Grammar Unit Adjectives

Lets Review... The adjective is the third of the eight parts of speech. Just for the record, here are all eight: Noun Pronoun Adjective Verb Adverb Preposition Conjunction Interjection

First, let's start with a basic definition: Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. mod·i·fy = To change in form or character; alter. To make less extreme, severe, or strong: refused to modify her stand on the issue. Grammar. To qualify or limit the meaning of. For example, summer modifies day in the phrase a summer day.

Possessive pronouns can be used as adjectives. Example: That is his book. Adjectives answer these questions about the noun: WHAT KIND of noun is it? WHICH noun is it? HOW MANY of that noun are there?

The, A, and An are called articles. Articles are always adjectives. They modify nouns and pronouns. Now, you have 2 minutes... Turn to the student next to you and see how many Adjectives you and your partner can come up with.

Identify the adjectives in the following sentence and explain WHY each one is an adjective. The two dark cats were walking on the fence. The - adjective because it modifies the noun cats and is an article. Two - adjective because it modifies the noun cats & answers the question HOW MANY. Dark - adjective because it modifies the noun cats & answers the question WHAT KIND. The - adjective because it modifies fence & is an article.

Lets try another... These southern countries have dry weather. These - adjective because it modifies the noun countries & answers the question WHICH. Southern - adjective because it modifies the noun countries & answers the question WHAT KIND Dry - adjective because it modifies the noun weather & answers the question WHAT KIND.

And one more for practice... The chocolate one is his last cookie. The - adjective because it modifies the pronoun one and is an article. Chocolate - adjective because it modifies the pronoun one & tells WHAT KIND. His - adjective because it is a possessive pronoun that modifies the noun cookie and answers the question WHICH ONE. Last - adjective because it modifies the noun cookie and tells WHICH ONE.

Now, with a partner... Write 3 sentences including as many adjectives in each as you possibly can. GO!

Please take a few minutes to review. Your quiz will begin shortly.

Adjective Quiz Find and explain the adjectives in the following sentences. 1. He suggested they clean the statue for their community service project. 2. The bank book was on the kitchen table. 3. Five dollars was required of each student. 4. The teacher asked the shy boy to give an oral report. 5. I visited the family for several days. 6. Do you have a special someone in your life? 7. Her story was printed in the town paper.

Adjective Homework In a newspaper or magazine, find an article that interests you and is more than 10 sentences in length. Tape the article to a clean sheet of paper. With a BLUE pencil or pen, underline and number all the adjectives in the article. On the paper, identify the type of adjective it is. Due Tomorrow at the beginning of class.