WRITING CENTER
Adjectives
CONTENTS: Click on any heading below to jump directly to that topic.
WHAT IS AN ADJECTIVE?................................................................................................ 1
TYPES OF ADJECTIVES ................................................................................................... 1
THE FUNCTION AND POSITION OF ADJECTIVES ............................................................... 3
SENSORY ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES ..................................................................................... 3
PRACTICE EXERCISES ..................................................................................................... 6
WHAT IS AN ADJECTIVE?
An adjective is a word or phrase that describes a noun or pronoun with another word or
phrase that gives more information about how something looks, smells, sounds, tastes, or
feels. Some pronouns function as adjectives as well.
Adjectives answer these questions:
• What kind? blue car, calico cat
• Which one? this school, those people
• How many? five children, both teachers
• Whose? my book, her backpack
TYPES OF ADJECTIVES
1. Descriptive adjectives are the most common adjective. They give information
about a noun or pronoun by answering the question what kind: how something looks,
sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
Examples: small, orange, young, hungry, angry
orange shirt, hungry squirrel
2. Pronouns used as adjectives:
a. Possessive pronouns: my, your, his, her, its, our, their, one's
Examples: I change my hairstyle at least once a year.
After dinner with friends, Michelle went to their house.
b. Pronouns that identify which one: this, that, these, those
Examples: I would like to buy this sandwich.
Those sunflowers are taller than I am.
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WRITING CENTER
Adjectives
c. Interrogative pronouns, that ask questions to clarify which one: what, which,
whose.
Examples: What assignment is that?
Which book is yours?
Whose pencil do you have?
Note: The question words why and when are adverbs, not adjectives.
d. Indefinite pronouns that do not identify a specific number, person, place, or
time: another, each, both, many, any, some, no, either, neither.
Examples: I will watch the movie another time.
You can use either idea for your paper.
This lunch is for any person who wants it.
3. Numbers. When a number is used to describe a noun or pronoun, it is an adjective:
two, three, four, etc; fifth, sixth, seventh, etc.
Examples: He needed two bricks to finish the landscaping project.
Today is my brother’s eighteenth birthday.
4. Articles. There are only three articles, and they are used before nouns to clarify
whether the noun should be considered a general reference or a specific reference.
a. Indefinite articles: a, an
Examples: A cat slept on my porch.
An open window provided a cool breeze.
b. Definite article: the
Examples: The black and white cat slept on my porch.
The open window in my bedroom provided a breeze.
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Adjectives
THE FUNCTION AND POSITION OF ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are usually near the nouns or pronouns they modify:
• Before the noun being modified or before the indefinite pronoun one.
Examples: The industrious student visited the Writing Center often.
That student is the only one to miss five days in a row.
• After a linking verb to modify the subject of the sentence.
Examples: The teacher seems knowledgeable.
The room smells musty.
• After the direct object in the sentence.
Examples: I want that essay perfect.
The assignment is driving me crazy.
• After an indefinite pronoun.
Examples: Something small and shiny would be nice.
None sweeter could be tasted.
SENSORY ADJECTIVE EXAMPLES
TASTE
acidic creamy nutty savory sweet
appetizing delicate peppery sharp stale
bitter delicious pickled smoked tangy
bland gooey ripe sour tart
briny hot rotting spicy tasteless
cool juicy salty stale tasty
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Adjectives
TOUCH
arid dirty greasy lukewarm smooth
baking drenched grimy lumpy soaked
blistering dry gritty melted soft
breezy dust hairy moist solid
bumpy elastic hard prickly sticky
chilly filthy heavy rough stinging
clingy firm hot scorching sweaty
coarse fluffy humid shaggy tepid
cold freezing jagged sharp tight
cool frigid jiggling silky vibrating
crunchy gooey light sizzling warm
damp grainy loose slimy wet
SMELL
aromatic floral nutty smoky
balmy fragrant perfumed spicy
bitter fresh pungent stale
burning fruity putrid stinky
choking juicy redolent strong
clean mild rich sweet
delicious musky rotten
fetid musty salty
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Adjectives
SIGHT
beefy flickering lofty slender
billowy forked lustrous spacious
blazing fragile misty sparkling
brilliant gangly muscular statuesque
broad gaudy ominous steep
burly gaunt pallid stout
chubby gigantic petite sunny
cloudy glittering polished swollen
corpulent gloomy portly tapering
crooked glowing puny towering
crowded graceful radiant trim
drab grotesque rotting unsightly
dreary healthy rotund voluminous
dull hefty scrawny wizened
flashy lanky shattered youthful
SOUND
banging earsplitting melodic snapping
barking faint moaning snarling
blaring purring monotone thundering
booming quivering muffled thunderous
buzzing resonant mumbled wailing
clamoring growling murmured wheezing
clashing gurgling muttered whimpering
cooing harmonious popping whispered
crashing hoarse ringing whistling
crunching howling roaring
deafening humming shrieking
dissonant lulling shrill
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Adjectives
PRACTICE EXERCISES
Fill in the blank with an appropriate descriptive adjective.
1. Conner wore a ________ shirt.
2. The medicine tasted ________.
3. Her shoes look ________.
4. The ________ cat pounced on the toy.
5. There’s something in the oven that smells ________.
Fill in the blank with what, which, or whose.
1. ________ type of cake do you want?
2. ________ coat is this?
3. ________ lunch is yours?
4. ________ car is parked in the driveway?
5. ________ movie should I watch tonight?
Fill in the blank with an appropriate possessive pronoun that acts as an adjective.
1. The sparrow fluttered ________ wings as it hopped toward a puddle of water.
2. Sarah wore ________ new purse on ________ shoulder.
3. The choir knew ________ director would guide them through ________ performance
smoothly.
4. ________ house is the two-story green one.
5. This apple isn’t mine, so it must be ________ apple.
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Adjectives
Fill in the blank with an appropriate indefinite pronoun that acts as an adjective.
1. Professor Lee told students they could borrow ________ of his pens or pencils.
2. I have seen ________ Oscar winning films, but I haven’t seen that one.
3. You can choose ________ topic, immigration or prison reform, for your research
paper.
4. I will ask ________ person since you aren’t certain of the answer.
5. I like ________ color in a rainbow.
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