ADJECTIVE

Topic
1. Defining Adjectives
2. Adjectives Modifying Nouns
3. Adjectives Modifying Pronouns
4. Different Types of Adjectives
4.1 Personal Titles
4.2 Possessive Adjectives
4.3. The Articles
4.4. Demonstrative Adjectives
4.5. Indefinite Adjectives
4.6 Numbers
4.7 Interrogative Adjectives
4.8 Compound Adjectives
4.8.1 Compound Adjectives from Proper Nouns
4.8.2 Compound Adjectives with Quotation marks & Italics
4.8.3 Adverbs & Compound Adjectives
5. Forming Adjectives
5.1 Forming adjectives from Nouns
5.2 Forming adjectives from Verbs
5.3 Forming adjectives form adjectives
5.4 Forming adjectives from proper nouns
6. Degree of Adjectives
7. Comparison of Adjectives
8. Adjective Order
9. Coordinated Adjectives

PART 1 Presentation
Outline
Topic
1. Defining Adjectives
2. Adjectives Modifying Nouns
3. Adjectives Modifying Pronouns
4. Different Types of Adjectives
4.1 Personal Titles
4.2 Possessive Adjectives
4.3 The Articles

ADJECTIVES
Are describing words
A word whose main role is to qualify a noun
or noun phrase giving more information
about the object signified.
They give the reader more information
about a noun and pronoun and to make
your writing more interesting.

Adjectives Modify Noun

Adjectives are said to modify nouns and are

necessary to make the meanings of
sentences clearer or more exact. Adjectives
are added to nouns to state what kind, what
color, which one or how many.

Examples

Follow the yellow cab.

(In this example the adjective yellow modifies
the noun cab)

The principal words should be in bold.

(In this example the adjective principal
modifies the noun words and since it is not
attached to a proper noun it cannot be
capitalized.

They gathered all the white horses.

Adjectives Modify Noun

Adjectives Modify
Pronouns

Although less common, adjective can also

modify pronouns

Examples
It is a blue one.

Only a brave few have received a

recommendation.

Different Types of
Adjectives

1. Personal Titles

Personal titles are classified as adjectives when they

are attached to a name.

Examples

Mr. or Ms.King or Queen

Uncle or Auntie Prince or Princess
Sir or Dame Dean or Professor
Count or Countess Pope

2. Possessive Adjectives

are used to show possession, also known as

possessive determiners that modify a noun by
attributing possession.

List of determiners are:

my, your, his, her, its, our and their

Examples
She is my sister.
The doctor is waiting for your laboratory results.
Today is our duty to prepare their coffee.
The documents are lost in his office.

3. The Articles

The words a, an, and the are known as articles

and are classified as adjectives too.
a and an are called indefinite articles, as they
do not indicate a specific noun
the is called the definite article, because it
does point to specific noun

Examples:
A cup.
(any cup)
The cup.
(specific cup)
We need an office big enough. (any office)
We need the office clean today. (specific office)

PART 2 Presentation
Outline
Topic

4. Demonstrative Adjectives
5. Indefinite Adjectives
6. Numbers
7 Interrogative Adjectives
8 Compound Adjectives
8.1 Compound Adjectives from Proper Nouns
8.2 Compound Adjectives with Quotation marks &
Italics
8.3 Adverbs & Compound Adjectives

4. Demonstrative Adjectives
are words to demonstrate or indicate
specific things.
It shows whether the noun they refer to is
singular or plural, whether it is located
near to or far from the speaker or narrator.

They always answer the question Which

one?

4. Demonstrative Adjectives
Singula
r
This

Plural

That

Those

These

used to point out things which

are physically close to the
speaker as well as to whomever
he or she is speaking, usually
within easy reaching distance.
used to point out things which
are further away from the
speaker (but are not necessary
to the listeners), not within easy
reaching distance.

Examples:
1.

2.

3.

4.

If I hear that parrot again, I will call the

owner.
(demonstrative adjective that refers to
specific parrot)
The wedding was decorated by those
flowers which brighten that room.
Medals will only be given to those runners
who complete the marathon in less than 8
hours.
(those refers to specific people)
All of these blouses are expensive.
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

5. Indefinite Adjectives

They are formed from indefinite pronouns, they

do not point out specific things. They almost
always are placed before the noun they refer to,
it modifies a noun, pronoun or noun phrase.
Most common indefinite adjectives are:
No
Some
Specific
None
Any
Not

Every
Certain
Few
Another
Each
Both

Both
Many
All
Several
other

Examples:
1.

