Adjectives

Adjectives An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or a pronoun. The eager, large crowd of visitors examines the huge painting.

Questions That Adjectives Answer What Kind? brick house white paper Which One? that judge each answer How Many? one daffodil several roses How Much? no time enough raisins

Find the Adjectives The endless landscape seemed filled with strange objects and ghostly figures. The silent woman was aware of everything around her. endless, filled (PA), strange, ghostly silent, aware (PA) bright, whitened red, eye-catching (PA)

Articles The articles a, an, and the are always considered to be adjectives. Indefinite articles = a and an refer to one of a general group of people, places, things, or ideas A is used before words that start with a consonant sound; an is used before words that start with a vowel sound. Definite article = the identifies specific people, places, things, or ideas A tiger and an antelope ran through the clearing.

Compound Adjectives A compound adjective is made up of more than one word. usually written in hyphenated form one-sided opinion so-called expert sometimes written in combined form heartbreaking news nearsighted witness

Nouns Used as Adjectives Nouns are sometimes used as adjectives. When this happens, the noun is used immediately in front of another noun and answers the question What Kind? or Which One? Noun = court Adjective = court date Noun = morning Adjective = morning meal Noun = chalk Adjective = chalk tray

Pronouns Used as Adjectives Possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) followed by nouns are often called possessive adjectives. They are pronouns because they have antecedents, and they are adjectives since they answer the question Which One? my book your friend his idea her courage its surface our destination their reservation

Pronouns Used as Adjectives The four demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) are actually demonstrative adjectives when they are followed by nouns. They also answer the question Which One? this painting that portrait these pictures those sculptures

Pronouns Used as Adjectives Some interrogative pronouns (which, what, whose) are followed by nouns. When this happens, they’re actually interrogative adjectives, and they modify the nouns that follow them. Which student borrowed the library book today? What time are we leaving for the train station? Whose project is posted on the bulletin board?

Pronouns Used as Adjectives A number of indefinite pronouns (both, few, many, each, most, some, all, etc.) can be followed by nouns, which makes them indefinite adjectives. They often tell How Much? both representatives few complications many circumstances each attraction most phenomena some predicaments all experiments

Bibliography Carroll, Joyce A., Edward E. Wilson, and Gary Forlini. Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar. Vol. Grade 8. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008. Royster, Jacqueline J., and Mark Lester. Writer's Choice Grammar Workbooks : Teacher's Wraparound Edition. Vol. Grade 8. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1996. Writer's Choice Grammar Workbook 1996 : Grade 8. Vol. Grade 8. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1999.