1. Adjective Notes

2. Adjective An adjective describes or modifies a noun or a pronoun. – To modify means to change slightly or make the meaning more definite. – Adjectives usually answer one of the following questions about the nouns and pronouns they modify.

3. Questions that Adjectives Answer What kind?Which one(s)?How many?How much? new carevery pageone hamburgermuch rain happy childrenseventh gradefive dollarsfull tank sunny dayany bookseveral rideslittle food

4. Article Adjectives A, an, and the are known as the article adjectives. These are the most commonly used adjectives. They stand in front of nouns and pronouns and answer the question which one?

5. The is the definite article because it refers to someone in particular. Examples: the principal, the canoe, the wool sweater. A and an are indefinite because they refer to someone or something in general. Examples: a dog, an apple

6. Use a in front of a word that begins with a consonant sound. Example: a unicorn, a pencil, a book, a humorous person Use an in front of a word that begins with a vowel sound. Example: an old map, an uncle, an honest person

7. Nouns Used as Adjectives When a noun modifies another noun or pronoun, it is considered an adjective. It will usually come directly before another noun and will answer the questions what kind? or which one? NounsNouns Used as Adjectives footballfootball games (what kind) shoeshoe salesperson (what kind) weddingwedding day (which day) beanbean soup (what kind)

8. Proper Adjectives Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns and begin with a capital letter. There are two types of proper adjectives: – A proper noun used as an adjective – An adjective formed from a proper noun

9. When proper nouns are used as adjectives, they do not change form. - However, when an adjective is formed from a proper noun, it does change form. Proper NounsUsed as proper adjectives Truman, Reagan, ClintonThe Truman Library (which one) FloridaFlorida wetlands (what kind) DecemberDecember weather (what kind) Proper NounsProper Adjectives from Proper nouns AmericaAmerican history (what kind) AfricaAfrican continent (what kind)

10. Compound Adjectives A compound adjective is made up of more than one word and may be hyphenated or written as a compound word. HyphenatedOne word a well-known actressbasketball game a full-time jobfiberglass wall

11. Pronouns Used as Adjectives A pronoun is used as an adjective if it modifies a noun. A possessive adjective shows ownership or relationship. The following possessive pronouns are often called possessive adjectives. They will come in front of the noun they modify and will answer the question which one? Examples: my, its, your, our, her, their Bobby fixed his bicycle.

12. Demonstrative adjectives are also pronouns that are used as adjectives. The demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, those. Examples: We saw that man yesterday. That car is a good buy. These apples are rotten.

13. Interrogative adjectives are also pronouns that can be used as adjectives. The interrogative adjectives are which, what, whose. Examples: Which prize do you think she will choose? Whose umbrella can that be?

14. Predicate Adjectives If an adjective follows a linking verb in a sentence, it is called the predicate adjective. The predicate adjective is the complement in the sentence. Examples: Mark is nice. (nice is the predicate adjective)