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In the rich and colourful world of English grammar, adjectives play a crucial role. These descriptive words add life to sentences, converting plain statements into vibrant expressions. This guide explains and simplifies adjectives – those powerful noun modifiers – making them your friends in your learning journey at our English schools in Dubai.
An adjective is a word that describes or gives more information about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea). It tells us more about the noun, for instance, what it looks like, how many there are, or which one it is. For example, in “a red apple,” the word ‘red’ is the adjective because it tells us about a particular characteristic of the apple, like the colour.
There are different adjective types. Let’s check out their variety to better understand their unique roles and applications in the English language.
These forms of adjectives give us direct information about the qualities of a noun, like what colour, shape, or how big or small it is. You can think of them as tools that add colour to your sentences. Examples of these adjectives are words like ‘loud,’ ‘gentle,’ ‘bright,’ and ‘cold.’ For instance, if you say, “The loud music,” the word ‘loud’ is the descriptive adjective. It tells us more about the type of music.
These adjectives are about counting things or saying how much there is of something. They help us know the amount. Words like ‘several,”many,’ ‘half,’ and ‘few’ are examples. Like in the sentence “Several people attended the concert,” the word ‘several’ tells us how many people were there.
Here, the adjectives help us show which things we are talking about. They are important when we want to make it clear which item we mean. Words like ‘this,’ ‘that,’ ‘these,’ and ‘those’ are demonstrative adjectives. For example, in “That book is mine,” the word ‘that’ is a demonstrative adjective. It tells us which book we are talking about – a specific one.
This kind of adjective shows who owns something. They tell us who something belongs to. Words like ‘my,’ ‘your,’ ‘his,’ ‘her,’ ‘its,’ ‘our,’ and ‘their’ are possessive adjectives. For example, in “Her bicycle,” the word ‘her’ tells us the bicycle belongs to her.
These special words are used to ask questions about the noun. They always come before a noun (a person, place, or thing). These adjectives are ‘which,’ ‘what,’ and ‘whose’. For example, in the question “What time is it?” the word ‘what’ is an adjective used to ask about something specific, like the time in this case.
These words give us a general idea about nouns, but they don’t tell us exactly how many or how much. We use them when we don’t know or don’t need to say the exact number. Some examples are ‘any,’ ‘many,’ ‘few,’ ‘several,’ and ‘all.’ For instance, in the sentence “Many people believe in miracles,” the word ‘many’ is an indefinite adjective. It tells us that a lot of people believe in miracles, but it doesn’t say exactly how many.
These adjectives tell how things are different in size, amount, or quality. Comparative adjectives are used when talking about two things. For example, ‘taller’ and ‘smarter’ show how one thing is more or less in some way than the other. Superlative adjectives are for when you talk about more than two things. They usually end in ‘-est,’ like ‘tallest’ and ‘smartest,’ to show the most or least in some way. Some adjectives change in a unique way, like ‘good’ changes to ‘better’ and then to ‘best.’
When the adjectives come from the names of special people, places, or things, and they describe something connected to these names, they are called proper adjectives. We always start them with a capital letter. For example, ‘American’ comes from the name ‘America,’ ‘Shakespearean’ from ‘Shakespeare,’ and ‘Victorian’ from ‘Queen Victoria’.
These are like a friendly team of words that work together, side by side, to describe the same noun. They’re equals and are usually separated by commas or the word ‘and’. For example, in “She is a smart, kind teacher,” ‘smart’ and ‘kind’ are co-ordinate adjectives because they independently describe the teacher. You can check if adjectives are co-ordinate by trying to swap them around or by putting ‘and’ between them. If the sentence still makes sense, then they are indeed co-ordinate adjectives.
Think of these as a group of adjectives that build upon each other to modify a noun. They are not separated by commas because each adjective adds a little more detail to the noun, sort of like a step-ladder of descriptions. In “He drove a shiny black luxury car,” ‘shiny,’ ‘black,’ and ‘luxury’ are cumulative adjectives. Each of these adjectives adds a specific detail that creates a more vivid picture of the car in our minds. Unlike co-ordinate adjectives, you can’t rearrange cumulative adjectives without changing the meaning of the sentence. There is a standard order to place these different adjectives, which is defined further ahead in this blog.
These adjectives are like best buddies that have joined forces to form one descriptive unit. They’re usually hyphenated and pack more details into fewer words. For instance, in “a well-known artist,” ‘well-known’ is a compound adjective, where ‘well’ and ‘known’ are combined with a hyphen to create a single descriptive term. They work as a team to give us a clearer picture of how famous the artist is.
The placement of adjectives is generally before the noun they modify, as in “a peaceful garden.” However, adjectives can also follow the noun, mainly when a linking verb (like ‘be,’ ‘seem,’ ‘look,’ ‘feel’) is involved, as in “The garden is peaceful.” These are called predicative adjectives.
Think of them as the words that describe the subject of the sentence. For example, in “The cake tastes delicious,” ‘delicious’ is a predicative adjective describing the yumminess of the cake. Unlike adjectives that come before a noun, predicative adjectives are placed after the verb, shining a spotlight on the subject’s qualities or states.
When more than one adjective (cumulative adjectives) is used to describe the same noun, they are arranged into a specific order – the Royal Order of Adjectives. This order is essential because it makes the sentence sound natural and easy to understand. Here’s a breakdown of the categories in this order with examples:
1. Quantity or Number: Refers to how many items or how much of something there is.
2. Quality or Opinion: Describes generic opinion or what someone thinks about something.
3. Size: Indicates how big or small something is.
4. Age: Tells how old something is.
5. Shape: Describes the form or shape of something.
6. Colour: Specifies the colour of the item.
7. Proper Adjective: Usually denotes a nationality, place of origin, or the material of the item.
8. Purpose or Qualifier: Explains what something is used for or its purpose.
Following this order helps construct sentences where the description sounds in order and stylistically correct.
Here’s a table with a few examples for each category:
For example, “three large old wooden fishing boats.”
Adjectives sometimes come as single words. They can also be part of a clause or phrase. For example, “The man wearing a hat” includes the adjective ‘wearing a hat’ that describes a feature of the physical appearance of ‘the man.’
1. Be Descriptive but Concise: Overusing adjectives can overwhelm your reader. Aim for a balance.
2. Use Specific Adjectives: Specific adjectives paint a clearer picture. Instead of saying ‘nice,’ use ‘charming’ or ‘graceful.’
3. Experiment with Order: While the Royal Order is a guideline, sometimes breaking it can create a poetic or unique style.
4. Use Comparative and Superlative Forms Correctly: Ensure you’re using the correct form based on the number of items you’re comparing.
Adjectives are like the spices of language; when used well, they can turn a simple dish into a culinary masterpiece. By understanding their types, positions, and how to use them effectively, you can make your communication precise and clear. Language is an art, and adjectives are one of your most vibrant colours. To learn such interesting grammar concepts and improve your English skills, join our language courses in Dubai today!
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marketing@esdubai.com
+971 4 398 2815
+971 52 701 4480
15th, 34th, 36th Floors BB1 Mazaya Business Avenue, JLT, Dubai, UAE
5th floor, UOWD Building, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai, UAE