What Are Adjectives In English Grammar? Definition, Usage, & Examples

Introduction

An adjective, one of the eight essential parts of speech, modifies a noun or pronoun. It provides more detail or description. For instance, in the sentence "she is wearing a beautiful jacket," the word "beautiful" acts as an adjective describing the noun "jacket." Typically positioned before nouns, adjectives can also find their place after linking verbs like "be," "feel," "seem," etc.

In this article, we will provide the definition of adjectives, explore their various types, and illustrate their usage through examples.

Let’s begin by understanding what adjectives are.

What Are Adjectives?

What are adjectives - Flashcard

Adjectives are words that enhance and describe nouns or pronouns, providing additional details to enrich our understanding.

Consider the following example:

  • Joseph has got a beautiful car.

In this sentence, the word “beautiful” serves as an adjective, adding depth to the noun “car.” By using adjectives, we provide extra information and create a more vivid picture.

Here are more examples:

  • The little boy was playing in the yard.
  • The tall tree swayed gently in the breeze.
  • This restaurant makes delicious dishes.
  • My elder sister wore a pink dress to the party.

Degrees Of Adjectives

Adjectives not only provide details about nouns but can also express different degrees of qualities. There are three main degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative.

  1. Positive Degree:
    • This is the simplest form of an adjective, used when no comparison is made. For example:
      • Positive: The cat is fast.
  2. Comparative Degree:
    • Used to compare two things or qualities, the comparative degree often ends in “-er” or is preceded by “more” when dealing with longer adjectives. Examples include:
      • Comparative: The cheetah is faster than the lion.
      • Comparative with “more”: The plot of the movie is more interesting than the book.
  3. Superlative Degree:
    • This degree is employed when comparing three or more things or qualities. It typically ends in “-est” or is preceded by “most” for longer adjectives. Examples include:
      • Superlative: The hare is the fastest land animal.
      • Superlative with “most”: This is the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.

Here are more examples:

Positive Degree Comparative Degree Superlative Degree
Short Adjectives
Big Bigger Biggest
Cold Colder Coldest
Hot Hotter Hottest
Tall Taller Tallest
Long Adjectives
Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful
Interesting More interesting Most interesting
Comfortable More comfortable Most comfortable
Intelligent More intelligent Most intelligent

Usage Of Adjectives In Sentences

Adjectives serve various functions in sentences, each contributing to the overall expressiveness and clarity of our communication. Let’s explore three key ways adjectives are used:

  1. Attributive Use:
    • In the attributive use, adjectives directly modify and provide additional information about nouns. They are placed before the noun they describe, enriching the noun with descriptive details.
      • Example: The sunny day brightened everyone’s mood.
  2. Predicative Use:
    • Adjectives in the predicative use follow linking verbs such as “be,” “seem,” “appear,” “feel,” “look,” or “smell.” They modify the subject and describe a quality or condition.
      • Example: The cake tastes delicious.
  3. Comparative and Superlative Use:
    • Adjectives take on different forms to indicate degrees of comparison. The comparative degree is used for comparing two things, often with the addition of “-er” or “more.” The superlative degree is used for comparing three or more things, often with the addition of “-est” or “most.”
      • Comparative Example: This novel is more intriguing than the previous one.
      • Superlative Example: Among the options, this is the most affordable.

Position Of Adjectives In A Sentence

Adjectives typically come before the nouns they modify, like in “an interesting job” or “black suit.” But sometimes, when we use certain verbs like “be,” “seem,” “appear,” “feel,” “look,” or “smell,” the adjectives come after the verb and describe the subject. We call these adjectives predicative adjectives. For example, “Jane is intelligent,” or “The food smells delicious.”

Let’s explore examples to understand these nuances:

(The adjective is in bold and what they modify is underlined)

  1. Adjectives Before Nouns:
    • James applied for an interesting job.
    • He wore a black suit to the interview.
    • He answered the interviewers’ questions with a beautiful smile.
    • He had a good impression on the interviewers.
  2. Adjectives After Linking Verbs:
    • Jane is intelligent.
    • She seems tired after a long day at work.
    • The food appears delicious, but I haven’t tasted it yet.
    • I feel happy today.
    • The room looks dark and gloomy without any windows.
    • The food smells delicious.
    • It felt cold and wet.

