English Grammar for the Utterly Confused - Laurie Rozakis 2003
Adjectives
Chapter 1. Parts of Speech
Part 1 Welcome to grammarland
Chapter 1. Parts of Speech
You should read this chapter if you need to review or learn about
In this chapter, you’ll review parts of speech so that you have a standard way to describe how words are put together to create meaning. The parts of speech are arranged in alphabetical order for easy reference. In later chapters, you will learn how to correct errors caused by misusing these parts of speech.
Get Started
English is a very flexible language. A word’s meaning is derived not only from how it is spelled and pronounced but also from how it is used in a sentence. As you review the parts of speech, remember that the way a word is used in a sentence determines which part of speech it is. For example:
Noun: I ate a fish for dinner.
Verb: We fish in the lake on every Tuesday.
Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives answer the questions: What kind? How much? Which one? How many? For example:
What kind?
How much?
Which one?
How many?
red nose
more sugar
second chance
several chances
gold ring
little effort
those chocolates
six books
There are five kinds of adjectives: common adjectives, proper adjectives, compound adjectives, articles, and indefinite adjectives.
1. Common adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.
strong man
green plant
beautiful view
2. Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns.
California vegetables (from the noun “California”)
Mexican food (from the noun “Mexico”)
3. Compound adjectives are made up of more than one word.
far-off country
teenage person
4. Articles are a special type of adjective. There are three articles: a, an, the.
The is called a “definite article” because it refers to a specific thing.
A and an are called “indefinite articles” because they refer to general things. Use a with consonant sounds; use an before vowel sounds.
5. Indefinite adjectives don’t specify the specific amount of something.
all
each
more
several
another
either
most
some
any
few
neither
both
many
other
Follow these guidelines when you use adjectives:
1. Use an adjective to describe a noun or a pronoun.
Jesse was unwilling to leave the circus.
noun
adj.
adj. noun
2. Use vivid adjectives to make your writing more specific and descriptive.
Take a larger slice of the luscious cake.
adj. noun
adj. noun
3. Use an adjective after a linking verb. A linking verb connects a subject with a descriptive word. The most common linking verbs are be (is, am, are, was, were, and so on), seem, appear, look, feel, smell, sound, taste, become, grow, remain, stay, and turn.
Chicken made this way tastes more delicious (not deliciously).
Quick Tip
Predicate adjectives are adjectives separated from the noun or pronoun by a linking verb. Predicate adjectives describe the subject of the sentence.
The weather was cold all week.