Adjectives 1
What are Adjectives?
An adjective is a word that ______or ______a noun or pronoun.
An adjectiveanswers these questions:
______? this book, that jet, those passengers
______? blue sky, hot oven, old house, beautiful sunrise
______? four bicycles, several cars, few children
Some adjectives can come from verbs and have verb endings like –ing and –ed. For example: running water, toasted muffin, broken glass.
Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns. They are always ______.
Examples: a Chinese puzzle; theAtlantic coast; a Swedish ship; the French language
Now you come up with an example: ______
Articles are ______, ______, and ______.
Try these: Underline all the adjectives and articles.
1. The red car had a flat tire.
2. Sherry is an early bird.
3. The sheep and their lambs went in the empty shed.
4. Our old car needs new brakes.
5. Rob whipped up a hot, peppery sauce.
6. The fat, laughing clown lead the parade.
7. Black soot coated the old fireplace.
8. The ancient Dutch windmill made a screechy sound.
9. A young otter splashed in the small pond.
10. A playful young husky pranced ahead of the sled.
Predicate Adjectives follow a linking verb and modifies the subject of the sentence.
Examples: Nancy is funny. The windows were dirty. The room smells musty.
(The adjective funny follows the linking verb is and modifies the subject Nancy. Funny is a predicate adjective.)
Try these: Underline the predicate adjective, draw an arrow to the noun it modifies, and circle the linking verb.
1. My shoes felt tight.
2. The possibilities are endless.
3. The spinach tastes gritty.
4. After the rain, the basement smelled damp.
5. The plant looked dry.
6. His story sounds fishy to me.
7. The cocoa tastes bitter.
8. Does the old rug look clean?
9. Emily seemed happy tonight.
10. That mosquito is pesky.
Pronouns Used as Adjectives: Possessive pronouns are used as adjectives. As you can see from the following examples, a possessive pronoun is a modifier because it makes the meaning of a noun more exact.
My bookour roomyour game his housetheir school
The words my, your, his, her, its, our and their are possessive pronouns used as adjectives.
Try these: Underline the possessive pronouns and draw an arrow to the word it modifies.
1. My new book has a red leather cover.
2. The girls are repairing their bicycles.
3. The horse has lost its rider.
4. Our bicycles were chained to the parking meter.
5. Jane left her bracelet on the chair.
Demonstrative Adjectives: This, that, these, and those may be used as describers with nouns to point out specific things.
Examples: I liked this book, but I really didn’t like that one.
These peas are fine, but those beans are tasteless.
(When demonstratives are used by themselves instead of as modifiers, these words are called demonstrative pronouns. Ex: I like that. This is better.).
Try these: Underline the demonstrative word and determine if it’s an adjective or pronoun. If it’s an adjective write adj above the word; if it’s a pronoun, write p above it.
1. These are my friends Terry and JoAnn.
2. That woman told my fortune.
3. Don’t these pictures remind you of summertime?
4. This is the second time I’ve lost my bike.
5. Do you see those airplanes flying in formation over the lake?
Adjectives in Comparisons. When you compare one person or thing with another, use the comparative from of the adjective. This is done by either adding –er or by using more.
Examples: calm = calmerthoughtful = more thoughtful
happy = happiergracious = more gracious
When you compare a person or a thing with all others of its kind, use the superlative form of the adjective. This is done by either adding –est or by using most.
Examples: full = fullestpractical = most practical
Dim = dimmestcourageous = most courageous
Remember these tips:
1. Use the comparative form to compare two persons or things. Use the superlative to compare more than two.
2. Do not leave out the word other when you are comparing something with everything else of its kind.
Wrong: I like Mark Twain better than any author. (This says Mark Twain is not an author.)
Right: I like Mark Twain better than any other author.
3. Do not use both –er and more or –est and most at the same time.
Try these: Circle the correct word from the two given in parentheses.
1. My suitcase is (heavier, heaviest) than yours.
2. Wilson’s store was always the (busiest, busier) in town.
3. These socks are the (softer, softest) of all.
4. It was (warmest, warmer) in Texas than in Florida.
5. Of the two parks, I like this one (best, better).
Problems with Adjectives
Them and Those
Them is always a pronoun. It is used as an object.
Those is an adjective if it is followed by a noun. It is a pronoun if it is used alone.
Example: We asked them for a ride. (pronoun)
Those cans fell to the floor. (adjective)
Those are my books. (pronoun)
Here and There
The word this includes the meaning of here. The word that includes the meaning of there. Never use this here or that there before a noun.
WRONG: This here pen. That there car.
CORRECT: This pen. That car.
Kind and Sort
Kind and sort are singular. Use this or that to modify kind and sort.
Kinds and sorts are plural. Use these and those to modify kinds and sorts.
Examples: I enjoy this kind of movie. Those kinds of games tire Spot.
Try these: Circle the correct word from the two given in parentheses.
1. (This, This here) cake is made from carrots.
2. Did (them, those) raccoons raid the garbage cans?
3. Lola can do (that, those) kind of back dive.
4. (That, That there) bicycle belongs to Brian.
5. Terry’s stereo has (that, those) kinds of speakers.