CHAPTER 2

ADJECTIVES
2.1 What Is an Adjective? 28
2.2 Descriptive Adjectives 28
2.3 Determiners or Limiting Adjectives 29
2.4 Suffixes and Origin of Adjectives 33
2.5 Overview of Adjectives 33
2.6 Review Exercises 35

Nouns Adjectives Pronouns Verbs Adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Interjections

27
Copyright © 2008 by Gabriele Stobbe. Click here for terms of use.
2.1 What Is an Adjective?
Certain little words make a big difference
for nouns and pronouns.

red
two
the, any
an, my this whose
a

These words are called adjectives.

They modify nouns and pronouns.

This chapter introduces two groups of adjectives: descriptive

adjectives and determiners or limiting adjectives. In grammar, we
say that an adjective modifies the meaning of a noun or pronoun.

Modifiers make clearer or limit the meaning

of other words.

2.2 Descriptive Adjectives 1

Descriptive adjectives specify the shape,
size, or color of the noun they modify.

Descriptive adjectives are often called common adjectives.

Like a common noun, they are ordinary, everyday adjectives.
They describe a noun in a general way. Examples of common
adjectives include soft, blue, sunny, small, and wet.

In general, common adjectives are placed before the noun they

are describing, as the following examples illustrate.

Examples:

blue ball wet flippers

Descriptive Adjective Noun Descriptive Adjective Noun

28
An adjective can also come after the linking verb to be when
the adjective describes the subject of a sentence. In this case,
it is called a predicate adjective.
Example: The hamburger is large.

Subject Linking Predicate

Verb Adjective

In this example, the adjective large describes the subject

hamburger. Calling it a large hamburger is the same as
stating The hamburger is large.
Example: The flippers are green.

Subject Linking Predicate

Verb Adjective

In this example, the adjective green describes the subject

flippers. Calling them green flippers is the same as stating
The flippers are green.

Predicate adjectives are placed after the linking verb.

They always expand on the subject.

Descriptive adjectives can also be formed from a proper noun.

An adjective formed from a proper noun is called

a proper adjective. It is always capitalized.

Proper Noun Proper Adjective Example

Mexico Mexican Mexican student

America American American flag

Proper adjectives can be formed from the name of a particular

person, place, thing, or idea.

2.3 Determiners or Limiting Adjectives

The second group of adjectives is called determiners. Since
determiners limit your choices, they are also called limiting
adjectives. A determiner is placed before the noun it modifies.

A determiner helps to identify a specific noun

rather than describe it.

29
Articles 2

Articles specify whether a noun is referred to

in a general or specific way.

The most frequently used adjectives are a, an, and the. These
words are usually called articles.

There are two different types of articles: indefinite articles and

definite articles.

Indefinite Articles

a boy an exchange student

A and an refer to one of a general group. Use an before a noun

starting with a vowel. In the example a boy, we don’t know
which boy is being referred to.

Definite Articles

the friends

The indicates that the noun (either singular or plural) refers to

someone or something in particular. In the example the friends,
we are indicating this specific group of people.

Possessive Adjectives 3

Possessive adjectives are based on subject pronouns

and show ownership or relationship.

I, you, he, she, it, we, you, and they are called personal
pronouns. In this term, the word personal relates to “persons.”
Possessive adjectives, as the following chart shows, are derived
from these personal pronouns and express the idea of possession.
With the exception of it, all of them relate to people.

Singular 1 my 2 your 3 his her its

Possessive
Adjectives
Plural 1 our 2 your 3 their

30
Examples:

Anna is Lakewood is
my sister. our pool.

The possessive adjective can express ownership or relationship.

In English, the possessive adjectives his and her relate to the
person who is the possessor. Look at the following examples:

his sister Anna her brother Andy

Masculine Feminine Feminine Masculine

Possessive Noun Possessive Noun
Adjective Adjective

Masculine Possessive Adjective Feminine Possessive Adjective

+ Feminine Noun + Masculine Noun

In the first example, his modifies the noun sister. In the second
example, her modifies the noun brother.

