Adjectives “Describing” words

What are adjectives? An adjective is a word used to describe a noun or pronoun or to give a noun or pronoun a more specific meaning. Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns.

What are adjectives? Adjectives answer these questions about their noun or pronoun:  What kind?  Which one?  How many?  How much?

What Kind?  Red boat  Sick passenger  Silver jewelry  Cool water

Which one?  Third chance  This train  Any piece  Those apples

How many?  Six cars  Both answers  Several books  Few reasons

How much?  Enough space  No rain  More energy  Little effort

Practice Come up with a noun-adjective pair that answers each question. What kind?Which one?How many?How much?

Placement of adjectives An adjective usually comes before the word it modifies, but it may come after the noun/pronoun. Examples:  The sick child lay in bed.  The child, sick with fever, lay in bed.  She was sick for a week.  Sick in bed, he was very bored.

Practice Identify each adjective and the word it modifies.  Small work boats were sailed extensively for pleasure in early colonial times.  The first pleasure schooner was built in  It was built specifically as a large, luxurious yacht.  American yacht clubs started around the 1840’s.  Six members of the New York Yacht Club financed America’s first racing yacht.

Articles AIndefinite article (refers to any person, place, thing, or idea) Use before a consonant sound. AnIndefinite article Use before a vowel sound. TheDefinite article (refers to a specific person, place, thing, or idea) Definite: The catcher wore the face mask. Indefinite: Give me a book that you think I would enjoy. It is an honor to be your teacher. Will you attend a university after graduation?

Articles Practice Give the definite or indefinite article needed to complete each sentence: 1.(definite) first passenger train cars were 15 feet long and 17 feet wide. 2.They were built like (indefinite) stagecoach with railroad wheels. 3.Later, six wheels were placed on (definite) passenger cars. 4.Today, they are (indefinite) variety of passenger cars. 5.(definite) typical passenger car has (indefinite) aisle with seats on either side.

Nouns Used as Adjectives A noun used as an adjective answers the question What kind? or Which one? About a noun that follows it.  Examples:  guitarguitar music (what kind of music?)  eveningevening meal (which meal?)

Identify the nouns used as adjectives: 1.For a fun vacation, some families plan road trips to state monuments and historic sites. 2.This type of family vacation requires a careful review of state maps to plan a route that covers restaurants, motels, and the sites themselves. 3.The first step is for family members to choose a destination. 4.Next, several different highway routes should be highlighted and studied for the best stops and visitor attractions. 5.Once a route is chosen, the road miles should be calculated, the travel time should be estimated, and a detailed itinerary should be made.

Proper Adjectives A proper adjective is a proper noun used as an adjective or an adjective formed from a proper noun.  Example:  DickensDickens novel (what kind of novel?)  ChicagoChicago storm  JeffersonJeffersonian democracy  MexicoMexican art

Compound Adjectives A compound adjective is an adjective made up of more than one word. They are often written as hyphenated words. However, they can also be separate words or combined words. Examples:  far-off land  farsighted leader  hard-shell crabs

Identify the proper and compound adjectives in these sentences: 1.Late in 1577, Francis Drake left England to attempt a three-year circumnavigation of the globe. 2.After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Drake sailed down the South American coast. 3.Drake lighted the expedition by disposing of two unfit ships and one high-spirited gentleman. 4.Drake then sailed quickly through the Straits of Magellan and ran into a Pacific storm. 5.For the next five and a half months, his crew raided Spanish settlements at will, committing very little violence but taking many treasures.

Pronouns Used as Adjectives A personal pronoun that can be used as an adjective answers the question Which one? About a noun that follows it. Example:  My daughter left her new backpack at school.

Identify the personal pronoun being used as an adjective, and the word it modifies. 1.Have you asked a professional captain for his advice? 2.A professional can help you chart your course. 3.My sister enjoyed her friends’ boat. 4.Their boat is large and has eight cabins. 5.Our goal is to have a small boat someday.

Other Pronouns as Adjectives Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those  Pronoun: She sailed these.  Adjective: She sailed these boats. Interrogative adjectives: which, what, whose  Pronoun: Which did she see?  Adjective: Which ship did she see? Indefinite adjectives  Each boat had several sails.  They bought more rigging.

Identify the pronoun being used as an adjective. What kinds of pronouns are they? 1.Each stateroom has a private breakfast room. 2.Some cruise ships stop in the Bahamas. 3.Those ships depart often from East Coast ports. 4.Many boats sail to Central and South America. 5.What kind of cruise would you like to take?