English Adjectives

What is an Adjective? An adjective is a word that tells us more about a noun or a pronoun. An adjective describes or modifies a noun. Adjective lists that follow each topic are only partial ones. Three Questions. Adjectives usually answer three questions about the nouns they describe: 1. What kind of? I found a red rose in the cave. What kind of rose? Red 2. How many? Three tickets, please. How many tickets? Three. 3. Which one(s)? I would eat these muffins. Which muffins? These. Kinds of adjectives. 1. Demonstrative adjective this, that, these, those are called demonstrative adjectives. They point out nouns. They always answer the question which one? In the following example, demonstrative adjectives are shown in color. Lets play this game and later watch that movie. Remember that this, that, these, those can also act as demonstrative pronouns in which case they are not followed by nouns (as demonstrative adjectives are), but take the place of nouns. In the following example, demonstrative pronouns are shown in color. Lets play this and later watch that. 2. Common adjective is just a simple, regular adjective. It describes a noun in a general way. sharp, flexible, hot, red, hidden, dripping, nice, huge. 3. Proper adjective is derived from a proper noun and is capitalized. Proper noun   Proper adjective China   Chinese California   Californian Mars   Martian Spain   Spanish Christianity   Christian Japan   Japanese Hollywood   Hollywood Texas   Texas Sometimes, as in last two examples, a proper noun does not change at all to become a proper adjective. Where an adjective goes in a sentence. Usually an adjective comes in front of the noun it is describing. The big balloon floated over the dark sea. An adjective can also come after a linking verb, like to be, and describe the subject of the sentence. In this case it is called predicate adjective. The balloon was dark. Adjective Links What is an adjective? from HyperGrammar Adjective from wikipedia

Adjectives quizzes and lists: List of adjectives Spelling of adjectives Comparison of adjectives: Positive degree – the simplest form. Comparative degree – comparing two things or persons. Superlative degree – comparing three or more things or persons. Positive  Comparative  Superlative large  larger  largest horrible  more horrible  most horrible How to compare adjectives 1. Add er and est to short adjectives of one syllable (sometimes two syllables) Positive  Comparative  Superlative short  shorter  shortest great  greater  greatest small  smaller  smallest old  older  oldest 2. If a short adjective ends with consonant and y, change the y to i and add er and est. Positive  Comparative  Superlative lucky  luckier  luckiest heavy  heavier  heaviest happy  happier  happiest silly  sillier  silliest ugly  uglier  ugliest 3. If a short adjective ends with e, add er and st. Positive  Comparative  Superlative little  littler  littlest fine  finer  finest 4. Put more(less) and most(least) in front of longer adjectives (with two or more syllables) to show comparison. Positive  Comparative  Superlative appealing  less appealing  least appealing remarkable  more remarkable  most remarkable beautiful  more beautiful  most beautiful alert  more alert  most alert If you are uncertain whether to add er and est or to use more and most, then check dictionary. In most cases, you can trust your ears. Some adjectives are irregular adjectives and don't follow thee rules. They change form considerably from one degree to the next. You need to study these changes carefully in order to recognize them easily. List of irregular adjectives. Positive  Comparative  Superlative bad  worse  worst far  further  furthest far  farther  farthest good  better  best many  more  most little  less  least old  elder  eldest well (healthy)  better  best Never use er or est at the same time you use more or most. These are incorrect: more shorter, most alertest Incomparable adjectives. Some adjectives cannot be compared because the positive (simplest) form expresses the only degree possible. List of incomparable adjectives: perfect, unique, fatal, universal, dead, wrong, straight, blind, final, vertical, right, left