Free English Lessons: Adjectives

Adjectives are words that modify nouns and pronouns. They describe, explain, or tell something about the nouns. Most adjectives answer the questions: What kind? Which one? and How much/many? For examples,

happy girl
his desk
that boy
five books
many people
first class

TYPES OF ADJECTIVES

Descriptive Adjective

Descriptive adjectives tells quality/condition, appearances/looks, personality, feeling, shape, size, touch, and color. They answer the question “what kind?” For examples,

Qualities/conditions: rich, poor, healthy, bright, advanced, modern...
Appearances/looks: beautiful, handsome, pretty, short, tall, build, good-looking, tough...
Personalities: honest, helpful, friendly, kind, industrious, hard-working, stingy...
Feelings: happy, sad, distressed, painful, excited, worried, anxious...
Shapes: oval, round, rectangle, tall, high, long, spherical...
Sizes: big, small, narrow, wide, spacious, tiny...
Touches: smooth, rough, bumpy, sandy, sharp, blunt...
Colors: red, yellow, brown, cyan, purple, white, black, blue, blur...

Quantitative adjectives

Quantitative adjectives (or adjective of numbers) tells the number or amount. They answer to the questions "How much or How many?" Normally, they are classified into 3 groups:

(i) Definite numeral adjectives
They tells the number (cardinal) and order (ordinal). For examples,

Cardinal: one, two, three, hundred, million...
Ordinal: first, second, third, hundredth, millionth...

(ii) Indefinite numeral adjective
They tell amount, but not the exact ones. They are: some, any, a lot of, much, many, plenty, large amount of, a great deal of... For examples,

I have some money.
They have a lot of paper.

(iii) Distributive numeral adjectives
They tell the number which refers to one at a time. They are: each, every, either, neither. For examples,

Each student has an ID Card.
Either staff can represent the group.
Neither policeman are allowed to torture suspects.

Proper Adjectives

Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns. Just like proper nouns, they start with a capital letter. They normally answer the adjective question, "What kind?" Take a look:

Proper Noun: America, Japan, Cambodia ...
Proper Adjective: American, Japanese, Cambodian...

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives restrict the ownership or possession of nouns. They are: my, our, your, his, her, its, and their. For examples,

I visited their hometown.
I left my book at home.

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives point out which nouns. They are: this, that, these, and those. For examples,

This book is interesting.
I like that dress.
These cars were produced in Japan.
Who are those people?

Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives introduce direct or indirect questions. They are: what, which, and whose.For examples,

He asked which way I should go.
He wondered what problems we are having.
Whose book is this?
Which subjects should he take?
What requirements do you need?

Relative Adjectives

Relative adjectives introduce clauses and modify the nouns that follow. They are: whose, whichever, and whatever. For examples,

The student whose work is admired works very hard.
Carry whatever foods you can.
He will choose whichever solution is practical.

POSITIONS OF ADJECTIVES

We place or put adjectives in two main positions:

(i) Before nouns

They are placed before nouns so that they modify nouns. For examples,

She is a hard-working student.
It is a big and expensive house.

(ii) After linking verbs

They are placed after linking verbs and they complete the meaning of the subjects. For examples,

She looks unhappy.
They are friendly and helpful.

(iii) After nouns

However, adjectives in some cases, adjective phrases, and adjective clauses may be placed after the nouns they modify.

It is not easy to make everyone satisfied.
I don't know the man who is standing over there. [adjective clause]
I don't know the man standing over there. [adjective phrase/particle phrase]

USES OF ADJECTIVES

We use adjectives to modify nouns or pronouns.

(i) Modifying nouns

Look at the examples.

I prefer red apples.
It was a cold, gray, and ominous dawn.

(ii) modifying pronouns