0An adjective is a word that is used to describe or add something to the meaning of a noun and/or pronoun. It qualifies a noun.
1. He is a brave soldier.
2. Richard is a clever student.
3. Akbar was a great king.
4. The fat boy scored a goal.
5. I ate some rice.
6. He lost all his wealth.
7. The hand has five fingers.
8. Most boys like to play cricket.
9. The sun is very bright today.
10. The soup is too hot.
Kind of Adjectives
1. Adjective of quality
2. Adjective of quantity
3. Adjective of number
4. Demonstrative adjective
5. Interrogative adjective
Adjective of Quality Adjective of quality shows the kind or quality of a person or thing. Adjectives of quality answer the question ‘of what kind?”
E.g. happy, sad, industrious, lazy, big, small, soft, harsh, hard, polite, rude, foolish, rich, poor, young, new, old, long, short, quick, slow, strong, weak, handsome, ugly, clever, dull, kind, cruel, healthy, dutiful, distant, certain.
1. New York is a large city.
2. She is an honest woman.
3. The foolish crow tried to sing.
Adjective of quantity - shows how much of a thing is meant. Adjective of quantity answers how much, e.g. some, much, little, enough, all, no, any, great, half, sufficient, whole.
1. She ate some rice.
2. They showed much patience.
3. He has little money.
4. We have had enough food.
5. They have lost all their wealth.
6. You have no sense.
7. She did not eat any rice.
8. Take great care of your health.
9. He claimed his half share of the booty.
10. There has not been sufficient rain this year.
Adjectives of Number (a Numeral Adjective) Adjective of the number shows how many persons or things are meant, or in what order a person or thing stands, e.g. one, two, three, first, second, third, few, no, many, severe, sundry, each, every, either, neither.
1. The hand has five fingers.
2. Few cats like cold water.
3. There are no pictures in this book.
4. I have taught you many things.
5. All men must die.
6. There are some ripe apples.
7. Most girls like badminton.
8. There are several mistakes in the book.
9. Monday is the second day of the week. D
Adjective Demonstrative adjectives point out which person or thing is meant. Demonstrative adjectives answer the question, ‘which’.
1. This boy is stronger than Ron.
2. That boy is industrious.
3. These mangoes are sour.
4. Those criminals must be punished.
Interrogative Adjectives What, which, and whose: when they are used with nouns to ask questions are called interrogative adjectives.
1. What manner of man is he?
2. Which way shall we go?
3. Whose pen is this?
Formation of Adjectives Some Adjectives are formed from Nouns.
Noun→→→→→→Adjectives Boy→→→→→→→Boyish Fool→→→→→→→Foolish
Care→→→→→→→Careful Play→→→→→→→Playful Hope→→→→→→→Hopeful Venture→→→→→→Venturesome Trouble→→→→→→Troublesome Shame→→→→→→Shameful Sense→→→→→→Senseless Silk→→→→→→→Silken
Gold→→→→→→Golden
Dirt→→→→→→→Dirty
Storm→→→→→→Stormy Pardon→→→→→→Pardonable Laugh→→→→→→Laughable
Courage →→→→→Courageous
Glory →→→→→→Glorious
Envy →→→→→→Envious
Man→→→→→→Manly
Gift →→→→→→Gifted
Some Adjectives are formed from Verbs: Verb→→→→→→Adjective.
Do→→→→→→Doable
Tire→→→→→→Tiresome Talk→→→→→→Talkative
Move→→→→→Movable
Comparison of Adjectives Adjectives changes in forms to show comparison.
They are called the “The Three Degrees of Comparison.”
1. Mexico is hot.
2. India is hotter than Mexico.
3. Libya is the hottest of all.
Adjective ‘hot’ is said to be in the positive degree. The adjective ‘hotter’ is said to be in the comparative degree.
Adjective ‘hottest’ is said to be in the superlative degree. Positive Degree The positive degree of an adjective is in its simple form. It is used to state the simple quality of a person or thing, or when no comparison is made, .e.g. hot, big, tall, short, good, happy, easy, kind, honest.
Comparative Degree The comparative degree of an adjective denotes a higher degree of quality than the positive. It is used when we compare two persons, objects, or actions of the same kin, e.g. hotter, bigger, taller, shorter, better, happier, easier, kinder, more honest.
Superlative degree -h Thee superlative degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more than two things are compared, e.g. hottest, biggest, tallest, shortest, best, happiest, easiest, kindest, most honest. Formation of Comparative and Superlative Positive→→Comparative→→Superlative
tall→→→→→→taller→→→→→→tallest bold→→→→→→bolder→→→→→→boldest kind→→→→→→kinder→→→→→→kindest small→→→→→→smaller→→→→→smallest sweet→→→→→→sweeter→→→→→sweetest clever→→→→→→cleverer→→→→→cleverest young→→→→→→younger→→→→→youngest great→→→→→→greater→→→→→→greatest
Positive ends in e only r and stare added Positive→→→Comparative→→→Superlative able→→→→→→abler→→→→→→ablest brave→→→→→→braver→→→→→bravest
fine→→→→→→finer→→→→→→finest large→→→→→→larger→→→→→largest noble→→→→→→nobler→→→→→noblest wise→→→→→→wiser→→→→→→wisest white→→→→→→whiter→→→→→whitest.
When the positive ending in y is preceded by a consonant, the y is changed into I before adding er and est. Positive→→→Comparative→→→Superlative easy→→→→→→easier→→→→→easiest happy→→→→→happier→→→→→happiest heavy→→→→→heavier→→→→→heaviest merry→→→→→merrier→→→→→merriest wealthy→→→→wealthier→→→→wealthiest
When a one-syllable word ends in one single consonant and is preceded by a short vowel, this consonant is doubled before adding er and est. Positive→→Comparative→→Superlative big→→→→bigger→→→→biggest fat→→→→fatter→→→→fattest hot→→→→hotter→→→→hottest red→→→→redder→→→→reddest sad→→→→sadder→→→→saddest
thin→→→→thinner→→→→thinnest.
Most adjectives of two syllables and all adjectives of more than two syllables form the comparative by using more with the positive and the superlative by using most with the positive.
Positive→→→Comparative→→→Superlative beautiful→→→more beautiful→→→most beautiful dangerous→→more dangerous→→→most dangerous difficult→→→more difficult→→→most difficult honest→→→more honest→→→→most honest horrible→→→more horrible→→→most horrible industrious→→more industrious→→most industrious learned→→→→more learned→→→most learned proper→→→more proper→→→→most proper splendid→→→more splendid→→→most splendid truthful→→→more truthful→→→most truthful Irregular Comparison Positive→→→Comparative→→→Superlative bad, evil, ill→→→→worse→→→→worst good, well→→→→better→→→→best little→→→→→→less→→→→→least
much→→→→→→more→→→most (quantity) many→→→→→→more→→→most (number) old→→→→→→older→→→→oldest, eldest late →→→→→latter, later→→→latest, last far→→→→→farther→→→→farthest (distance) far→→→→→farther→→→→furthest
