Adjectives in Field of Dreams

POSITION in SENTENCE * MODIFYING ADJECTIVES
COMPARING * VERY/TOO/SO * SPECIAL ADJECTIVES * ADJECTIVES WITH PREPOSITIONS

WHERE CAN ADJECTIVES GO IN A SENTENCE?

(look at the sentences below)

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

  1. (Having lights) makes it harder to see the ball.
  2. (Karen to Shoeless Joe) You look real to me.
  3. Annie got the crazy idea that she could talk me into buying a farm.
  4. By the early '70s the guy decides people have become either too extremist or too apathetic to listen to him, so he stops writing.
  5. Come on, it's so big. I mean, how can you lose something so big?
  6. Doc Graham is dead. He died in 1972.
  7. I don't think it's very polite to try to make other people feel stupid.
  8. I have just created something totally illogical.
  9. I hope you don't mind, but we got tired of just having practices, so we brought another team out with us.
  10. I never forgave him for getting old.
  11. I packed my things, said something awful, and left.
  12. It's just that I heard that some farmers do (hear noises), and I of course don't, so I was wondering if I was doing something wrong or something.
  13. It's nothing bad. We're not from the IRS or anything.
  14. You sound disappointed.
  15. No drinking. No opium. No midnight abortions. No illegitimate children. No shady finances.
  16. She smelled weird.
  17. That's what I wish for ! A chance to squint at a sky so blue that it hurts your eyes just to look at it.
  18. Well, he sounds like he was a wonderful man.
  19. What do you think would happen if I suddenly came out with a new book? They'd bleed me dry.
  20. What makes this one so special we have to travel half way across the country to find him 16 years after he died?
  21. Why don't you go inside and get something cold to drink?

    HOW CAN WE MAKE ADJECTIVES STRONGER OR WEAKER?
    (How --??--):

    STRONGER:
    He's __________________ crazy!
    WEAKER:
    He's ___________________ crazy!

  22. Am I completely nuts?
  23. Do you know him? He's sort of a tall black man. I'm a friend of his.
  24. Hi, I'm Ray Kinsella. I'm a really big fan of yours.
  25. I have just created something totally illogical.
  26. I wouldn't dream of intruding if this weren't extremely important.
  27. It's kind of pretty, isn't it?
  28. No it's not. It's pretty weird, I'll grant you. But building the field, that was weirder.
  29. Oh, you're crazy. Absolutely nuts.
  30. Well, I've come a very long way to see you.

    USING ADJECTIVES TO COMPARE PEOPLE or THINGS:

    as .. as (NOT DIFFERENT)
  31. By the time he was as as I am now, he was ancient.
  32. They'll arrive at your door, as as children, longing for the past. more/-er/less (than) (DIFFERENT)
  33. I've got a idea! Let's put it to a vote.
  34. (Having lights) makes it to see the ball.
  35. Ray, this is than building the baseball field.
  36. But building the field, that was . Five - ten percent . the most/-est/least (SPECIAL)
  37. And when it came time to go to college, I picked the one from home I could find.
  38. I thought my family was crazy, but this, this is the thing I've ever heard of.
  39. Ty Cobb called him the left fielder of all time.
  40. Lifetime average .356 -- third in history!
  41. The man wrote the books of his generation.
  42. He is widely regarded as the satirist of his time.
  43. At least I'm not married to the horse's ass in three counties!
  44. OK. This is not his work, but the hero of the story.. was named John Kinsella. My father!
  45. Listen to this: 'As a child, my recurring dream was to play at Ebbetts Field.
  46. I don't blame you for thinking that, but, not, I'm not. I swear to God I'm the person I have ever known.
  47. We just don't recognize the moments of our lives while they're happening.
  48. This is my place in all the world, Ray.

