Adjectives: Words That Describe

Unit 4

Grammar 1: What Is an Adjective?

The beautiful flowers filled the field.

Adjectives Tell “What Kind?” “How Many?” and “Which One?”

• There may be two or more adjectives before a noun.

• When an adjective tells how many, do not use a comma to separate them.

• Sometimes, adjectives follow a linking verb.

• A word that describes a noun or pronoun is called an adjective.

• An adjective may be found in a variety of places in a sentence.

• Sometimes, they come before the noun they are describing.

Tip:

To find which word is an adjective, ask

“What kind?” “Which one?”

“How many?”

Tip:• Example: She is a smart happy

girl.• Example: She is a happy smart

girl.• You can reverse them and still

have the same meaning, so put in a comma between them.

• Could you put “and” between them, and they still make sense?

• If the answer is “yes,” put in the comma.

• Example: She is a smart and happy girl.

• She is a smart, happy girl.

• When you have two adjectives in front of a noun, sometimes you need to separate the adjectives with a comma, and sometimes you don’t.

• To help you decide if you need a comma or not, try this:

• Could you put the adjectives in reverse order, and they still would make sense?

• If the answer is “yes,” put in the comma.

Tip:

When an adjectives tells “How many?” do not use a comma.

Example: The three cute puppies chewed my shoes.

Adjectives Before the Noun• The tall girl wanted to play

basketball.

• The old car wouldn’t start this morning.

• The ugly bug landed on my hand.

• The cold rain fell from the sky.

Adjectives After a Linking Verb

The road is bumpy.

The bus is cold.

The horse is fast

The puppy is lively.

Adjectives Used to Combine Sentences

The race horse was fast. He was a tall horse. He was active.

Example: The tall, active, race horse was fast.

Grammar 2: Articles and DemonstrativesA, an, and the are articles, a special kind of adjective. A and an refer to any person, place, or thing. The refers to a particular one.Use a before singular words that begin with a consonant sound.

Articles and Demonstratives (con’d)

. Use an before singular words that begin with a vowel sound.Examples: a cat, a pretty dog, an apple, an hour (begins with a consonant, but sounds as if it starts with the vowel o.

DemonstrativesThis, that, these, and those are demonstrative adjectives. A demonstrative adjective tells which one. This and these refer to nouns close to the speaker or writer. That and Those refer to nouns farther away.Example: This bus ride will be long.Example: Give me that coat.Use this or that before a singular word. Use these and those before plural words.Example: this chair those books

Grammar 3: Comparing with Adjectives

• To compare two people, places, or things (nouns), add –er to the adjective.

• To compare three or more, add

-est

Comparing with Adjectives Rules

1. One-syllable adjective Add –er or –est to the adjective

coldcoldercoldest

2. Adjective ending with e Drop the e add –er or –est largelargerlargest

3. Adjective ending with a consonant and y

Change the y to i and add-er or –est

happyhappierhappiest

4. One-syllable adjective that ends with a single vowel and a consonant

Double the consonant and add,-er or-est

bigbiggerbiggest

5. Some adjectives with two syllables and all adjectives with more than two syllables

Use more or most instead of –er or-est

beautifulmore beautifulmost beautiful

6. All adjectives-when you’re talking about less instead of more

Use less or least with the adjective

beautifulless beautifulleast beautiful

Grammar 4: Comparing with Good and Bad

The adjectives good and bad have special forms for making comparisons. These words do NOT take the endings –er and -est or use the words more or most or less and least to make comparisons.

Comparing with Good and Bad

Describing one person, place, or thing

Good Bad

Comparing two persons, places, or things

Better Worse

Comparing three or more persons, places, or things

Best Worst

Proper Adjectives

An adjective formed from a proper noun is called a proper adjective. Like a proper noun, a proper adjective is capitalized.

Comparing with Proper Nouns

Italy Italian cooking

Mexico Mexican rug

Switzerland Swiss watch

South America South American bird

The End