Adjectives and Adverbs 9/10/13

What is an adjective? An adjective is a word used to modify (describe) a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives modify by telling us what kind, which one, how much, or how many.

How do adjectives modify? What kind? cloudy day, enormous mistake, stone wall, eager clerk, secret garden Which one? this one, that one, those books, these cookies How much or How many? seven rings, more money, six puppies, several people

Articles…Is an Article an Adjective? YES! The most frequently used adjectives are the words a, an, and the! A and An are called indefinite articles because they refer to any member of a general group. How is a gerbil different from a hamster? The is a definite article because it refers to someone or something in particular. The key would not open the lock. (specific key & specific lock)

Adjectives in Sentences An adjective may come before or after the word that it modifies! Examples: The blouse, once bright, now looks faded. These rare coins are extremely valuable.

Proper Adjectives A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun and begins with a capital letter. Examples: Canadian citizen, Chinese calendar, New Jersey coast, etc.

What is an Adverb? An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. They add a more descriptive/definite quality. An adverb tells where, when, how, or to what extent.

Adverbs Modifying Adjectives Examples: An unusually fast starter, Karen won the race. (The adverb unusually modifies the adjective fast, telling how fast the starter was.) Our committee is especially busy at this time of year. (The adverb especially modifies the adjective busy, telling to what extent the committee is busy.)

Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs Examples: Elena finished the problem more quickly than I did. (The adverb more modifies the adverb quickly, telling how quickly Elena finished the problem.) Our guest left quite abruptly. (The adverb quite modifies the adverb abruptly, telling to what extent our guest left abruptly.)