (value)

(m) a ________________ worker (skill)

(n) a _______________state (socialism)

(o) a _________________attempt (success)

(p) a __________________friend (trust)

(q) a ______________place (peace)

(r) a _____________day (memory)

(s) a _____________person (knowledge)

(t) a ________________country (distance)

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