Adjectives words that modify, or describe, a noun or a pronoun

Adjectives play a colorful role. Adjectives change the pictures of the mind. Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell the experiences you read about.

A heavy rainstorm ruined parts of Washington, DC. Why did ancient dinosaurs become an extinct species? Our ship was hit by a weaker beam.

The job of the ADJECTIVE Adjectives make comparisons. They separate one noun from another by making direct or indirect comparisons.

Close your eyes and imagine a car. Think about the type of car it is? Think about the color of the car. Think about the sound that it makes. How does it feel when you are riding in it? What type of car did you imagine? (Don’t write, just imagine.)

Is this the car that you imagined? What if I had said, “Imagine a damaged car.” When you add an adjective to a sentence, you are distinguishing one item from another.

Many common adjectives are formed from common nouns. NOUNSADJECTIVES rainrainy scenescenic beautybeautiful rockrocky

Proper Nouns make Proper Adjectives. Proper Nouns Proper Adjectives ChinaChinese MarsMartian AmericaAmerican

Articles The articles a, an, and the are adjectives. An anaconda can swallow its prey whole. The dinosaur walked the earth a long time ago.

Are... formed from proper nouns always capitalized

Example of a proper noun functioning as a proper adjective A Chicago museum is home to the skeleton of one of these ancient beasts.

Common Adjectives A common adjective is any adjective that is not proper. The common adjective is never capitalized, unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.

Examples common adjectives: Max was carrying a new backpack. The loud music was hurting my ears.

Adjectives answer questions What kind? heavy backpack sturdy tent spicy stew Which one? last hamburger third hike every lantern How many? two flashlights many insects little moonlight

Craig carried the heavy, torn backpack. Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives that answer the question, “What kind?” about the same noun.

Do not use a comma to separate adjectives when they each answer a different question. Craig carried the heavy green backpack. I want to pick up those two orange shoes.

Comma Test for Adjectives Reverse the order of the adjectives The trashed, messy apartment needed cleaning. The messy, trashed apartment needed cleaning.

Another Comma Test for Adjectives Insert “and” between the adjectives The trashed, messy apartment needed cleaning. The trashed and messy apartment needed cleaning.

Check your work: 1. Does the sentence still make sense? YES 2. Does changing the adjectives around affect the meaning or coherence of the sentence? NO If you answered both questions correctly, insert a comma.

Special Kinds of Adjectives

A demonstrative adjective points out a particular noun. Demonstrative adjectives answer the question, “Which one(s)?”

This and these point out something nearby. That and those point out something far. This and that are singular. These and those are plural.

One thing to remember… When a noun does not follow this, these, that, or those it is functioning as a pronoun, not as an adjective in the sentence.

This dog is cute, but that dog is cuter. This is cute. That is cuter. pronouns adjectives

Indefinite adjectives give the appropriate information, but they do not tell exactly how many or how much

Some mammoths were heavier than today’s elephant. Some does not tell you exactly how many mammoths. Indefinite = not sure

adjectives that follow linking verbs and describe the subject Buffalo abundant, but now they extinct. Linking verbs the subject to the predicate.

Compound adjectives are made up of two or more words. Sometimes compound adjectives are hyphenated. Example: snow-covered mountain

Forms of Adjectives Base Form Comparative Superlative

Forms of Adjectives Base FormComparativeSuperlative bravebraverbravest fastfasterfastest awfulmore awfulmost awful dangerousmore dangerousmost dangerous thinthinnerthinnest

Base Form describes a noun or pronoun without comparing it to anyone or anything else. The rhino is large.

Comparative (-er or more) compares two nouns or pronouns The elephant is larger than the rhino.

Superlative (-est or most) compares three or more nouns or pronouns. The dinosaur is the largest of them all.

Nouns are sometimes used as adjectives. Rock climbers practice indoors. (“Rock” modifies climbers.) There was a rock wall separating the two countries. (“rock” modifies wall.) There is a rock separating the two countries. (“rock” is a noun)

Good vs. Well Good Good is an adjective. good That was a good lesson on adjectives.Well Well Well is nearly always an adverb. well The girl presented the dance well., well adjective. When used in writing about health, well is an adjective. well The pilots did not feel well after the flight.