Adjectives Explained
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns in a sentence.
Adjectives are usually placed directly before a noun.
Examples:
He has an excellent voice.
I bought a comfortable chair.
He has an excellent voice.
I bought a comfortable chair.
Adjectives can also be placed at the end of a sentence if they describe the subject of a sentence.
Example:
My doctor is excellent.
The movie was terrible.
Example:
My doctor is excellent.
The movie was terrible.
When adjectives are used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be', the adjective describes
the subject of the sentence.
Examples:
Jack is happy.
Peter was tired.
the subject of the sentence.
Examples:
Jack is happy.
Peter was tired.
Adjectives are used with sense verbs or verbs of appearance (feel, taste, smell, sound, appear, seem, etc.) to modify the noun which comes before the verb.
Examples:
The fish tasted awful.
The meat smelled rotten.
Examples:
The fish tasted awful.
The meat smelled rotten.
When indefinite pronouns — such as something, someone, anybody — are modified by an adjective, the adjective comes after the pronoun.
Example:
Anyone capable of doing something horrible to someone nice should be punished.
Example:
Anyone capable of doing something horrible to someone nice should be punished.
There are certain adjectives that, in combination with certain words, are always "postpositive". (coming after the thing they modify).
Example:
The president elect, heir apparent to the Bush fortune, lives in New York proper.
Example:
The president elect, heir apparent to the Bush fortune, lives in New York proper.
The Articles — a, an, and the are adjectives.
Examples:
the tall professor
a handsome teacher
an enormous whale
Examples:
the tall professor
a handsome teacher
an enormous whale
Be careful!
Adjectives don't have singular, plural, masculine, feminine or neuter forms.
Adjectives are always the same! Never add a final -s to an adjective.
Examples:
I have five big books. √ I have five bigs books. χ
They are pretty girls. √ They are pretties girls. χ
Adjectives don't have singular, plural, masculine, feminine or neuter forms.
Adjectives are always the same! Never add a final -s to an adjective.
Examples:
I have five big books. √ I have five bigs books. χ
They are pretty girls. √ They are pretties girls. χ
If a group of words containing a subject and verb acts as an adjective, it is called an Adjective Clause.
Example:My sister, who is much older than I am, is an engineer.
Example:My sister, who is much older than I am, is an engineer.
Degrees of Adjectives
Adjectives can express degrees of modification.
Example:
Gladys is a rich woman, but Josie is richer than Gladys, and Sadie is the richest woman in town.
Adjectives can express degrees of modification.
Example:
Gladys is a rich woman, but Josie is richer than Gladys, and Sadie is the richest woman in town.
The degrees of comparison are known as the positive, the comparative, and the superlative.
(Actually, only the comparative and superlative show degrees.) We use the comparative for
comparing two things and the superlative for comparing three or more things. Notice that
the word than frequently accompanies the comparative and the word the precedes the
superlative. The inflected suffixes -er and -est suffice to form most comparatives and
superlatives, although we need -ier and -iest when a two-syllable adjective ends in y
(happier and happiest); otherwise we use more and most when an adjective has more
than one syllable.
(Actually, only the comparative and superlative show degrees.) We use the comparative for
comparing two things and the superlative for comparing three or more things. Notice that
the word than frequently accompanies the comparative and the word the precedes the
superlative. The inflected suffixes -er and -est suffice to form most comparatives and
superlatives, although we need -ier and -iest when a two-syllable adjective ends in y
(happier and happiest); otherwise we use more and most when an adjective has more
than one syllable.
Position of Adjectives
Unlike Adverbs, which often seem capable of popping up almost anywhere in a sentence,
adjectives nearly always appear immediately before the noun or noun phrase that they modify.
Sometimes they appear in a string of adjectives, and when they do, they appear in a set order
according to category.
Unlike Adverbs, which often seem capable of popping up almost anywhere in a sentence,
adjectives nearly always appear immediately before the noun or noun phrase that they modify.
Sometimes they appear in a string of adjectives, and when they do, they appear in a set order
according to category.
The chart below shows the order that adjectives must be written in a sentence.
THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADJECTIVES
| |||||||||
Determiner
|
Observation
|
Physical Description
|
Origin
|
Material
|
Qualifier
|
Noun
| |||
Size
|
Shape
|
Age
|
Color
| ||||||
a
|
pretty
|
small
|
short
|
new
|
red
|
Italian
|
silk
|
party
|
dress
|
Below are examples of the different kinds of adjectives in use.
1. Opinion
Example: an interesting book, a boring lecture
2. Dimension
Example: a big apple, a thin wallet
3. Age
Example: a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin
4. Shape
Example: a square box, an oval mask, a round ball
5. Color
Example: a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat
6. Origin
Example: some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car
7. Material
Example: a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy
Example: an interesting book, a boring lecture
2. Dimension
Example: a big apple, a thin wallet
3. Age
Example: a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin
4. Shape
Example: a square box, an oval mask, a round ball
5. Color
Example: a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat
6. Origin
Example: some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car
7. Material
Example: a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy
Here are some examples of nouns modified with adjectives in the correct order based on the list above.
(Notice that the adjectives are not separated by commas.)
A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin)
A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - color)
A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - color - material)
Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)
(Notice that the adjectives are not separated by commas.)
A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin)
A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - color)
A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - color - material)
Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)
Only insert commas between adjectives if the adjectives can be easily reversed and put 'and'
between them.
Example of when you can add a comma.
He is a strong, healthy man.
You can add ‘and’ and say: He is a strong and healthy man.
You can reverse the adjectives and say: He is a healthy, strong man.
between them.
Example of when you can add a comma.
He is a strong, healthy man.
You can add ‘and’ and say: He is a strong and healthy man.
You can reverse the adjectives and say: He is a healthy, strong man.
Example of when you cannot add a comma.
He has a small red bicycle.
You cannot add ‘and’ and say: He has a small and red bicycle.
You cannot reverse the adjectives and say: He has a red and small bicycle.
He has a small red bicycle.
You cannot add ‘and’ and say: He has a small and red bicycle.
You cannot reverse the adjectives and say: He has a red and small bicycle.
Before I finish this lesson, I would like to make an important point about the use — or over-use — of adjectives. Adjectives are frail; don't ask them to do more work than they should. Let your broad-shouldered verbs and nouns do the hard work of description. Be particularly cautious in your use of adjectives that don't have much to say in the first place. It is your job as a writer to create beauty, excitement and interest to whatever you are writing. When you continually use adjectives in an attempt to show the readers how interesting and exciting your story is, — you're convincing no one and wasting everyone's time.
REMEMBER!!!
If you have a question, ASK!
The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
If you have a question, ASK!
The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
