Adjectives
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun in a structure. The adjective is descriptive in nature because it helps to present a vivid mental picture of the noun being modified.
Examples:
Big brown bear
Tall lanky boy
The adjective most often comes before the noun, it modifies as evident in the examples above. This does not limit the positioning of the adjective. It can also come up on the right side.
Examples:
Answers provided
Reason enough
Function of Adjectives
The primary function of the adjective is to modify the noun or pronoun. Because of the different possibility of the adjective however, this function can be described in different ways.
Attribute: the adjective functions as an attribute when it appears before the noun it modifies.
Examples
Dead men don’t bite.
Tiny Tony eats a lot.
The adjectives are said to premodify the noun they come before or simply used attributively.
Predicative Adjectives: An adjective can sometimes come at the end of a sentence, thereby completing the meaning of the idea, this is said to be a predicative adjective.
Examples:
The girl is beautiful.
The governor looks intelligent.
The adjectives in these examples are complements of their subjects.
Post-modifiers: the adjective functions as a post-modifier, when it appears immediately after the noun.
Examples:
Information given about the disease is sketchy.
The last man standing gets the prize.
Noun: The adjective can also function as the head of a noun phrase.
Examples:
The poor
The needy
The rich
Formation of adjectives
Some adjectives are easily identifiable by the inclusion of certain suffixes:
Examples:
-able
Loveable, movable, notable
-ful
Hopeful, mournful, tearful
-ible
Feasible, possible, invisible
-ish
Girlish, foolish, youngish
-ous
Porous, onerous, serious
Comparison of adjectives
Adjectives have three degrees of comparison namely positive, comparative and superlative. This is achieved through the inflection of the positive form of the adjective by the addition of the suffix-er for comparative and –est for the superlative
Regular comparison
Positive Comparative Superlative
Big bigger biggest
Dull duller dullest
Tall taller tallest
Poor poorer poorest.
Adjectives that have their comparisons in this form are said to be regular adjectives i.e they have a regular comparison. Apart from adding the suffix to determine the comparative and superlative forms, some regular comparisons simply make do with the addition of the words more and most for their comparative and superlative forms.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
Handsome more handsome most handsome
Delicious more delicious most delicious
This happens mostly with adjectives that have more than two syllables.
Irregular comparison
There are certain adjectives that do not follow either of the two processes mentioned above. They form their comparisons in other ways.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Bad worse worst
Good better best
Much more most
Many more most
However, for emphasis one can have a combination of the positive and comparative.
Examples:
It is much better that way
*It is wrong to have a double comparative or superlative to describe a noun e.g
More better
Most luckiest
Types of adjectives
The adjective, it had been said earlier is descriptive in nature. In addition it limits and makes the meaning of nouns more definite.
Adjectives of quality: this is sometimes called attributive adjective. This is because it answers the question; what kind? Thereby giving more detail about the noun in description.
Examples:
School boy
Brown bag
Beautiful woman
Adjective of quantity: this answers the question how many?
Examples:
Many people few men
Several others
Demonstrative adjectives: these limit the application of the noun. It also answers the question which one?
Demonstrative pronouns are this, these, that and those.
Examples:
This house is mine
These students are brilliant
That house is mine
Those students are lousy
Numerals: the numerals are numbers, which often function as adjectives. These numbers are of two versions; the cardinal and the ordinal.
Examples:
Cardinal Ordinal
One first
Two second
Three third
Four fourth
Five fifth
Examples:
One drink too many
Twenty goats were killed.
The fourth person from the left
The sixth amendment to the constitution
Readers Also Read
Dissonance in communication
Everything about English
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun in a structure. The adjective is descriptive in nature because it helps to present a vivid mental picture of the noun being modified.
Examples:
Big brown bear
Tall lanky boy
The adjective most often comes before the noun, it modifies as evident in the examples above. This does not limit the positioning of the adjective. It can also come up on the right side.
Examples:
Answers provided
Reason enough
Function of Adjectives
The primary function of the adjective is to modify the noun or pronoun. Because of the different possibility of the adjective however, this function can be described in different ways.
Attribute: the adjective functions as an attribute when it appears before the noun it modifies.
Examples
Dead men don’t bite.
Tiny Tony eats a lot.
The adjectives are said to premodify the noun they come before or simply used attributively.
Predicative Adjectives: An adjective can sometimes come at the end of a sentence, thereby completing the meaning of the idea, this is said to be a predicative adjective.
Examples:
The girl is beautiful.
The governor looks intelligent.
The adjectives in these examples are complements of their subjects.
Post-modifiers: the adjective functions as a post-modifier, when it appears immediately after the noun.
Examples:
Information given about the disease is sketchy.
The last man standing gets the prize.
Noun: The adjective can also function as the head of a noun phrase.
Examples:
The poor
The needy
The rich
Formation of adjectives
Some adjectives are easily identifiable by the inclusion of certain suffixes:
Examples:
-able
Loveable, movable, notable
-ful
Hopeful, mournful, tearful
-ible
Feasible, possible, invisible
-ish
Girlish, foolish, youngish
-ous
Porous, onerous, serious
Comparison of adjectives
Adjectives have three degrees of comparison namely positive, comparative and superlative. This is achieved through the inflection of the positive form of the adjective by the addition of the suffix-er for comparative and –est for the superlative
Regular comparison
Positive Comparative Superlative
Big bigger biggest
Dull duller dullest
Tall taller tallest
Poor poorer poorest.
Adjectives that have their comparisons in this form are said to be regular adjectives i.e they have a regular comparison. Apart from adding the suffix to determine the comparative and superlative forms, some regular comparisons simply make do with the addition of the words more and most for their comparative and superlative forms.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
Handsome more handsome most handsome
Delicious more delicious most delicious
This happens mostly with adjectives that have more than two syllables.
Irregular comparison
There are certain adjectives that do not follow either of the two processes mentioned above. They form their comparisons in other ways.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Bad worse worst
Good better best
Much more most
Many more most
However, for emphasis one can have a combination of the positive and comparative.
Examples:
It is much better that way
*It is wrong to have a double comparative or superlative to describe a noun e.g
More better
Most luckiest
Types of adjectives
The adjective, it had been said earlier is descriptive in nature. In addition it limits and makes the meaning of nouns more definite.
Adjectives of quality: this is sometimes called attributive adjective. This is because it answers the question; what kind? Thereby giving more detail about the noun in description.
Examples:
School boy
Brown bag
Beautiful woman
Adjective of quantity: this answers the question how many?
Examples:
Many people few men
Several others
Demonstrative adjectives: these limit the application of the noun. It also answers the question which one?
Demonstrative pronouns are this, these, that and those.
Examples:
This house is mine
These students are brilliant
That house is mine
Those students are lousy
Numerals: the numerals are numbers, which often function as adjectives. These numbers are of two versions; the cardinal and the ordinal.
Examples:
Cardinal Ordinal
One first
Two second
Three third
Four fourth
Five fifth
Examples:
One drink too many
Twenty goats were killed.
The fourth person from the left
The sixth amendment to the constitution
Readers Also Read
Dissonance in communication
Everything about English