English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010
Lesson 16: Identifying adjectives
Unit 4: Adjectives
Part I: Kinds of words
An adjective is a word that refers to a characteristic of a noun. How can you identify an adjective?
If you can put a word between the and a noun (like boy, or idea), then that word is an adjective.
Quick tip 16.1
If you can put a word between the and a noun (for example, the ... boy), then that word is an adjective.
For example, since we can say the tall boy, tall is an adjective. Similarly, we can say the silly boy, the interesting boy, and the young boy. Therefore, silly, interesting, and young are all adjectives.
A number of adjectives, all used in the phrase the ... boy are listed below. The adjectives are underlined:
1. the brilliant boy
2. the embarrassed boy
3. the blonde boy
4. the hungry boy
5. the delightful boy
Compare these phrases to *the very boy, *the a boy, and *the talk boy. Very, a, and talk are not adjectives.
What do adjectives actually do? Adjectives always tell us something about a noun. Another way of saying this is that they modify a noun. In the phrases we’ve just looked at, the underlined adjectives tell us something about, or modify, the noun boy.
Test yourself 16.1
Which of the following words are adjectives? See if they sound right when you put them here: the ... thing. Check the appropriate column.
Getting started (answers on p. 63)
1. yellow
2. wonderful
3. these
4. quickly
5. unreliable
More practice (answers on the website)
6. is
7. pure
8. on
9. creative
10. almost
Test yourself 16.2
Underline the adjectives in the sentences below. In each case, the adjective will be between the and a noun. A sentence may have more than one adjective.
Sample: She has been the strong leader of this company for years.
Getting started (answers on p. 63)
1. The strange robots marched towards the city.
2. It was the last day of school.
3. We tugged at the enormous gate.
4. The billowing smoke alerted us to the fire.
5. The sudden sandstorm forced the surprised bathers to flee the beach.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. She received the exciting news in the noisy restaurant.
7. The blind beggar was sitting at the busy corner.
8. Jeremy did not get the subtle humor of the play.
9. The poor people of the world outnumber the rich ones.
10. Keep your hands off the hot stove!
As we’ve said, a good way to decide ifa word is an adjective is to see if it can be placed between the and a noun. But that doesn’t mean that that’s the only place where an adjective can occur; it’s just a way to test a word to see if it’s an adjective.
Here are some sentences where the adjective is in a different place. In each case, the adjective is underlined.
6. He is a tall boy.
7. My best friend loves chocolate cake.
8. The house had a low roof.
9. Large cars are harder to drive than small cars.
Let’s make sure that each of the underlined words above passes the adjective test, that is, that it can appear between the and a noun.
10. tall: the tall boy
11. best: the best movie
12. chocolate: the chocolate bar
13. low: the low ceiling
14. large: the large window
1 5. small: the small window.
As you can see, each of these words passes the adjective test. Notice also that each of these words describes a characteristic of a noun.
Test yourself 16.3
Use the adjective test to find the adjectives in each of the sentences below. A sentence may have more than one adjective.
Sample: It took a long time to arrive at our next destination.
Getting started (answers on p. 63)
1. Evenings were a special time for the family.
2. The next week was a busy one in the store.
3. There’s an unusual idea floating around.
4. I turned a corner in the long hall.
5. A dirty fork had fallen to the floor.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. I wrote a boring letter.
7. Mary’s younger brother was already there.
8. The American flag was behind Edward’s desk.
9. I could see his face in the red light from the exit sign.
10. We gathered the important facts from those dusty books.
What do you notice about the underlined adjectives in the phrases below?
16. the delicious rich cake
17. my tall, red-haired, entertaining friend
18. a bright, colorful, blue, striped pattern
As you can see, a noun can have more than one adjective modifying it. In fact, there is no limit to the number of adjectives that can modify a noun (except the patience and tolerance of the listener!).
Test yourself 16.4
Underline the adjectives in each of the sentences below. Some of the nouns will be modified by more than one adjective.
Sample: She ate all the crisp, crunchy chips.
Getting started (answers on p. 63)
1. They went off to see an old, gloomy, historic mansion in southern England.
2. She had anticipated his sudden arrival.
3. Angela ignored his annoying, persistent questions.
4. I must get rid of my decrepit, banged-up little old car.
5. We wouldn’t want to cross this wide, busy street, would we?
More practice (answers on the website)
6. You should heed the advice of wise men and women.
7. Wild animals can be dangerous.
8. The lovely young lady read one of her favorite novels on her comfortable sofa.
9. Why did you buy this outdated computer in the first place?
10. The Dodgers’ frustrated manager benched his brash young pitcher.
Remember that sometimes a word can function as one word category, or part of speech, in one sentence, and as another word category in another sentence (see Lesson 2). For example, let’s look at the word cream. In the sentence I brought the cream, cream isa noun. But in the sentence That’s a cream cake, cream is an adjective, telling us more about the noun cake.
Test yourself 16.5
In each of the sentences below, decide if the underlined words are functioning as nouns or adjectives.
Sample: That copy isn’t legible. adjective
Getting started (answers on p. 63)
1. The window ledge is too narrow for a plant.
2. That window is stuck shut.
3. This has been a chilly spring.
4. I’m enjoying this spring weather.
5. The morning hours are not my best.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. I drink two cups of coffee each morning.
7. In most public restaurants, it is forbidden to smoke a cigarette.
8. Cigarette smokers must go for X-ray tests regularly.
9. My nephew was looking for travel companions.
10. Foreign travel can be both exhausting and exhilarating.
Test yourself 16.6
In each of the sentences below, decide if the underlined words are functioning as nouns, verb s, or adjectives.
Sample: That’s a jail cell. adjective
Getting started (answers on p. 63)
1. He goes to a day school.
2. I work during the day.
3. The defendant will shock them when they hear his response.
4. It was a terrible shock.
5. I will voice my opinion if I want to.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The singer had a wonderful voice.
7. Some people call the larynx a voice box.
8. Some languages have both formal and informal terms of address.
9. I don’t wish to address this question at this time. ...
10. Did you put my information in your address book?
Test yourself 16.7
In each of the sentences below, identify the word category of each word in each sentence.
Sample: The instructor answered her unspoken question.
determiner - noun - verb - determiner - adjective - noun
Getting started (answers on p. 64)
1. A light rain fell.
2. Ernie’s friend likes a good argument.
3. His employee received that small bonus.
4. Some big cars take premium gasoline.
5. This question deserves a serious answer.
More practice (answers on the website)
6. The policeman’s warning scared my passengers.
7. Most guests enjoyed the lavish party.
8. Your best friend had a soda.
9. Good marriages have many joyous moments.
10. His daughter bought a stunning Italian dress.