English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
CLARIFYING ADJECTIVES
I can’t believe ~how much~ easy this task is (nonstandard).
I can’t believe how easy this task is (standard).
“How much” is used before nouns while adjectives are preceded by “how”:
I can’t believe how much ease this job came with. ✔️
Her role has made her stay in the company more ~secured~ (nonstandard).
Her role has made her stay in the company more secure (standard). When something is likely to continue without being lost, it is said to be “secure”, not “secured”. Meanwhile, “secured” is the past participle of “secure” as a verb:
He has secured an apartment in VGC. ✔️
I was really ~surprise~ when I heard about it (nonstandard).
I was really surprised when I heard about it (standard). Unlike “secure”, “surprise” must be in the past participle form, surprised, when used as an adjective. “Surprise” can only be a noun or a verb:
That was a big surprise (noun). ✔️
That will surprise you (verb). ✔️
GAB
