1. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-1 Adjectives are words that describe people, places, and things. In Spanish, descriptive adjectives are used with the verb ser to point out characteristics such as nationality, size, color, shape, personality, and appearance.

2. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-2 Forms and agreement of adjectives

3. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-3  Adjectives that end in -o have four different forms. The feminine singular is formed by changing the -o to -a. The plural is formed by adding -s to the singular forms.

4. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-4  Adjectives that end in -e or a consonant have the same masculine and feminine forms.

5. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-5  Adjectives that end in -or are variable in both gender and number.

6. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-6  Use the masculine plural form to refer to groups that include males and females.

7. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-7 Adjectives of nationality  Unlike in English, Spanish adjectives of nationality are not capitalized. Proper names of countries, however, are capitalized.

8. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-8  Adjectives of nationality are formed like other descriptive adjectives. Those that end in -o change to -a when forming the feminine by changing the -o to -a. The plural is formed by adding an -s to the masculine or feminine form.

9. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-9  Adjectives of nationality that end in -e have only two forms, singular and plural.

10. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-10  To form the feminine of adjectives of nationality that end in a consonant, add -a.

11. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-11 Position of adjectives  Descriptive adjectives and adjectives of nationality generally follow the nouns they modify.

12. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-12  Unlike descriptive adjectives, adjectives of quantity precede the modified noun.

13. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-13  Bueno/a and malo/a can appear before or after a noun. When placed before a masculine singular noun, the forms are shortened: bueno  buen; malo  mal.

14. Copyright © 2012 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.3.1-14  When grande appears before a singular noun, it is shortened to gran, and the meaning of the word changes: gran = great and grande = big, large.