Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns in a sentence. They give us more information about the noun or pronoun and help us to better understand and visualize it. For example, in the sentence “The red car drove down the street,” the adjective “red” describes the noun “car.”
Types of Adjectives
There are several different types of adjectives that can be used in a sentence. Here are a few of the most common (Click on the adjective type for more detailed examples and information):
- Descriptive adjectives: These adjectives describe the physical or emotional characteristics of a noun or pronoun. Some examples include tall, happy, and beautiful.
- Demonstrative adjectives: These adjectives point to a specific noun or pronoun and help us to identify it. The demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, and those.
- Possessive adjectives: These adjectives show ownership or possession. The possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.
- Quantitative adjectives: These adjectives indicate the quantity or amount of something. Some examples include all, many, several, and few.
- Interrogative adjectives: These adjectives are used to ask questions about a noun or pronoun. The interrogative adjectives are what, which, and whose.
Adjective Placement
Adjectives can be used in various positions in a sentence depending on the context and the information being conveyed. For example, an adjective can come before the noun it is modifying, as in “the beautiful flowers,” or it can come after a linking verb, as in “The flowers are beautiful.” Adjectives can also be used in a series to describe a noun or pronoun, as in “The tall, handsome man walked down the street.”
Although adjectives usually come before the noun they are modifying, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, some adjectives, like age and size, can come after the noun they are modifying. For example, “The man is young,” or “The shirt is large.”
