LESSON 3: ADJECTIVES

The role of adjectives as modifiers of noun and pronoun and other adjectives will look
into different types of classes or adjectives:
A. Coordinate adjectives
These are small groups of adjectives used to describe some attributes of
the same noun or subject. They are separated by a comma to avoid confusion
the adjectives as singular modifier and not a coordinate pair.
Example: She wore a blue and white blouse yesterday.
It was a dark, gloomy, and thunderous afternoon in
Transylvania.

B. Descriptive adjectives
These adjectives generally modify a noun. They give the noun a quality or
attribute.
Example: The good son.
The majestic mountain.

C. Distributive adjectives
These point out specific entities and single out a particular noun or
pronoun in order to modify or draw attention. Some of these adjectives are any,
each, either, every, neither. they stand before the noun/object they modify.
Example: I don’t like to hear any news about the elections.
Don’t touch every plant you see in the garden.
She bought each cellphone model in that store.

D. Indefinite adjectives
These point to non-specific items. They are similar to indefinite articles.
Some of these are any, few, many, no, and several.
Example: I don’t like to hear any complaints from you.
Do you have many units in stock?
There are no teachers in the faculty room.

E. Interrogative adjectives
These pose a question and need a noun or pronoun by their side.
Example: What brand do you prefer for a laptop?
Which dress do you want to wear for the ball?
Whose mother is here to see the principal?
F. Possessive adjectives
These show possession. Some of these adjectives use possessive
pronouns and they come before their corresponding nouns.
Example: Is that their house?
Don’t touch our dog.

G. Predicate adjectives
They come after a linking verb.
Example: She is intelligent.
We are poor.

H. Proper adjectives
These are capitalized adjectives derived from proper noun.
Example: I watch Japanese movies and drama series.
Alixio is a Zentaurean prince.

I. Demonstrative adjectives
These refer to which noun or
pronoun you are referring. These
come before all other adjectives in
the noun phrase. Some of the
common demonstrative adjectives
are this, that, these and those.

J. Quantitative/Numerical/Cardinal
adjectives
A quantitative adjective is a beneficial word for conveying the details and
information about the object of a sentence in various categories. These describe
the quantity of something. They answer the question how much.
Example: She has four siblings.
I want to buy a dozen of eggs.
I’ll take 10 slices of bread.

Sequence adjectives
They are similar to quantitative adjectives, and they are also called ordinal
adjectives. They denote in what order as first, second, third, fourth, etc.
Example: This is my third bachelorette party.
Marian is the name of her sixth child.
 There are also adjectives that illustrate the order of things without using
numbers.
Example: Spider-Man: No Way Home is the latest MCU movie.
Fans are waiting for Taylor Swift’s next album.

K. Articles as adjectives
Articles such as a, an, and the act as adjectives. They stand beside their
subject/object.
Example: She is the daughter of the president.
A princess should be poised and graceful.
I want to ride on an airplane.

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES/CUMULATIVE ADJECTIVES

Placement Type of Adjectives Examples
Article an, a, the
1 Demonstrative determiner this, that, those, these
Possessive determiner my, your, his, our
2 Quantity one, two, three, ninety-four
3 Opinion or Observation beautiful, clever, witty, well-mannered
4 Size big, medium-sized, small
5 Physical quality thin, lumpy, cluttered
6 Shape square, round, long
7 Age young, middle-aged, old
8 Color red, blue, purple
9 Origin or Religion French, Buddhist
10 Material metal, leather, wooden
11 Type L-shaped, two-sided, all-purpose
12 Purpose or Attributive Noun mixing, drinking, cooking, service, football,
head

For example:
1. I love that really big old green antique car that always parked at the end of the
street.
2. My sister adopted a beautiful big white bulldog.

When there are two or more adjectives that are from the same group, the word and is
placed between the two adjectives:
3. The house is green and red.
4. The library has old and new books.
When there are three or more adjectives from the same adjective group, place a comma
between each of the coordinate adjectives:
5. We live in the big green, white and red house at the end of the street.
6. My friend lost a red, black and white watch.

A comma is not placed between an adjective and the noun.

More examples:
7. I love that beautiful old big green antique car that always parked at the end of
the street. [quality – age – size – color – proper adjective]
8. My sister has a big, beautiful tan and white bulldog. [size – quality – color –
color]
9. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
10. A big square blue box. [dimension – shape – color]
11. A disgusting pink plastic ornament. [opinion – color – material]
12. Some slim new French trousers. [dimension – age – origin]
13. An amazing new American movie. [opinion – age – origin]
14. I bought a pair of black leather shoes. [color – material]

COMPARISONS OF ADJECTIVES
Adjectives often describe the degree of modification. These forms are positive,
comparative, and superlative.

This boy is tall. - positive

That girl is taller. - comparative
The last boy in the row is the - superlative
tallest.

A. Positive degree is used to describe one item, group, or person. It uses a basic
form of an adjective.
Example: Marica is beautiful.

B. Comparative degree describes two items, people or groups. These adjectives

are used to compare two items.
Example: Nissa is more beautiful than Marica.

Comparative adjectives in sentences are followed by than.

C. Superlative degree describes three or more items, groups or people.

Example: Meraxes is the most beautiful among the three girls.

Superlative adjectives in sentences are always preceded by the article the.

General rules for Comparative and Superlative

Adjective Comparative Superlative

 small smaller (the) smallest

fast faster (the) fastest

One-syllable large larger (the) largest

adjective
big bigger (the) biggest

thoughtful more/less (the) most/least

Most two-
syllable thoughtful thoughtful
adjective
useful more/less useful (the) most/least useful

Two-syllable sleepy sleepier (the) sleepiest

adjectives
ending in -y happy happier (the) happiest

little littler (the) littlest

Two-syllable
adjectives narrow narrower (the) narrowest
ending with -
er, -le, -or, - gentle gentler (the) gentlest
ow
Three or intelligent more/less intelligent (the) most/least
more
syllable intelligent
adjectives
important more/less important (the) most/least

important

Two-Syllable Adjectives that follows Two Rules (either form is correct)

Adjective Comparative Superlative

more/less clever (the) most/least
clever
clever

cleverer (the) cleverest

more/less simple (the) most/least

simple
simple

simpler (the) simplest

 more/less (the) most/least
friendly
friendly friendly

friendlier (the) friendliest

Irregular Adjectives

Adjective Comparative Superlative

good better (the) best

bad worse (the) worst

far farther (the) farthest

little less (the) least

few fewer (the) fewest

Activity 08 Fill in the words into the crossword. You can click on the numbers or the
words. When you have completed the crossword. Form comparatives of
the given adjectives and write them into the grid.