How to avoid mistakes in the application of the rule "NOT with adjectives"?

The rule that regulates spelling NOT with adjectives is very simple. It says that if a synonym can be chosen for a word without a particle NOT , then you must choose a coherent spelling. Do NOT turn from a prefix to a negative particle , provided that there is an adversary A in the sentence , or when an opposition is implied. The spelling is always indicated by the words: not at all, not at all, not at all, not at all.

As in other parts of the speech, it is NOT with the adjectives that is written together, if it enters the root morpheme: nondescript, careless, ridiculous.

But often understandable, at first glance, the wording makes a lot of confusion. The limited vocabulary of modern schoolchildren does not allow you to choose a synonym or synonymous expression for a word, and sometimes this selection is wrong.

To clarify the rule of NOT with adjectives , we must remember that this part of the speech has bits by value.

It is extremely important to distinguish them, because NOT with adjectives has a choice in writing with only one of the bits. There are three such categories in Russian. Let us consider them in more detail.

Possessive adjectives denote the belonging of an object to any person. Typical examples of such words: mother machine, toy cars, grandfather's jacket, fox burrows, cat's foot , etc. Children easily distinguish possessive adjectives from other words on characteristic questions: "Whose?" "Whose?" "Whose?" "Whose?"

A particle of NOT with adjectives from this category is always written separately, since it is impossible to choose a synonym without a particle. Somewhat simplifying, we can argue as follows: if the object is not someone else's, then it belongs to a different person: NOT the fathers' belt, but the uncle.

Adjectives that denote time, material, temperature, and a number of other characteristics are called relative. They are easy to recognize, because there can not be more or less such a feature in the determined subject. That is, the degree of comparison, as well as the short form, is absent in this category. NOT with adjectives from this group also has a separate spelling: NOT a wooden shelf, NOT a glass cup holder, NOT forty-degree heat.

And, finally, the last category is qualitative adjectives. The main sign of such words is the possibility of forming degrees of comparison and / or a short form: high - high - higher - less high - highest - highest.

It is easy to distinguish a qualitative adjective by its ability to combine with adverbs of measure and degree: very beautiful, extremely intelligent, too kind.

It is the qualitative adjectives that leave the choice in the merged or separate spelling with the particle NOT. Moreover, short forms are usually written with NOT according to the same algorithm, except words in which the full form is missing or has a lexical meaning: it is not ready to answer, it is not obliged to listen, they are not going to leave.

In conclusion, I would like to note that in spelling NOT with adjectives, as in other spelling rules, there are other nuances. But if you are guided by knowledge of the ranks by value, using this rule, you can reduce the number of errors to a minimum.