Adjectives

Adjectives are essential tools in any writer’s toolkit. They help you modify nouns and pronouns, making your descriptions vivid and engaging. In this reference, you’ll explore what adjectives are, how they differ from adverbs, and the various types such as comparative, superlative, and coordinate adjectives. You’ll also find examples and tips on how to use them effectively.

Definition of Adjective

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. It provides additional information about the noun or pronoun by giving details about its size, shape, color, texture, or other qualities.

For example, in the sentence “The big red apple,” “big” and “red” are adjectives that describe the noun “apple.” Without these adjectives, the sentence would simply read “The apple.” Adding the adjectives gives us a more detailed description of the apple.

Adjectives can be used to compare two or more things, to show possession, or to give emphasis to a particular noun or pronoun. They can also be used to indicate a particular order or rank, as in “first,” “second,” and “third.”

Types of Adjectives

Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns or pronouns. They provide more information about the noun or pronoun by describing it. There are several types of adjectives that we commonly use in English grammar. In this section, we will explore the different types of adjectives.

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives are the most common type of adjective. They describe the quality or characteristic of a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence “The red car is fast,” the adjective “red” describes the color of the car, and the adjective “fast” describes the car’s speed.

Quantitative Adjectives

Quantitative adjectives are used to describe the quantity or amount of a noun or pronoun. They answer the question “how much” or “how many.” For example, in the sentence “I have three cats,” the adjective “three” describes the quantity of cats.

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out or identify a specific noun or pronoun. They answer the question “which one.” For example, in the sentence “This book is interesting,” the adjective “this” identifies the specific book.

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession of a noun or pronoun. They answer the question “whose.” For example, in the sentence “My cat is sleeping,” the adjective “my” shows ownership of the cat.

Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about a noun or pronoun. They are used before a noun or pronoun to ask which one. For example, in the sentence “Which book do you want to read?” the adjective “which” asks about the specific book.

Distributive Adjectives

Distributive adjectives are used to refer to individual members of a group or to divide something into parts. They answer the question “which one of each.” For example, in the sentence “Each student has a pencil,” the adjective “each” refers to individual students.

Order of Adjectives

When you use multiple adjectives to describe a noun, it’s essential to put them in the correct order. Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns, and they must follow a specific order to make sense. In this section, we’ll explore the correct order of adjectives in English.

The Royal Order of Adjectives, as it’s commonly known, is the most widely accepted order of adjectives in English. This order is as follows:

1. Determiner
2. Quantity
3. Opinion
4. Size
5. Shape
6. Age
7. Color
8. Origin
9. Material
10. Type
11. Purpose

Remember that not all adjectives will fit into these categories. When using multiple adjectives, use your best judgment to determine the correct order. Here are some examples of correctly ordered adjectives:

• A beautiful, red rose
• An old, wooden chair
• Several delicious, Italian dishes
• A big, round, yellow balloon

Adjective Clauses and Phrases

Adjective clauses and adjective phrases help you add detail to your writing. They both describe nouns, but they do it in slightly different ways.

Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb. It usually starts with a relative pronoun like that, which, who, whom, or whose. Here’s an example:

• The book that you gave me is interesting.

In this sentence, that you gave me describes the noun book.

Adjective Phrases

An adjective phrase is a group of words that act together as an adjective to describe a noun. Adjective phrases do not have a subject and a verb. Instead, they often start with a preposition or a modifier. For example:

• She wore a dress with red flowers.

In this case, with red flowers describes the noun dress.

Examples of Adjectives

Adjectives describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They give more information about the object being described. Here are some types of adjectives and examples to help you understand how they are used.

Comparative Adjectives

These adjectives compare two things. For most one-syllable adjectives, add -er.

• tall → taller
• small → smaller

For adjectives with two syllables, some use -er, while others use more.

• happy → happier
• careful → more careful

Superlative Adjectives

These adjectives compare more than two things and show the highest degree. For most one-syllable adjectives, add -est.

• tall → tallest
• small → smallest

For adjectives with two syllables, some use -est, while others use most.

• happy → happiest
• careful → most careful

Proper Adjectives

These are derived from proper nouns and are always capitalized.

• Italian pasta
• Shakespearean drama

Quantitative Adjectives

These adjectives answer the question “how much” or “how many.”

• few apples
• some water

Demonstrative Adjectives

These adjectives point out specific items.

• this book
• those cars

When you place adjectives before nouns, there is a particular order.

• Quantity
• Opinion
• Size
• Age
• Shape
• Color
• Origin
• Material
• Purpose

Example: A beautiful small old French bread box.

Adjectives provide essential details in sentences. They help answer questions like “What kind?”, “Which one?”, and “How many?”

Practice Exercises with Answers

Exercise 1: Identifying Adjectives

Read the sentences below and circle the adjectives.

1. The homeless beggar hasn’t eaten in days.
2. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
3. Mary had a little lamb.
4. The beautiful princess lived in a large castle.
5. The fierce tiger roared loudly in the jungle.

Answers

1. homeless
2. quick, brown, lazy
3. little
4. beautiful, large
5. fierce

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks with Appropriate Adjectives

Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks with a suitable adjective.

1. She wore a __________ dress to the party.
2. The __________ puppy played in the yard.
3. This is a very __________ book.
4. He bought an __________ car last week.
5. The weather is __________ today.

Answers

1. beautiful
2. playful
3. interesting
4. expensive
5. sunny

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