    VERY/REALLY * TOO/ENOUGH ... (for/to ...) * that / SO/SUCH .. (that ...) *

  49. Am I ?
  50. By the early '70's the guy decides people have become either or to listen to him, so he stops writing books.
  51. Come on, it (the farm) is . I mean, how can you lose something ?
  52. Half the towns in North America have a Doc. Graham. What makes this one we have to travel half way across the country to find him 16 years after he died? There's got to be more.
  53. He was supposed to be ! To actually see him play again!
  54. Hi, I'm Ray Kinsella. I'm fan of yours.
  55. I don't believe this guy! I'm trying to bail him out, and he goes off to watch television?! He used to be .
  56. I have just created something .
  57. I wouldn't dream of intruding if this weren't .
  58. It would kill some men to get to their dream and not touch it.
  59. Oh, you're crazy. .
  60. Once a place touches you like this, the wind never blows again.
  61. Oooh. Why do I not think this is thing?
  62. Ray. I'm fine. I'm just it's you. Listen, I talked to the bank...
  63. Thank you. It's here! For me, it's like a dream come true.
  64. That (ball) is .
  65. That's what I wish for ! A chance to squint at a sky that it hurts your eyes just to look at it.
  66. The memories will be they'll have to brush them away from their faces.
  67. Well, I've come way to see you.
  68. What's about a half an inning that would make you come all the way from Iowa to talk to me about it 50 years after it happened?
  69. Why can't the voice send somebody else? How about Shirley MacLaine? What, is she ?

    SPECIAL ADJECTIVES:

    PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES (-ed or -ing?):
  70. He died a little when they lost the 1919 World Series, died a lot the summer when eight members of the team were accused of throwing that Series.
  71. Karen, honey, if you're , go get your book bags.
  72. I'm 36 years old. I have a wife, a child, and a mortgage, and I'm to death I'm turning into my father.
  73. My father said he saw him years later, playing under a name in some tenth-rate league in Carolina.
  74. jerk! (Oh yeah?! At least I've got muscles!)
  75. (They couldn't see it.) This is really !
  76. The novels of Terence Mann endorse promiscuity, godlessness, the mongrelization of the races, and disrespect to officers of the US Army!
  77. And that is why school boards all across the country have been banning this man's (books) since 1969!
  78. At least I'm not to the biggest horse's ass in three counties!
  79. He writes software for interactive children's videos. I mean, they teach kids how to resolve their conflicts peacefully. What an guy!
  80. As a child, my earliest dream was to play at Ebbetts Field with Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
  81. Don't you miss being ?
  82. You should be to as much privacy as you want.
  83. His father, who lives in Baltimore, notified police after receiving no answer to telephone calls.
  84. What's so about a half an inning that would make you come all the way from Iowa ..?
  85. We got of just having practices, so we brought another team out with us so we could have some real games.
  86. They'll come to Iowa City and think it's really , so they'll drive up and want to pay us, like buying a ticket.
  87. All right, this is , but the fact remains that you don't have the money to bring the mortgage up to date.
  88. They'll find they have seats somewhere along one of the baselines.
  89. For God's sake. I'm . You have a family.

    ADJECTIVES (+ed ) from NOUNS:

  90. (What's a southpaw?) It means a pitcher.

    COMPOUND NOUNS (a noun functioning as modifier):

    low ball
    baseball
    book
    brass
    Brooklyn
    day
    eye
    food
    home
    learning
    night
    Pulitzer Prize
    telephone
    tenth rate
    sitar
    sound
    United States
    Yankees
  91. Dad was a fan.
  92. I tried to like music.
  93. Is there a truck on the highway, or something?
  94. If you're finished, go get your bags. Go!
  95. I think it means that if I build a field out there, that Shoeless Joe Jackson will get to come back and play ball again.
  96. Twelve hits, including the Series' only run.
  97. My father said he saw him years later, playing under a made-up name in some league in Carolina.
  98. Right. You're a hitter.
  99. I'd have played for money.
  100. I used to love travelling on the trains from town to town, the hotels, .. beds in the rooms.
  101. The owners found that more people could attend games.
  102. Terence Mann is a winner.
  103. ... disrespect to high-ranking officers of the Army.
  104. At least he's not a burner.
  105. And then he starts fooling around with the computer.
  106. My earliest recurring dream was to play at Ebbetts Field with ... the Dodgers.
  107. Have we got a disability here?
  108. And there were times when children could not afford glasses or milk or clothing.
  109. His father .. notified police after receiving no answer to repeated calls.
  110. I heard that .. they'll even find you a job, so you can play ball nights and weekends.

    ADJECTIVES + PREPOSITIONS:

  111. Eight members of the team were accused throwing that Series.
  112. I'm afraid that happening to me.
  113. Are you ready this? (It's been) 68 years since I wore this uniform.
  114. At least I'm not married the biggest horse's ass in three counties!
  115. I love you! I'm proud you! I mean it!
  116. I mean, I was right building the field, wasn't I?
  117. And he is widely regarded the finest satirist of his time.
  118. You should be entitled as much privacy as you want. But why stop writing?
  119. It would kill some men to get that close their dream and not touch it.
  120. We got tired just having practices, so we brought another team.

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    Ann Salzmann
    Intensive English Institute
    University of Illinois