Mastering the use of some adjectives is essential for accurate English grammar. This guide explains the precise rules and usage for commonly confused adjectives such as little, a little, few, elder, older, farther, much, many, whole, and other.
What is the Use of Some Adjectives in English Grammar?
Adjectives describe or modify nouns and pronouns. However, certain pairs and groups of adjectives have very specific rules regarding quantity, number, family relationships, or distance. Understanding these distinctions helps prevent common grammatical errors in both written and spoken English.
Difference Between Little, A Little, and The Little
These adjectives express quantity for uncountable nouns with distinct negative or positive meanings.
- i) Little: এর অর্থ পরিমাণ বাচক, 'অধিক নয়' বা 'কিঞ্চিৎকর'। ইহা আমাদিগকে 'না'-বোধক ধারণা দেয়। (Little means not much or hardly any. It gives us a negative idea.)
যথাঃ
- He gave me little milk.
- There is little money in the purse. ( নাই বলিলেই চলে)
- ii) A Little: অর্থ কিছু, যদিও অধিক নয়, তবুও হাঁ-বাচক ধারণা পাওয়া যায়। (A little means 'some' though not much. It gives us positive idea.)
যথাঃ
- Give him a little milk (কিছু পরিমাণ)
- I have a little money but I cannot lend it.
- iii) The little: এর অর্থ সবকিছু, যদিও পরিমাণে অল্প। (The little has a double force one neg-ative, the other positive. It means not much, but all that there is.)
যথাঃ
- He gave me the lilttle milk he had ( পরিমাণে অতি অল্প হলেও সবটুকু)
- He helped me the little he could.
Difference Between Few, A Few, and The Few
Unlike little, these adjectives are used with countable plural nouns to indicate number.
- i) Few: অর্থ 'না' (কিঞ্চিৎকর)। ইহা সব সময় 'না' বোধক ধারণা দেয়। ইহার দ্বারা সংখ্যাল্পতা বুঝায়। (Few means not much, hardly any. It has a negative sense.)
যথাঃ
- I have few friends. ( প্রায় নাই বলিলেই চলে)
- He has few books.
- ii) A few: অর্থ কিছু; ইহা আমাদিগকে হাঁ-বোধক ধারণা দেয়। (A Few means 'some'. It has a positive sense)
যথাঃ
- I have a few books.
- iii) The few: অর্থ অধিক নয়, কিন্তু সবগুলি। [The few' means 'not many but all. It has a dou ble force, one negative, the other positive.)
যথাঃ
- He has given me the few books he had ( সংখ্যায় অল্প হলেও সবগুলি)।
- The few books, I had, are all missing.
When to Use Elder vs. Eldest
Family relationships require specific comparative and superlative adjectives.
একই পরিবারের লোকদের মধ্যে তুলনা বুঝাইলে elder eldest বিশেষণ দুইটি ব্যবহার করা হয়। (These two adjectives are used for some comparison among the members of the same family.)
যথাঃ
- Rahim is my elder brother.
- Haque is my eldest son.
When to Use Older vs. Oldest
For general comparisons outside of immediate family members, different forms are required.
ভিন্ন পরিবারের ব্যক্তি এবং বস্তুর জন্য older ও oldest বিশেষণ দুইটি ব্যবহৃত হয়। (These uw affec tives are used of persons of different families and things.)
যথাঃ
- Shapon is older than Shaju.
- He is the oldest man in the village.
What is the Difference Between Farther and Further?
Although they sound similar, these words serve different functions regarding distance and addition.
- Farther অর্থ অধিক দূরত্ব। (Farther means 'more distance)
যথাঃ
- Chittagong is farther from Dhaka than Comilla. (দূরত্ব হিসাবে অধিক)
- Further অর্থ 'অতিরিক্ত' (Further means additional)
যথাঃ
- He wanted further help. (পরিমাণ হিসাবে অধিক)
How to Use Much, Many, Many A, and A Great Many
These quantifiers depend strictly on whether the noun is singular or plural, and whether it refers to quantity or number.
- i) Much: দ্বারা পরিমাণ বুঝায় এবং ইহা সাধারণতঃ একবচনে ব্যবহৃত হয়। (Much refers to quantity (পরিমাণ) and is generally followed by the Singular Number)
যথাঃ
- The pot contains much milk.
- I have much money.
- ii) Many: দ্বারা সংখ্যা বুঝায় এবং হহা বহুবচনে ব্যবহৃত হয়। (Many refers to number (সংখ্যা) and is followed by the Plural Number)
যথাঃ
- There are many boys in our class.
- Many men went there.
- iii) Many a: দ্বারা সংখ্যা বুঝায়, কিন্তু ইহা একবচনে ব্যবহৃত হয়। ('Many a' has the same sense as many, but 'many a' is followed by the Singular Number)
যথাঃ
- I have many a book.
- iv) A great many: দ্বারাও সংখ্যা বুঝায়, কিন্তু ইহা বহুবচনে ব্যবহৃত হয়।
যথাঃ
- A great many boys were present in the meeting.
How to Use Whole, The Whole Of, and All
The choice between these terms depends on whether you are modifying a Common Noun or a Proper Noun.
- i) Whole ও All: Common Noun এর পূর্বে whole ও all ব্যবহৃত হয়। All- এর পরে প্রায়ই Plural Number বসে।
যথাঃ
- I ate the whole guavas.
- Give him all the biscuits.
- ii) The whole of: Proper Noun- এর পূর্বে the whole of ব্যবহৃত হয়, কখনও whole ব্যবহৃত হয় না।
যথাঃ
- The whole of Bangladesh mourned for his death.
- (বিঃ দ্রঃ Whole- এর পূর্বে the বসাইতে হয়)
- (iii) All: Proper Noun ও Common Noun- এর পূর্বে all ব্যবহৃত হয়।
যথাঃ
- All the boys are absent to-day.
- Give me all the books.
Difference Between Other, Others, and The Other
Pronoun and determiner usage shifts based on whether the reference is singular, plural, or specific objects and places.
- Other: Plural Noun- এর পূর্বে Other ব্যবহৃত হয়। যথাঃ
- other Other men are going there.
- Others: ব্যক্তির পরিবর্তে বসে। বস্তু বা স্থানের পরিবর্তে না বসিয়া Other things বা Other places প্রভৃতি বসে।
যথাঃ
- I shall go to Bogra, Dhaka and other places.
- He helped others.
- We shall buy a pen, pencil and other things.
- The other: Singular ও Plural উভয় Number- এর পূর্বে ব্যবহৃত হয়।
যথাঃ
- The other boy went there.
Key Takeaways
- Little and Few provide negative meanings, whereas a little and a few convey positive meanings.
- Use elder and eldest exclusively for members of the same family.
- Farther denotes physical distance, while further indicates addition.
- Much is followed by singular quantities, whereas many requires plural numbers.
Quick Practice
Test your understanding of adjective rules by answering the questions below in the comments section:
- Choose the correct word: "He gave me (little / a little) milk, so I could not make tea."
- Fill in the blank: "Chittagong is ________ from Dhaka than Comilla."
FAQs
What is the difference between elder and older?
Elder and eldest are used strictly for comparisons among members of the same family, while older and oldest are used for persons of different families and things.
When should I use "many a" instead of "many"?
While both refer to a number of items, "many" is followed by a plural number and plural verb forms, whereas "many a" is followed by a singular number.
How does "the whole of" differ from "whole"?
"The whole of" is used strictly before Proper Nouns, whereas "whole" and "all" are used before Common Nouns.