2.
3.

4.

According to a council spokesman, there

are no wallabies left in Derbyshire.
However, over the past few months,
many walkers have reported seeing
several adults with young.
We can travel to any old city.
The singer can choose another song that
she thinks many people will like.
I wanted to buy a certain cloth.

INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES

6. Numbers

Numbers are classified as adjective too, because of the

information they give is how many of a noun.

They can be cardinal numbers one, 2, three, 4, five,

six.so on

Or can be ordinal numbers first, second, third, fourth

so on

Examples:
1. Four dolphins stayed with the boat until dawn.
2.
The book has 200 pages left for me to read.
3.
The ladder had twelve steps.

7. Interrogative Adjectives
An interrogative adjective which or what
is like an interrogative pronoun, except
that it modifies a noun or noun phrase
rather than standing on its own.
Interrogative adjectives stand for the thing
we do not know.

Examples:
1.

2.

3.
4.

Which flowers should we used for

decorating the room?
(adjective which modifies the noun
flowers)
What movies are you going to watch
tomorrow night?
Which meal do you want to order?
What project are you working right now?

INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES

7. Compound Adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective that
comprises more than one word. They are
group of words that are not all adjectives,
but make a meaning that is just one
adjective.
Is made of two or more words together to
show that it is one adjective. Usually,
hyphens are used to link the words
together.

Some compound adjectives are

mix-up
stand-in
stand-out
up-side-down
down-town
first-class
build-in

check-in
check-out
part-time
take-out
low-budget
fine-tune
look-out

all-too-common
high-end
up-town
low-class
Sub-class
tune-up

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

Examples
1. Please request a four-foot table.
(adjective four-foot is describing the table, hyphen
is used to link four and foot to show that it is one)
2. It is a 6-page document.
3. Nena worked as a part-time keeper at the safari park.
4. That is an all-too-common mistake.
5. This low-budget film got a first-class review.
6. It was a well-written report.

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

KINDS OF COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

1. Compound Adjectives from Proper Nouns

Often adjectives are formed from proper nouns (the

name of things) which should be written using capital
letters. In these circumstances, there is no need to
group the words together using hyphen.

Middle Ages
Pepsi Cola
Christian Dior
Hyatt Hotel

National Day
Eiffel Tower
New York
Grand Mosque

New Year
Ramadan Kareem
National Geographic
Green Peace

Examples
1. Did you manage to get a Harry Potter tickets?
2. Student is encouraged to watch the National
Geographic episodes.
3. Let us all support Green Peace activities in the
world.
4. The company is giving away free Pepsi Cola bag.
5. Once a year we visit Jose Rizal shrine in Luneta
Park area.

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES FROM PROPER

NOUN

KINDS OF COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

2. Compound Adjectives WITH

QUOTATION MARKS & ITALICS

Although a less common practice, it is also possible to

group the words in a compound adjective using
quotation marks, italics or combination of two. (Italics
tend to be used for foreign words)

ab initio
haute couture
de facto

de jure
ceteris paribus
Schindlers List

Mary Celeste
do it yourself
Phantom of the
Opera

Examples
1. It is an ab initio course. (i.e. for beginners)
2. The latest haute couture plays an important part in the
fashion world.
3. Steven Spielberg won his Oscar for Schindlers List
film.
4. My sister was my de facto mother all these years. (by
practice)
5. They ended de jure black segregation in 1955. (by law)
6. For more than ten years, Wilma claimed to be part of the
Mary Celeste crew before admitting to his cousin at a
party that she is not.
7. Amber looked at the stick in the water, looked me in the
eye and then turned away, giving me a get it
yourself look.

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES WITH QUOTATION

MARKS & ITALICS

KINDS OF COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

3. ADVERBS & Compound Adjectives

An adjective is often preceded by adverbs, it describes the

adjectives. There is no need to link an adverb to an adjective
using hyphen. Usually tells you when, where, how, in what manner
or what extend an action is performed.
Some adverbs are:
Very
More
Always

Fast
Far
Least

Quite
Well
Less

almost
Never
there

most
Often

But some adverbs are formed by adding -y or ly to an adjective

Beautifully
Slowly

extremely
gracefully

lovely
skillfully

friendly
kindly

Examples
1.

Jean Joy is an extremely brave girl.

