adjectives

Adjectives modify nouns and are necessary to make the meanings of sentences clearer or more exact.

They describe what kind, what colour, which one and how many.

A zebra is white with black stripes not black with white stripes.

different types

• Numbering Adjectives
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Distributive Adjectives
• Interrogative Adjectives
• Proper Adjectives

ADJECTIVE TYPES

Numbering
Descriptive
Indefinite
Demonstrative
Distributive
Interrogative
Proper
Possesive

1. DETERMINING ADJECTIVES

are referred to as determiners. There are a limited number of these words.

Possessive adjectives
Quantifiers
Interrogative adjectives.

1.1 Possessive Adjectives

my (+noun)
your (+noun)
his/her (+noun)
our/their (+noun)

Butterflies taste with their feet.

1.2 Quantifiers

1,2,3 (+noun)
1st, 2nd, 3rd (+noun)
every, many (+noun)

An octopus has
three hearts.

1.3 Interrogative Adjectives

whose (+noun)
which (+noun)
what (+noun)

Which planet is the only one that rotates clockwise?

2. Descriptive adjectives

2. DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

describe the perceived or permanent quality of a noun. Their number is unlimited.

Qualifying adjectives
Classifying adjectives.

2.1 Qualifying adjectives

identify a quality that a person, an animal or a thing has
(big, beautiful, complicated).


It is possible to intensify their quality
by adding an adverb
(very, quite, enough).

Most qualifying adjectives are gradable and can be put into comparative or superlative forms
(big, bigger, biggest).

The biggest pumpkin weighed 449kg. It had a very hard shell.

2.1 Classifying Adjectives

place a noun in a particular class that it belongs to.

These are words like ancient, modern, golden, silver etc.

Athletes in the ancient olympics competed in the nude.

USE OF ADJECTIVES:

A. Attributive


B. Predicative

A. Attributive Adjectives

A. ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES

are the most common use of adjectives.

Simple and complex adjectives almost always come before the noun.

I ate a crunchy green apple and some
sweet juicy cherries.

Exceptions:

concerned, involved, present, responsible


When an adjective is postmodified by a prepositional phrase.

The children present enjoyed the party.
They ate all the ice-cream left in the freezer.

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

size
age
shape
colour
origin
material
(noun)

The young fluffy brown puppy chewed a small brown twig.

B. Predicative Adjectives

B. PREDICATIVE ADJECTIVES

are predicative when they are used with the verb BE or other similar verbs such as get, become, grow etc.

They usually occur after the noun.

A polar bear's fur is not white but translucent.

FORMATION OF ADJECTIVES

1. Independent or word family
2. Comparison of adjectives
3. Gradation of adjectives

FORMATION OF ADJECTIVES

ARTICLES
a (+noun)
an (+noun)
the (+noun)

There is an old towel in the car.

DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
this (+noun)
that (+noun)
these (+nouns)
those (+nouns)

Indefinite Adjectives
another, any, both, each, either, many, neither, one, other, some (+ noun)

Many dinosaurs used to roam the earth.

The ladybird sat on a yellow flower.

Mr Potato Head has a red shiny nose.

I feel like some cheese and two apples for lunch.

Which spaceship are you flying in?