Positioning Multiple Adjectives In A Sentence

When describing a noun or pronoun with multiple adjectives, it’s important to follow a specific order in English. This sequence is known as the “adjective order,” and you can remember it using the acronym “OSASCOMP,” representing:

  • Opinion
  • Size
  • Age
  • Shape
  • Color
  • Origin
  • Material
  • Purpose

For instance:

  • Jane bought a lovely big black antique table. (Opinion – Size – Color – Age)
  • Alan wore an elegant black leather jacket. (Opinion – Color – Material)
  • Leila wants to buy a new black sleeping bag. (Age – Color – Purpose)

Adhering to this order ensures that your description flows naturally and is grammatically correct. It’s a simple yet effective way to organize multiple adjectives, making your sentences more structured and coherent.

Here is a table with the different categories of adjectives:

Category Adjective Examples
Opinion Awesome, disgusting, interesting, amazing, boring
Size Tiny, massive, gigantic, petite, colossal
Age New, ancient, young, elderly, fresh
Shape Square, oval, triangular, circular, straight
Color Green, yellow, pink, black, white
Origin Japanese, French, Mexican, American, Chinese
Material Glass, plastic, metal, silk, leather
Purpose Swimming, sleeping, cooking, reading, walking

Adjectives Versus Adverbs

It’s crucial to distinguish between adjectives and adverbs, as they serve distinct roles in modifying different elements of a sentence.

  1. Adjectives:
    • Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns, providing additional details about their qualities.
      • Example: She lives in a big house.
  2. Adverbs:
    • Adverbs, on the other hand, modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, offering information about the manner, degree, or frequency of the action.
      • Examples:
        • She sings well.
        • Her house is very big.
        • She did it really well.

Other Noun Modifiers: Expanding Descriptive Possibilities

In addition to adjectives, other modifiers function similarly to enhance the description of nouns:

  1. Nouns as Adjectives:
    • Nouns can take on an adjectival role to help describe another noun, providing more context.
      • Example: A business meeting.
  2. Past Participles as Modifiers:
    • Past participles, derived from verbs, can also be used to modify nouns, offering additional information about their state or condition.
      • Examples:
        • He was exhausted.
        • The hidden secret.
  3. Compound Adjectives:
    • Compound adjectives, made up of two or more words usually connected by hyphens, serve as modifiers for nouns, contributing to a more detailed description.
      • Examples:
        • A piece of heartbreaking news.
        • An English-speaking country.

Importance Of Adjectives In Communication

Adjectives are important in communication because of various reasons:

1. They create a vivid image in the mind

Adjectives make our language more interesting, descriptive, and expressive. They add more information and detail to nouns and pronouns and, thus, help us to create vivid images in our minds and communicate more effectively.

Let”s take some examples. Consider the following sentences:

  • The dog ran.
  • The brown and white dog ran quickly down the street, chasing after a bright red ball.

Which sentence do you think is more interesting and descriptive?

Obviously, the second sentence creates a more vivid image. This is done by using multiple adjectives (e.g., brown, white, bright, etc.) The mind easily creates an image of how the dog is through the use of adjectives.

2. They express emotions

Another reason why adjectives are important is the way they are used to express emotions or feelings. Let us take an example.

  • Instead of simply saying “I am happy,” we can use adjectives like “thrilled,” “ecstatic,” or “overjoyed” to convey a greater sense of happiness and excitement.

3. They are used in some professional fields

Adjectives are also important in many professional fields. For example, marketing, advertising, and journalism cannot do without adjectives. In these industries, adjectives are often used to describe products, services, and events in order to make them more appealing to consumers or readers. Without adjectives, these fields would be much less effective in communicating their messages.

Conclusion

Adjectives are words that describe a noun or pronoun. Adjectives are powerful words because they help to provide more information about the nouns or pronouns in a sentence and they make sentences more descriptive and interesting.

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