Adjectives are the spices of the English language, adding flavor, color, and clarity to our sentences. They describe, specify, and quantify nouns or pronouns, giving depth to our conversations and writings.
What is an Adjective ?
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun to provide more information about it. This modification can relate to color, size, quantity, condition, or any quality that describes or clarifies the noun's attributes.
Kinds of Adjectives
Adjectives come in several types, each serving a specific purpose in enriching our language. Below is a summary of the main kinds of adjectives:
| Type | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Describe qualities or characteristics | happy, tall, beautiful, rough |
| Quantitative | Indicate quantity or amount | five, many, some, few |
| Demonstrative | Point out specific items | this, that, these, those |
| Possessive | Show ownership or possession | my, your, his, her |
| Interrogative | Used in questions to ask about nouns | which, what, whose |
| Indefinite | Refer to non-specific items | any, other, several, many |
Formation of Adjectives
Adjectives can be formed in various ways, including adding suffixes to nouns or verbs, and through the use of adjectives as they are. Here are some examples:
- Beauty (noun) + -ful = Beautiful
- Joy (noun) + -ous = Joyous
- Child (noun) + -ish = Childish
- Care (verb) + -ful = Careful
Degree of Comparison
Adjectives change form to indicate levels of comparison—comparing one thing to another or among a group. There are three degrees of comparison:
| Degree | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Shows a quality without comparison | fast, tall, beautiful |
| Comparative | Compares two items | faster, taller, more beautiful |
| Superlative | Compares more than two items | fastest, tallest, most beautiful |
Correct Uses of Adjectives
Properly using adjectives involves more than just selecting the right word; it also means placing them correctly in a sentence. Here are key guidelines:
- Adjectives usually precede the noun they modify: "A beautiful garden."
- When using multiple adjectives, they follow a specific order: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose: "An adorable little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife."
- The degree of comparison should match the context of comparison: "She is the tallest in her class (superlative), but taller than her sister (comparative)."