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Adjectives
Be Creative with Descriptive
Words!
 What is an adjective?
modifies a noun or pronoun by providing
descriptive or specific detail.

Unlike adverbs, adjectives do not modify verbs,

other adjectives, or adverbs.
Adjectives usually precede the noun or pronoun
they modify.
Adjectives do not have to agree in number or
gender with the nouns they describe.
Adjectives answer the following questions: What
kind?, How many?, or Which ones?

Example:
Tom bought a used car. (used describes what kind of car
Tom bought.)
Sally baked ten pies for the school bake sale. (ten
tells how many pies Sally baked.)
Bob climbed that tree in the backyard. (that
specifies which tree Bob climbed.)
 Types of Adjectives

Descriptive Adjectives Compound Adjectives

Proper Adjectives Determiners
Limiting Adjectives
Coordinate Adjectives
Interrogative Adjectives
 Descriptive Adjectives

A descriptive adjective names a quality of the noun or pronoun

that it modifies.

Example:

brown dog bigger house fluffy cat

 Proper Adjectives

A proper adjective is derived from a proper noun.

Example:

French class Spanish food European car

 Limiting Adjectives

A limiting adjective restricts the meaning of the word it

modifies.

Example:

that car this room the tree

 Interrogative Adjectives

An interrogative adjective is used to ask a question.

Example:

Whose book is this?

 Coordinate Adjectives

A coordinate adjective consists of two or more

adjectives separated by a comma instead of by a
coordinating conjunction.

Example:

a cold, rainy day

To determine if you can replace the coordinating
conjunction with a comma, see if the adjectives
can be reversed or if and can be added between
the adjectives without changing the meaning. If
the adjectives can be reversed, they are
coordinate and a comma can be used.
Example:

The clowns arrived in a bright, shiny car.

The clowns arrived in a shiny, bright car. (Reversing

bright and shiny does not change the meaning.)

The clowns arrived in a bright and shiny car. (Adding

and between bright and shiny does not change the
meaning.)
Example:

The clowns arrived in two colorful cars.

The clowns arrived in colorful two cars. (Reversing two

and colorful changes the meaning.)

The clowns arrived in two and colorful cars. (Adding

and between two and colorful changes the meaning.)
 Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives consist of two or more words

that function as a unit. Depending on its position
within the sentence, the compound adjective is
punctuated with or without a hyphen. When a
compound adjective comes before the noun it
modifies, use a hyphen to join the adjectives. When a
compound adjective follows the noun it modifies, do
not use a hyphen to join the adjectives.
 Compound Adjectives
Example:

She is taking a class on nineteenth-century literature.

(The adjective nineteenth-century precedes the noun
literature so a hyphen is used.)

She is studying literature from the nineteenth century.

(The adjective nineteenth century comes after the noun
literature so no hyphen is used.)
 Determiners as Adjectives

Determiners, such as articles, pronouns, and numbers, can

function as adjectives. When a determiner is used as an
adjective, it restricts the noun it modifies, like a limiting
adjective. Determiners functioning as adjectives tell
Which one?, How many?, and Whose?
 Determiners as Adjectives

Articles (a, an, the)

Possessive pronouns (my, our, your, his, her, its, their)
Relative pronouns (whose, which, whichever, what,
whatever)
Demonstratives (this, these, that, those)
Indefinite pronouns (any, each, other, some, etc.)
Cardinal Numbers (one, two, three, etc.)
Ordinal Numbers (last, first, second, etc.) Possessive
proper nouns (Bob’s, Sarah’s)
 Determiners as Adjectives

Articles (a, an, the)

Possessive pronouns (my, our, your, his, her, its, their)
Relative pronouns (whose, which, whichever, what,
whatever)
Demonstratives (this, these, that, those)
Indefinite pronouns (any, each, other, some, etc.)
Cardinal Numbers (one, two, three, etc.)
Ordinal Numbers (last, first, second, etc.) Possessive
proper nouns (Bob’s, Sarah’s)
 Determiners as Adjectives

Articles (a, an, the)

Possessive pronouns (my, our, your, his, her, its, their)
Relative pronouns (whose, which, whichever, what,
whatever)
Demonstratives (this, these, that, those)
Indefinite pronouns (any, each, other, some, etc.)
Cardinal Numbers (one, two, three, etc.)
Ordinal Numbers (last, first, second, etc.) Possessive
proper nouns (Bob’s, Sarah’s)
 Placement and Order
of Adjectives
A single noun can be described as a list of adjectives. When
more then one adjective is used to modify a noun, it is
important toconsider the order in which the adjectives
appear. Generally, the adjectives most important in
completing the meaning of the noun
are placed closest to the noun. Following is the usual order of
adjectives in a series:
1. Determiners: articles (a, the), demonstratives (this, those), and possessives
(his, our, Mary’s, everybody’s), amounts
(one, five, many, few), order (first, next last)
2. Coordinate adjectives (subjective evaluations or personal opinions): nice,
nasty, packed, pitiful
3. Adjectives describing size: big, huge, little, tiny
4. Adjectives describing shape: long, short, round, square
5. Adjectives describing age: young, old, modern, ancient
6. Adjectives describing color: blue, green, red, white
7. Adjectives describing nationality: Italian, French, Japanese
8. Adjectives describing architectural style or religion: Greek, Gothic, Catholic,
Jewish, Muslim
9. Adjectives describing material: cardboard, plastic, silver, gold
10. Nouns functioning as adjectives: soccer ball, cardboard box, history class
Example:

a big brick house (article, size, and material)

these old brown cardboard boxes (demonstrative, age,

color, material)

a beautiful young Italian woman (article, personal opinion,

age, nationality)
1. Andrea had a ________ in her hair
yesterday.

a. nice yellow bow

b. yellow nice bow
c. bow nice yellow
1. Andrea had a ________ in her hair
yesterday.

a. nice yellow bow

2. She lost a ________ .

a. small white cat

3. I bought ________ oranges.

a. great some big

b. big great some
c. some great big
3. I bought ________ oranges.

c. some great big

4. We met ________ people at the
conference.

a.very smart two

b. two very smart
c. very two smart
4. We met ________ people at the
conference.

b. two very smart

5. The clown was wearing a ________
hat.

a. big green-yellow
 Uses of
Adjectives
Adjectives as Subject Complements

The subject complement is a word that follows a

linking verb and modifies the sentence’s subject, not
its verb. Linking verbs: appear, become, believe, feel,
grow, smell, seem, sound, remain, turn, prove, look,
taste, and the forms of the verb to
be.
Adjectives as Subject Complements

Example:

The crowd appeared calm. (The linking verb appeared

links the noun the subject crowd with the adjective
calm)
Adjectives as Object Complements

The object complement is a word that follows a

sentence’s direct object and modifies that object and
not the verb. An object complement answers the
question what? after the direct object.
Adjectives as Object Complements

DIRECT OBJECT
Example:

Bob considered the experiment a success. (Success is

the object complement that modifies the sentences
direct object experiment.)

Her children made her happy.

DIRECT OBJECT
Adjectives with Past and Present Participle Verbs

Adjectives are frequently formed by using the past

participle (-ed, -t, or -en) and the present participle (-ing)
verb forms.
Adjectives with Past and Present Participle Verbs

Example:

The group of children scared the sleeping dog. (Sleeping

describes the baby.)

The students refused to eat the dried fruit. (Dried

describes the cookies.)
1. Everyone remained silent.
1. Everyone remained silent.

silent- subject complement

2. The fresh air makes our lungs
healthy.
2. The fresh air makes our lungs
healthy.

healthy- object complement

3. The pandemic causedmany people
unemployed.
3. The pandemic caused many people
unemployed.

unemployed- object complement

paticipial
4.My nephew wants me to buy him a
jumping rope.
4.My nephew wants me to buy him a
jumping rope.

jumping- participial
5. The pepper makes it even more
delicious.
5. The pepper makes it delicious even
more delicious.

delicious - object complement

 class code:#OneMoreRound
Quick Quiz
Write the correct order of adjectives.

1. He is looking for __________________________________

(leather / stylish / a /black) bag
2. She dropped __________________________________ (old /
beautiful / the) plate and it smashed.
3. I want __________________________________ (silk / green /
an / amazing) dress.
4. She drank __________________________________ (Italian /
black / hot) coffee.

5. He saw __________________________________ (French /

writing / old / an) desk

6. They stayed in __________________________________ (little /

a / cute) cottage.

7. I visited __________________________________ (ancient / a /

spooky / German) castle.
8. He has __________________________________ (silver / old /
beautiful / a) ring.

9. We ate __________________________________ (green /

English / round / some) apples.

10. I need __________________________________ (computer /

comfortable / a) desk.
Identify what is the function of the underlined adjective in
each sentence.

1. I bought running shoes for myself.

2. My Mom is excited about the result.
3. The news made me blushed.
4. Disappointed, Ginie locked herself to her room.
5. The show, "The Chosen", was magnificent.
Correct answers:

1. He is looking for a stylish black leather bag.

2. She dropped the beautiful old plate and it smashed.
3. I want an amazing green silk dress.
4. She drank hot black Italian coffee.
5. He saw an old French writing desk.
Correct answers:

6. They stayed in a cute little cottage.

7. I visited a spooky ancient German castle.
8. He has a beautiful old silver ring.
9. We ate some round green English apples.
10. I need a comfortable computer desk.
Correct answers:

1. Participial
2. Subject complement
3. Object complement
4. Participial
5. Subject Complement