Demonstrative Adjectives 4
Demonstrative adjectives point out persons or things.
They can point to either singular or plural forms.

this suntan lotion those flip-flops

Singular Form Singular Noun Plural Form Plural Noun

Demonstrative Demonstrative
Adjective Adjective

This and that are singular; these and those are plural. They
are all demonstrative adjectives that point out specific nouns.

Interrogative Adjectives 5
Interrogative adjectives are used to form questions.
They single out the nouns they modify.

31
The interrogative adjectives which, what, and whose, together
with the nouns they modify, are commonly used to form questions.

Which
life vest?
Whose
air mattress?

In the first example above, which modifies the noun life vest.
In the second example, whose modifies the noun air mattress
and is used to indicate ownership.

Indefinite Adjectives 6

Indefinite adjectives indicate

nonspecific persons or things.

Some, each, any, many, and several are examples of indefinite

adjectives.

some girls several lockers

Indefinite Adjective Indefinite Adjective

In both of the examples above, we are not certain about the exact
number of persons or things. As adjectives, some and several
modify the nouns girls and lockers.

Numerical Adjectives 7
Numerical adjectives indicate quantity by stating
a fixed number of people or things.

one hot dog two whistles

Numerical Singular Numerical Plural

Adjective Noun Adjective Noun

32
In the example one hot dog, one is the numerical adjective
that indicates one in number. It is used with a singular noun.
In the second example, the adjective two indicates two in
number, and it must be used with a plural noun.

This concludes the section on determiners or limiting adjectives.

Keep in mind the following rule:

the, my this whose any two

an,
a

Determiners indicate that a noun follows.

2.4 Suffixes and Origin of Adjectives

Many adjectives can be identified by their suffixes. Suffixes are
attached to a root word to form the adjective. These adjectives
originate from other types of words, such as nouns or verbs.

Some commonly used suffixes and their meanings follow.

Jake is a fearless swimmer. It was a wonderful party.

less means without ful means full of
fear is the root word wonder is the root word

The goggles are breakable.

able means capable of
break is the root word

Review the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives in

Chapter 5, Adverbs.

2.5 Overview of Adjectives

The following summary highlights the most important details
about adjectives. Always begin by identifying the nouns first.

33
 Summary of Adjectives

Nouns Modified
DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES
Add to your knowledge
Before Noun After Noun
Predicate
Common Adjective
1 Adjectives blue ball is blue
Proper
What kind? Adjective

Mexican exchange student is Mexican

DETERMINERS OR LIMITING ADJECTIVES
Direct you to the correct one by limiting choices
a boy the boy

2 Articles

General Noun Specific Noun

my bathing suit our school

Possessive
3 Adjectives
Ownership or Relationship

this hot dog these friends

Demonstrative
4
Adjectives
Pointing Out Persons or Things

which swimmer? whose flippers?

Interrogative
5 Adjectives

Forming Questions

some boys any hot dog

Indefinite
6 Adjectives
Unknown Person or Thing

one winner two whistles

Numerical
7 Adjectives
Indicating Quantity

34
2.6 Review Exercises

A Underline the descriptive adjective or adjectives in each

sentence.

1. The music is loud.

2. She waves the American flag.
3. The brown horse jumps.
4. The small cup is full.
5. He has an orange balloon.
6. The tired girl sleeps.
7. The water is cold.
8. She plays a sad song.
9. The colorful painting is beautiful.

B Underline the article in each sentence. Decide whether

it is definite or indefinite, and then write D for definite or
I for indefinite.

1. She reads a book. ____

2. Does the cat purr? ____
3. He lives on an island. ____
4. A boy is yelling! ____
5. They go to the lake. ____

C Underline the limiting adjective or adjectives in each

sentence.

1. His coat is black.

2. I have three brothers.
3. This is my house.
4. She swims every day!
5. We play at my house.
6. I want that one.
7. Susan is her friend.

35