Adjectives.docx

Adjectives What is an adjective? Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words, making your writing and speaking much more specific, and a whole lot more interesting. Words like small, blue, and sharp are descriptive, and they are all examples of adjectives. Because adjectives are used to identify or quantify individual people and unique things, they are usually positioned before the noun or pronoun that they modify. Some sentences contain multiple adjectives.

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Adjective Examples In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives: 1. They live in a big, beautiful 2. Since it’s a hot day, Lisa is wearing a sleeveless 3. The mountaintops are covered in sparkling 4. On her birthday, Brenda received an antique vase filled with fragrant Types of Adjectives Remember that adjectives can modify as well as describe other words, and you’ll find it much easier to identify different types of adjectives when you see them. Articles There are only three articles, and all of them are adjectives: a, an, and the. Because they are used to discuss non-specific things and people, a and an are called indefinite articles. For example: I’d like a

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Let’s go on an Neither one of these sentences names a specific banana or a certain adventure. Without more clarification, any banana or adventure will do. The word the is called the definite article. It’s the only definite article, and it is used to indicate very specific people or things: Please give me a banana. I’d like the one with the green stem. Let’s go on an adventure. The Grand Canyon mule ride sounds perfect! Possessive Adjectives As the name indicates, possessive adjectives are used to indicate possession. They are: My Your His Her Its Our Their Possessive adjectives also function as possessive pronouns. Demonstrative Adjectives Like the article the, demonstrative adjectives are used to indicate or demonstrate specific people, animals, or things. These, those, this and that are demonstrative adjectives. These books belong on that This movie is my favorite. Please put those cookies on the blue plate. Coordinate Adjectives Coordinate adjectives are separated with commas or the word and, and appear one after another to modify the same noun. The adjectives in the phrase bright, sunny day and long and dark night are coordinate adjectives. In phrases with more than two coordinate adjectives, the word and always appears before the last one; for example: The sign had big, bold, and bright letters. Be careful, because some adjectives that appear in a series are not coordinate. In the phrase green delivery truck, the words green and delivery are not separated by a comma because green modifies the phrase delivery truck. To eliminate confusion when determining whether a pair or group of adjectives is coordinate, just insert the word and between them. If and works, then the adjectives are coordinate and need to be separated with a comma. Numbers Adjectives When they’re used in sentences, numbers are almost always adjectives. You can tell that a number is an adjective when it answers the question “How many?” The stagecoach was pulled by a team of six He ate 23 hotdogs during the contest, and was sick afterwards. Interrogative Adjectives There are three interrogative adjectives: which, what, and whose. Like all other types of adjectives, interrogative adjectives modify nouns. As you probably know, all three of these words are used to ask questions. Which option sounds best to you? What time should we go? Whose socks are those?

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Indefinite Adjectives Like the articles a and an, indefinite adjectives are used to discuss non-specific things. You might recognize them, since they’re formed from indefinite pronouns. The most common indefinite adjectives are any, many, no, several, and few. Do we have any peanut butter? Grandfather has been retired for many There are no bananas in the fruit bowl. I usually read the first few pages of a book before I buy it. We looked at several cars before deciding on the best one for our family. Attributive Adjectives Attributive adjectives talk about specific traits, qualities, or features – in other words, they are used to discuss attributes. There are different kinds of attributive adjectives: Observation adjectives such as real, perfect, best, interesting, beautiful or cheapest can indicate value or talk about subjective measures. Size and shape adjectives talk about measurable, objective qualities including specific physical properties. Some examples include small, large, square, round, poor, wealthy, slow and Age adjectives denote specific ages in numbers, as well as general ages. Examples are old, young, new, five-year-old, and Color adjectives are exactly what they sound like – they’re adjectives that indicate color. Examples include pink, yellow, blue, and Origin adjectives indicate the source of the noun, whether it’s a person, place, animal or thing. Examples include American, Canadian, Mexican, French. Material adjectives denote what something is made of. Some examples include cotton, gold, wool, and Qualifier adjectives are often regarded as part of a noun. They make nouns more specific; examples include log cabin, luxury car, and pillow cover. Adjective Exercises Find the adjective or adjectives that fit in each of the blanks best. 1. We visited the museum, where we saw ____________ artifacts. A. A lot of B. Ancient C. John’s D. A room filled with 2. I received ______________ awards at the ceremony today. A. The manager’s B. Two C. Information about D. Motivation at the 3. Please get me a bag of ____________ apples. A. Interesting B. Ripe red C. Oranges and D. Real 4. The president sat in a _______________ chair. A. Important B. Barber’s

C. Funny D. Leather 5. ________________ weather is the norm in San Francisco. A. Blue B. Big C. Foggy D. The best Answer Key: 1. A – We visited the museum, where we saw ancient artifacts. 2. B – I received two awards at the ceremony today. 3. B – Please get me a bag of ripe red apples. 4. D – The president sat in a leather chair. 5. C – Foggy weather is the norm in San Francisco. Are you ready to keep learning how to use adjectives? Visit the adjective exercises page for more practice.

