https://www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/what-are-adjectives/adjectives/49907
- 0
An ADJECTIVE modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.
In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:
- The truck-shaped balloon floated over the treetops.
- Mrs. Morrison papered her kitchen walls with hideous wall paper.
- The small boat foundered on the wine dark sea.
- The coal mines are dark and dank.
- Many stores have already begun to play irritating Christmas music.
- A battered music box sat on the mahogany sideboard.
- The back room was filled with large, yellow rain boots.
An adjective can be modified by an adverb, or by a phrase or clause functioning as an adverb. In the sentence
- My husband knits intricately patterned mittens.
for example, the adverb "intricately" modifies the adjective "patterned."
Some nouns, many pronouns, and many participle phrases can also act as adjectives. In the sentence
- Eleanor listened to the muffled sounds of the radio hidden under her pillow.
for example, both highlighted adjectives are past participles.
- 7
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are describing words. However, there are many other words that are classified as adjectives, some of which do not fall easily under this description.
PERSONAL TITLES
Personal titles such Mr, Mrs, Auntie, Uncle, Dr and Lord are classified as adjectives when they are attached to a name. The day after tomorrow, you can visit Auntie Pauline and Uncle Joe.
The lecture on Friday will be presented by Dr Ingols and Prof. Munro.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Possessive adjectives are used to show possession. They are my, your, his, her, its, our and their.
THE ARTICLES
The words a, an and the are known as articles and are classified as adjectives too. 'A' and 'an' are called the indefinite articles, as they do not indicate a specific noun; whereas, 'the' is called the definite article, because it does point to a specific noun. A cup (< any cup)
The cup (< a specific cup)
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
Demonstrative adjectives are used to demonstrate or indicate specific things. This, that, these and those are all demonstrative adjectives. If I hear that parrot again, I will call the RSPCA.
('That' is a demonstrative adjective. It refers to a specific parrot.) Medals will only be given to those runners who complete the marathon in
less than 8 hours.
('Those' is a demonstrative adjective. It refers to specific people.)
INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES
Unlike demonstrative adjectives, which indicate specific items, indefinite adjectives do not point out specific things. They are formed from indefinite pronouns. The most common indefinite adjectives are no, any, many, few and several. The chief has heard many people make the same promise.
(The indefinite adjective 'many' modifies the noun 'people'.) According to a council spokesman, there are no wallabies left in Derbyshire.
However, over the past few months, many walkers have reported seeing
several adults with young.
(The indefinite adjectives in this example are no, few, many and several.)
NUMBERS
Numbers are classified as adjectives too. Four dolphins stayed with the boat until dawn.
(The adjective 'four' modifies the noun 'dolphins'.) All we could muster was 9 cans of beans.
(The adjective '9' modifies the noun 'cans'.)
- 3
This list may include: For more examples of adjectives, visit the following Web sites:
- -1
An adjective is a word like kind, happy, smart and intelligent. An adjective typically modifies a noun and denotes a temporary or permanent quality associated with that noun. For example, a smart boy is a boy who is distinguished from other boys by being smart. Not all adjectives are used to denote a quality associated with a noun. For example, the adjective mere in ‘a mere child’ does not denote a quality of the child. Kinds of adjectives Adjectives may be divided into the following classes: Adjectives of quality Adjectives of quality refer to the kind or quality of a person or thing. They answer the question: ‘of what kind?’ Note that adjectives formed from proper nouns are generally considered as adjectives of quality. Examples are: Persian carpets, French wines etc. Adjectives of quantity Adjectives of quantity answer the question ‘how much?’. Examples are:some, any, much, little, enough, all, no, half, whole etc. Adjectives of number Adjectives of number answer the question ‘how many’. Examples are:many, one, two, first, tenth, all etc. Demonstrative adjectives Demonstrative adjectives answer the question ‘which?’. Examples are: this, that, these, those and such. Note that this and that are used with singular nouns. These and thoseare used with plural nouns. Interrogative adjectives When they are used with nouns to ask questions, the questions wordswhat, which and whose are called interrogative adjectives.
- 1