Adjectives
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun (or pronoun).
To modify means to describe and make more specific by
telling what kind, whose or how many.
Placement of adjectives
The most common position of an adjective in a sentence
is directly before the word that it modifies (typically, a noun).
Though sometimes adjectives directly follow the modified
words, separated by a comma; in this case, there is often
more than one adjective. Finally, an adjective can be the
recipient of a linking verb (see page 65), and comes after it.
Adjectives preceding nouns
Most adjectives precede the words that they modify.
Examples:
The happy baby smiled at us.
It was a beautiful wedding.
Big footprints were found in the park.
Adjectives following nouns
Modifying adjectives can come after nouns.
Examples:
The lake, crystal clear, was full of fish.
Julie, trim from her diet, wore a sleeveless gown.
The cake, warm and moist, melted in our mouths.
Adjectives following a linking verb
Some adjectives are connected to a noun by a verb.
Examples:
She looks sophisticated in that suit.
It was hilarious!
The computer will be useful.
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Adjective classifications
Adjectives are said to be descriptive, possessive or limiting.
Hint: Adjectives do not change form in the singular or plural.
For example, "a cloudy day" and "cloudy skies".
Descriptive adjectives
Descriptive adjectives express a quality or condition.
There are proper and common descriptive adjectives.
Proper descriptive adjectives
"Proper", in grammar, means relating to an actual
name. Proper descriptive adjectives give names as
descriptions, and they always should be capitalized.
Examples:
He gave me French perfume. The perfume is French.
That is a Dallas accent. The accent is from Dallas.
We visited on Friday night. The night was Friday.
St. Ann's is a Catholic church. The church is Catholic.
Asian culture is fascinating. The culture is Asian.
Common descriptive adjectives
The most frequently-used type of adjective is a
common descriptive adjective; it tells of a feature
or characteristic of the noun it is modifying.
Examples:
I like the blue car on the left. That car is blue.
He wears an expensive suit. His suit is expensive.
Jan has huge dogs. Her dogs are huge.
It was a difficult test. The test was difficult.
Clean houses show care. Those houses are clean.
Possessive adjectives
Adjectives which indicate ownership or belonging are
called possessive adjectives. There are both proper-
noun and pronoun possessive adjectives.
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Proper-noun possessive adjectives
Proper nouns (see page 47) can be adjectives when
they are used to show who possesses goods or
qualities.
Examples:
These are the Reed's tools.
We lived through August's hurricane.
I like Ingrid's accent.
Have you seen Chris' new boat?
Pronoun possessive adjectives
Pronouns which are possessive (see page 56) can
also be considered adjectives because they modify
or describe nouns in telling who possesses them.
Another name for pronoun possessive adjectives
is pronominal adjectives.
Examples:
The red pliers and hammers are their tools.
We lived through its hurricane.
I like her accent.
Have you seen his new boat?
Limiting adjectives
By specifying a number or amount in the description,
a limiting adjective thereby sets a limit.
Examples:
the fifth amendment
eight dollars
twin beds
a half tank
his only regret
the sole heir
Articles
Articles ("a", "an" and "the") are regarded as limiting
adjectives because they make the nouns which
follow them more specific. They can be indefinite
or definite in nature.
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Indefinite articles
"A" and "an" are indefinite articles. They point
to any one of a group. "A" is used before words
starting with a consonant sound; "an" is used
before words that begin with a vowel sound.
Examples:
Indefinite article
a bell (in a tower)
an icicle (of an ice storm)
an ornament (on a door)
"A" vs. "an"
Sound, not spelling, determines the use of "a"
or "an". If the next word starts with a consonant
sound, use "a"; if it is a vowel sound, use "an"
before it. The word "hour", for example, does not
have a beginning consonant sound, even though
"h" is a consonant (because it is silent in this
word), so use "an" before it if referring to one hour.
Examples:
a an
a fox an F.B.I. investigation
a horse an hour
a unicycle an uncle
Definite article
"The" is the only definite article there is, which is
probably the reason it is the most widely-used
word in the English language (used five times in
this sentence alone!). It refers to a certain member
or members of a group.
Examples:
Definite articles
the apricot (a certain apricot)
the kittens (a specific group of kittens)
the teacher (a particular teacher)
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Degrees of comparison
Adjectives take three forms to show degrees of comparison:
positive, comparative and superlative.
Positive degree
An adjective in the positive degree assigns a quality to a
person, thing or idea. There is no comparison involved.
Examples:
Miriam was happy.
This truck is big.
Yesterday, the weather was unpleasant.
Comparative degree
In the comparative degree, two or more persons, things
or ideas are compared with each other by adding "er" as
a suffix to the adjective involved in the stronger case.
Examples:
Lila was happier than Miriam.
That truck is bigger than this one.
Today, the weather is more unpleasant* than yesterday.
* Generally, if an adjective has more than two syllables, the
word "more" is used before it instead of attaching the "er"
suffix in the comparative form and the word "most" in the
superlative form.
Superlative degree
Three or more persons, things or ideas are compared in
the superlative degree by adding "est" as a suffix to the
adjective involved in the strongest case.
Examples:
Betty was the happiest of the three girls.
The Rodeo truck is the biggest of them all.
The most unpleasant weather came last January.
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