(the adverb extremely modifies the adjective brave but is
not part of it; there is no need to group it together with a
hyphen)

2. It was a beautifully painted portrait in a skillfully carved

frame.
(the adverb beautifully modifies the adjective painted and
skillfully modifies carved)
3. She is a very studious girl.
4. The schools always print newsletters.
5. The insurance was quite expensive plan to continue without a
regular income.

ADVERBS & COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

Part 3 Presentation
Outline
Topic
5. Forming Adjectives
5.1 Forming adjectives from Nouns
5.2 Forming adjectives from Verbs
5.3 Forming adjectives form adjectives
5.4 Forming adjectives from proper nouns
6. Degree of Adjectives
7. Comparison of Adjectives
8. Adjective Order
9. Coordinated Adjectives

FORMING ADJECTIVES
Adjectives can be formed from: NOUNS, VERB,
ADJECTIVES &
PROPER
Noun NOUNS
Adjective
Verb
Adjective
Accident
Accidental
Enjoy
Enjoyable
Danger
Dangerous
Help
Helpful
Star
Starry
Obey
Obedient
Wind
Windy
Talk
talkative
Adjective

Adjective

Comic

Comical

Correct

Corrective

Red

Reddish

Sick

Sickly

Proper
Noun

Proper
Adjectives

Canada

Canadians

Christianity Christian
France

French

Britain

British

DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES
1. Positive degree the simplest form
2. Comparative degree comparing
two things or person
3. Superlative degree comparing
three or more things or person

COMPARISON OF
ADJECTIVES
1. Add er and est to short adjectives of
one syllables (sometimes two syllables)
Positive

Superlative

Short

Comparativ
e
Shorter

Great

Greater

Greatest

Small

Smaller

Smallest

Shortest

COMPARISON OF
ADJECTIVES
2. If the short adjective ends with
consonant and y, change the y to i and
add er and est.
Positive

Superlative

Lucky

Comparativ
e
Luckier

Heavy

Heavier

Heaviest

Silly

Sillier

Silliest

Luckiest

COMPARISON OF
ADJECTIVES
3. If the short adjective ends with e add er
and st
Positive
Fine

Comparativ
e
Finer

Superlative
Finest

COMPARISON OF
ADJECTIVES
4. Put more (less) and most (least) in
front of longer adjectives (with two or more
syllables) to show comparison.
Positive
Appealing
Remarkable
Beautiful

Comparativ
e
Less
appealing
More
remarkable
More
beautiful

Superlative
Least
appealing
Most
remarkable
Most
beautiful

COMPARISON OF
ADJECTIVES
Some adjectives are irregular adjectives
and dont follow the rules. They change form
considerably from one degree to the next.
Positive
Bad
Good
Many
Little
well

Comparativ
e
Worse
Better
More
Less
Better

Superlative
Worst
Best
Most
Least
Best

Never use er or est at the

same time you use more or
more. These are incorrect.
more shorter most shortest
more older most oldest
more uglier most ugliest
more smaller most smallest

ADJECTIVE ORDER
In many languages, attributive adjectives usually occur in a
specific order or the order of adjectives in a series
The categories are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Quantity or number
Quality or opinion observation
Size and Shape adjectives subject to objective measure
Age adjectives denoting age
Color adjectives denoting color
Origin adjective denoting source of noun (proper
adjective)
7. Material adjective denoting what something is made of
8. Qualifier or purpose final limiter often regarded as part of
the noun

Examples of the sequence of the

Multiple adjectives in chart form:
Quantity

Quality

Size

ten

huge

several

smart
excelle
nt

some

shiny

one

pretty
hand
made
expensi
ve

few
some

one

tiny
mediu
m

Shape

Age

Color

young

black

square

old

brown

round

antique

white

tall

young

Origin

Material

Purpose

Noun

Arabian
Chines
e
leather

racing

Horses

Indian
English

large

oval

red

Persian

big

round

white

African
Europe
an
Swedis
h

famous

grand

nice

small

classic

gold

brown
orange

referenc
e

arm

books
bracele
ts

fashion

model

wool

Carpets
diamon
d

woode
n
brick

Piano
cottage

house

When adjective belong to a same class, they

become coordinated adjectives, we need to put a
comma between them.

Examples:

The expensive, comfortable black English

leather shoes can be found in ShoeMart.

(expensive and comfortable belong to

the same class quality)

The beautiful, expensive red Chinese

silk dress is on sale.