Chapter 5 Adjectives and Adverbs

Dear Alice, We hiked and camped. We saw flowers and climbed trails. --Gomez

What would you think if you received the postcard message? It’s kind of boring, isn’t it? To give a better sense of what it was like to be there, the writer could add words describing what he saw and did. We hiked endlessly and camped late. We saw mountain flowers and carefully climbed steep trails.

The words writers use to describe people, places, and things are adjectives. The words they use to describe actions are adverbs. What adjectives and adverbs would you use to describe the picture on the postcard above?

Write Away: Wish You Were Here! Create a postcard of one of your favorite outdoor places. On one side, describe the place and what you did there. Illustrate the other side with a picture of what you have described. Save your postcard in your Working Portfolio.

An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or a pronoun. MODIFIES A heavy rainstorm soaked the campsite. ADJECTIVE NOUN ( What kind of rain? ) Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell all the experiences you read about.

Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell all the experiences you read about. Notice how adjectives make the second sentence in this pair more descriptive. Coyotes startled the campers. Noisy coyotes startled the sleepy campers.

Adjectives answer the questions: what kind, which one, how many, and how much.

Adjectives What kind? green backpack sturdy tent spicy stew Which one or ones? last hamburger third hike every lantern How many or how much? two flashlights many insects little moonlight

What kind? round roof waterproof floor Which one or ones? only door each window How many? Several tent stakes two people

Articles The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the.

Articles The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the. A and an are used with singular nouns.

Articles The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the. A and an are used with singular nouns. Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound. a tent a candle a lamp

Articles The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the. A and an are used with singular nouns. Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound. a tent a candle a lamp Use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound. an axe an elephant an unusual night

Articles The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea.

Articles The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea. You can use the with singular or plural nouns.

Articles The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea. You can use the with singular or plural nouns. The hiker tripped on the trail and dropped the cameras.

Articles Use the when you want to refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Use a and an when you want to be less specific. Did the team leader bring a first-aid kit?

Articles Use the when you want to refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Use a and an when you want to be less specific. Did the team leader bring a first-aid kit? ONE SPECIFIC LEADER ANY FIRST-AID KIT

Proper Adjectives Many adjectives are formed from common nouns.

Proper Adjectives Many adjectives are formed from common nouns. Nouns and Adjectives Noun Adjective rainrainy scenescenic beautybeautiful

Proper Adjectives A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun. Proper adjectives are always capitalized. Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives Proper NounsProper Adjectives China Chinese Ireland Irish Mars Martian

Why It Matters in Writing Adjectives provide important details about the nouns they describe.

Why It Matters in Writing Imagine this description without adjectives. Literary Model: Max came last. He was lugging a new knapsack that contained a cast-iron frying pan, a packet of hot dogs, and a box of saltine crackers—plus two bottles. One bottle was mustard, the other, celery soda. He also had a bag of Tootsie Rolls and a shiny hatchet. “To build a lean-to,” he explained.

Why It Matters in Writing Imagine this description without adjectives. Literary Model: Max came last. He was lugging a knapsack that contained a frying pan, a packet of hot dogs, and a box of crackers—plus bottles. One bottle was mustard, the other, soda. He also had a bag of Tootsie Rolls and a hatchet. “To build a lean-to,” he explained.