Grammar Glow

Introduction to Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. They give more information about a person, place, thing, or idea. Adjectives answer questions like "What kind?", "How many?", and "Which one?" For example, in the phrase "the blue car," the adjective "blue" tells us what kind of car it is. In "there are three apples," the adjective "three" tells us how many apples there are.

Types of Adjectives

Type of Adjective

Definition

Examples

Descriptive Adjectives

Describe qualities or characteristics of nouns.

happy, tall, beautiful

Quantitative Adjectives

Indicate quantity or amount.

some, many, few, several

Demonstrative Adjectives

Point out specific nouns.

this, that, these, those

Possessive Adjectives

Show ownership or possession.

my, your, his, her, its

Interrogative Adjectives

Used to ask questions about nouns.

which, what, whose

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

1. Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two nouns. They show differences in qualities.

Examples

John is taller than Mike.
This box is bigger than that one.
She is happier today than yesterday.
This painting is more beautiful than the other.

2. Superlative Adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used to show the highest degree of quality among three or more nouns. They indicate that something is the best, worst, tallest, etc.

Examples

John is the tallest in the class.
This box is the biggest one here.
She is the happiest person I know.
This painting is the most beautiful in the gallery.

3. Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms

Some adjectives have irregular forms that do not follow the standard rules for comparatives and superlatives.

Examples

Good → Better → Best
Bad → Worse → Worst
Far → Farther/Further → Farthest/Furthest

Rules for Comparative and Superlative

Rule

Description

Examples

One-syllable adjectives

Add -er for comparatives and -est for superlatives.

tall → taller, tallest || big → bigger, biggest

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y

Change -y to -i and add -er for comparatives and -est for superlatives.

happy → happier, happiest

Two or more syllables

Use more for comparatives and most for superlatives.

beautiful → more beautiful, most beautiful

Irregular adjectives

Follow special forms for comparatives and superlatives.

good → better, best || bad → worse, worst

Adjective Placement

1. Order of Adjectives in a Sentence

Adjectives can be placed in a specific order when describing a noun. The general order is: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, and purpose.

Examples

A beautiful (opinion) small (size) old (age) round (shape) blue (color) Italian (origin) ceramic (material) coffee (purpose) cup.
An interesting (opinion) large (size) new (age) square (shape) red (color) American (origin) wooden (material) table.

2. Adjectives Before Nouns

In English, adjectives usually come before the nouns they describe. This helps to give more information about the noun.

Examples

She wore a long dress to the party.
The happy dog wagged its tail.

3. Adjectives After Nouns

Some adjectives can come after nouns, especially when they follow a linking verb (like "be," "seem," or "become"). In these cases, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence.

Examples

The dog is happy.
The dress looks beautiful.

The Order of Adjectives.

Type of Adjective

Examples

Example Sentence

Number

one, two, three, several, many

She bought three apples from the store.

Opinion

beautiful, interesting, boring, lovely, tasty

The beautiful painting brightens the room.

Size

small, large, tiny, huge, medium

She has a large dog that loves to play.

Age

old, new, young, ancient, modern

He drives a new car that he just bought.

Shape

round, square, triangular, rectangular, oval

The table is round and perfect for dinner.

Color

red, blue, green, yellow, purple

She wore a red dress to the party.

Origin

Italian, Chinese, American, French, Indian

He enjoys Italian food, especially pasta.

Material

wooden, metal, plastic, glass, fabric

The glass vase sits on the table.

Purpose

cooking, writing, sleeping, gardening, cleaning

I need a cleaning brush for the dishes.

Mastering Adjectives

1. Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives describe qualities or characteristics of a noun. They give more detail about what something looks like, feels like, or seems like.

Examples

The beautiful flower is blooming.
He is a tall man.
This book is very interesting.

2. Quantitative Adjectives

Quantitative adjectives tell us how much or how many of something there is. They help to describe the amount or quantity of a noun.

Examples

There are some apples on the table.
She has many friends.
We have few options left.

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives point out specific nouns. They tell us which one or which ones, showing whether something is near or far.

Examples

This car is new.
That house is old.
These books are mine.

4. Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show ownership or possession. They tell us who something belongs to.

Examples

My brother is very kind.
Is this your bag?
His car is parked outside.

5. Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about nouns. They help specify or clarify information about the nouns they modify.

Examples

What movie are we watching tonight?
Which book did you choose from the library?
Whose jacket is hanging by the door?

Introduction to Adjectives Types of Adjectives Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Rules for Comparative and Superlative Adjective Placement The Order of Adjectives.Mastering Adjectives