An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing it or making it more specific. For example, with the addition of adjectives, the noun “man” becomes “the tall, handsome man” or “the short, homely man.”
Adjectives also include the articles “a, an,” and “the.” However, whereas “a” and “an” are called indefinite articles because they do not specify a particular person or thing, “the” is called a definite article because it does specify a particular person or thing. Examples: “a man” (any man) as compared to “the man” (a particular man).
Questions Answered by Adjectives
According to their placement within sentences, adjectives answer certain questions: Which one? What kind? How Many? Whose?
Examples:
- Tom said, “Honey, just look at that butterfly.” (Which butterfly? That butterfly.)
- Sue loves colorful butterflies. (What kind of butterflies? Colorful butterflies.)
- Have you seen the two sci-fi movies that just opened at the mall cinema? (How many movies? Two. What kind of movies? Sci-fi. Which cinema? The mall cinema.)
Placement of Adjectives Within Sentences
Adjectives often come immediately before the nouns or pronouns they modify; however, they can also follow the nouns or pronouns they modify or they can follow a linking (transitive) verb.
Examples:
- Tom lay in the grass and looked up at the fluffy clouds. (Before the noun “clouds”)
- The clouds were fluffy. (After the linking verb “were,” so in this case the adjective is a subject complement, which is an adjective that comes after the verb and describes or modifies the subject.)
- Tom saw a hawk; it looked beautiful soaring on the currents of the wind. (After the verb “looked”)
- The Corvette, sleek and powerful, has long been a popular car. (Compound adjectives, sleek and powerful, which are linked by a conjunction and, in this case, serve as appositives, after the noun “Corvette”; and “popular” before the noun “car”).
- Sleek and powerful, the Corvette is popular. (Compound adjectives, sleek and powerful, before the noun “Corvette: “popular” after the verb “is”)
Note: As in the last two examples, whenever compound adjectives linked by a conjunction are placed immediately before or after the noun or pronoun they modify and used as appositives (nonessential information), they are normally set off by commas.
Proper Adjectives
A proper adjective is an adjective formed from a proper noun (a label for a specific person, place, or thing); and, therefore, it is usually capitalized.
- Many Southern states seceded from the Union during the Civil War. (Which states? Southern states.)
- I love April showers because they bring May flowers. (What kind of showers? April showers. What kind of flowers? May flowers.)
Possessive Adjectives
Nouns that show possession function as adjectives within sentences:
- The firefighters’ training is rigorous and, at times, dangerous. (Whose training? The firefighters training.)
- Mary’s favorite dessert is chocolate mousse. (Whose favorite dessert? Mary’s favorite dessert.)
Note: When possessive pronouns modify nouns or other pronouns, they are also working as adjectives. Possessive pronouns include my, our, your, his, her, its, and their.
- Today Tom will watch the game on his new wide-screen plasma TV. (Whose new TV? His new TV)
- What do you think of my velvet painting of Elvis? (Whose painting? My painting.)
Note: Indefinite, demonstrative, and interrogative pronouns may also function as adjectives.
Examples:
Indefinite—some, many, several, few
Demonstrative—this, that, these, those
Interrogative—which, what, whose
- Some of the neighbors are planning a party.
- Sue asked Tom, “Do you like this dress or that dress?”
- She asked Tom to tell her which dress she should wear to the party.
Absolute Adjectives
Absolute adjectives are adjectives that describe things to the nth degree and, thus, cannot be modified or made greater. For example, “unique” is an absolute adjective; and if something is unique, it is one of a kind; therefore, nothing can be more unique or most unique. The same is true of “perfect,” for if something is perfect, it is without imperfection; as a result, nothing can be more perfect or most perfect.
- Correct: Tom’s new leather jacket is unique.
- Incorrect: Tom’s new jacket is the most unique jacket I have ever seen.
- Correct: Tom said that Dolly World is the perfect place for a honeymoon.
- Incorrect: Tom said that Dolly World is the most perfect place on earth for a honeymoon.
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives are used to compare more than two things:
Examples:
Basic Form: Bad, good, far, little, much
Comparative Form: worse, better, farther, less, more
Superlative Form: worst, best, farthest, least, most
- My dog is bad.
- Tom’s dog is worse than my dog. (Comparative)
- In fact, Tom’s dog is the worst dog in the neighborhood. (Superlative)
- This apple pie is good.
- This apple pie is better than the last one you made. (Comparative)
- This is, in fact, the best apple pie you have ever made.(Superlative)
Note: When an adjective consists of three or more syllables, use “more” for comparative and “most” for superlative.
- Tom’s new suit is more stylish than Fred’s.
- Tom’s new suit is the most stylish suit in the room.
- Tom is more hardheaded than Fred.
- Tom is the most hardheaded man in the world.
Why should writers possess an understanding of adjectives? It’s because understanding what constitutes an adjective and knowing the role they play within sentences can help writers avoid using words incorrectly; and one mark of a professional writer is precision in language.
 |