Examples of Adjectives Where would we be without adjectives? How would we describe a pretty flower or enjoy an enchanting evening? Simply put, adjectives add further description to nouns. More specifically, they provide flourish to the English language, an added dose of color. When we spend some time examining examples of adjectives, we, too, can electrify our writing with the appropriate injection of adjectival beauty. Ready to have some fun? Then let's dive right into these deep, blue waters. Popular Adjectives Adjectives describe, identify, or further define nouns and pronouns, there are thousands of these descriptive words at our disposal. We've broken them up into lists of adjective according to various functions i.e. their ability to describe touch, color, shape, and emotion. Even though these adjective lists are quite extensive, they're merely scratching the surface of the descriptive capabilities of the English language. That's why reading is such a gift. The more we read, the more we add to our vocabulary. In the meantime, here's a large selection to whet your adjectival appetite. To Describe Taste Bitter

Lemon-flavored Spicy

Bland

Minty

Sweet

Delicious Pickled

Tangy

Fruity

Salty

Tasty

Gingery

Sour

Yummy

To Describe Touch Boiling

Fluffy

Sharp

Breezy

Freezing Silky

Bumpy

Fuzzy

Slick

Chilly

Greasy

Slimy

Cold

Hard

Slippery

Cool

Hot

Smooth

Cuddly

Icy

Soft

Damp

Loose

Solid

Dirty

Melted

Sticky

Dry

Painful

Tender

Dusty

Prickly

Tight

Encrusted Rough

Uneven

Filthy

Shaggy

Warm

Flaky

Shaky

Wet

To Describe Sound Blaring

Melodic

Screeching

Deafening

Moaning Shrill

Faint

Muffled

Silent

Hoarse

Mute

Soft

High-pitched Noisy

Squealing

Hissing

Purring

Squeaking

Hushed

Quiet

Thundering

Husky

Raspy

Voiceless

Loud

Resonant Whispering

To Describe Color Azure

Gray

Pinkish

Black

Green

Purple

Blue

Indigo

Red

Bright

Lavender

Rosy

Brown

Light

Scarlet

Crimson Magenta

Silver

Dark

Multicolored Turquoise

Drab

Mustard

Violet

Dull

Orange

White

Gold

Pink

Yellow

To Describe Size Abundant

Jumbo

Puny

Big-boned Large

Scrawny

Chubby

Little

Short

Fat

Long

Small

Giant

Majestic

Tall

Gigantic

Mammoth Teeny

Great

Massive

Huge

Miniature Tiny

Immense

Petite

Thin

Vast

To Describe Shape Blobby

Distorted Rotund

Broad

Flat

Round

Chubby

Fluffy

Skinny

Circular

Globular Square

Crooked

Hollow

Steep

Curved

Low

Straight

Cylindrical Narrow

Triangular

Deep

Wide

Oval

To Describe Time Annual Futuristic

Rapid

Brief

Historical

Regular

Daily

Irregular

Short

Early

Late

Slow

Eternal Long

Speed

Fast

Modern

Speedy

First

Old

Swift

Fleet

Old-fashioned Waiting

Future

Quick

Young

To Describe an Amount All

Heavy

One

Ample

Hundreds

Paltry

Astronomical Large

Plentiful

Bountiful

Profuse

Light

Considerable Limited

Several

Copious

Little

Sizable

Countless

Many

Some

Each

Measly

Sparse

Enough

Mere

Substantial

Every

Multiple

Teeming

Few

Myriad

Ten

Full

Numerous Very

To Describe an Emotion Abrasive

Embarrassed Grumpy

Abrupt

Energetic

Kind

Afraid

Enraged

Lazy

Agreeable

Enthusiastic

Lively

Aggressive

Envious

Lonely

Amiable

Evil

Lucky

Amused

Excited

Mad

Angry

Exhausted

Manic

Annoyed

Exuberant

Mysterious

Ashamed

Fair

Nervous

Bad

Faithful

Obedient

Bitter

Fantastic

Obnoxious

Bewildered

Fierce

Outrageous

Boring

Fine

Panicky

Brave

Foolish

Perfect

Callous

Frantic

Persuasive

Calm

Friendly

Pleasant

Calming

Frightened

Proud

Charming

Funny

Quirky

Cheerful

Furious

Relieved

Combative

Gentle

Repulsive

Comfortable Glib

Rundown

Defeated

Glorious

Sad

Confused

Good

Scary

Cooperative

Grateful

Selfish

Courageous

Grieving

Silly

Cowardly

Gusty

Splendid

Crabby

Gutless

Successful

Creepy

Happy

Tedious

Cross

Healthy

Tense

Cruel

Heinous

Terrible

Dangerous

Helpless

Thankful

Defeated

Hilarious

Thoughtful

Defiant

Hungry

Thoughtless

Delightful

Hurt

Tired

Depressed

Hysterical

Troubled

Determined

Immoral

Upset

Disgusted

Impassioned Weak

Disturbed

Indignant

Weary

Eager

Irate

Wicked

Elated

Itchy

Worried

Embarrassed Jealous

Zany

Enchanting

Zealous

Jolly

To Describe a Person or Personality Aggressive

Famous

Restless

Agoraphobic

Fearless

Rich

Ambidextrous Fertile

Righteous

Ambitious

Fragile

Ritzy

Amoral

Frank

Romantic

Angelic

Functional

Rustic

Brainy

Gabby

Ruthless

Breathless

Generous

Sassy

Busy

Gifted

Secretive

Calm

Helpful

Sedate

Capable

Hesitant

Shy

Careless

Innocent

Sleepy

Cautious

Inquisitive

Somber

Cheerful

Insane

Stingy

Clever

Jaunty

Stupid

Common

Juicy

Super

Complete

Macho

Swanky

Concerned

Manly

Tame

Crazy

Modern

Tawdry

Curious

Mushy

Terrific

Dead

Naughty

Testy

Deep

Odd

Uninterested

Delightful

Old

Vague

Determined

Open

Verdant

Different

Outstanding Vivacious

Diligent

Perky

Wacky

Energetic

Poor

Wandering

Erratic

Powerful

Wild

Evil

Puzzled

Womanly

Exuberant

Real

Wrong

To Describe Appearance Ablaze

Distinct

Quirky

Adorable

Drab

Ruddy

Alluring

Dull

Shiny

Attractive Elegant

Skinny

Average

Sloppy

Embarrassed

Awkward Fancy

Smiling

Balanced

Fat

Sparkling

Beautiful

Filthy

Spotless

Blonde

Glamorous

Strange

Bloody

Gleaming

Tacky

Blushing

Glossy

Tall

Bright

Graceful

Thin

Clean

Grotesque

Ugly

Clear

Handsome

Unattractive

Cloudy

Homely

Unbecoming

Clumsy

Interior

Uncovered

Colorful

Lovely

Unsightly

Confident Magnificent

Unusual

Cracked

Watery

Murky

Crooked

Old-fashioned Weird

Crushed

Plain

Wild

Curly

Poised

Wiry

Cute

Pretty

Wooden

Debonair

Puffy

Worried

Dirty

Quaint

Zaftig

To Describe Situations Accidental

Doubtful

Main

Achievable

Elementary

Minor

Advantageous Finger-printed Nasty Alcoholic

Groundless

Nutritious

Animated

Hard

Obsolete

Aquatic

Harmful

Optimal

Aromatic

High

Organic

Aspiring

Honest

Premium

Bad

Horrible

Quizzical

Bawdy

Illegal

Rainy

Biographical

Illegible

Redundant

Bizarre

Imperfect

Remarkable

Broken

Impossible

Simple

Careful

Internal

Tangible

Credible

Inventive

Tricky

Creepy

Jazzy

Wholesale

Cumbersome

Juvenile

Worse

Disastrous

Legal

Wry

Dismissive

Logical

X-rated

Mind Your Love for Adjectives Now that we've seen a nice sampling of adjectives, there's one thing left to note. It's best to use discretion with adjectives. You never want to overdo it.

Generally, nouns and verbs should do most of the descriptive work in your writing. Don't simply tell your reader something is beautiful, exciting, or interesting. Use your words to set a detailed scene and consider using a sprinkling of adjectives rather than a heavy dousing. Related article

Let it go Demi Lovato Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen. The wind is howling like the swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried. Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always had to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know. Well now they know. Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door And here I stand and here I'll stay Let it go, let it go The cold never bothered me anyway It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small And the fuse that once controlled me, can't get to me at all. Up in here in the cold wind air, I finally can breathe. I know I left a life behind, but I'm too relieved to grieve. Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door And here I stand, and here I'll stay Let it go, let it go The cold never bothered me anyway (Standing, frozen, in the life I've chosen you will find me The past is well behind me, buried in the snow) Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door And here I stand, and here I'll stay Let it go, let it go The cold never bothered me anyway

(na na, na na, na na na na) [x4] Na, na, you said, let it go, let it go Let it go

Count on Me Bruno Mars If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea, I'll sail the world to find you If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see, I'll be the light to guide you Find out what we're made of When we are called to help our friends in need You can count on me like one two three I'll be there And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two You'll be there 'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah Whoa, whoa Oh, oh Yeah, yeah If you tossin' and you're turnin' and you just can't fall asleep I'll sing a song Beside you And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me Everyday I will Remind you Ooh Find out what we're made of When we are called to help our friends in need You can count on me like one two three I'll…