The Parts of Speech Warriner, John E., Mary E. Whitten and Francis Griffith. Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition Third Course. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Print.

The Adjective

Definition An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun.

Sometimes we wish to describe, or make more definite, a noun or pronoun we use. We then modify the word by using an adjective.

To modify a word means to describe the word or to make its meaning more definite. To modify a word means to describe the word or to make its meaning more definite. An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by answering one of these questions: An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by answering one of these questions: – What kind? – Which one? – How many ?

Notice how the underlined adjectives which follow answer these questions about the nouns modified. What kind? white car nylon rope wise person big desk How many? one minute three girls few people several days Which One? this road last week the first day the other man

Pronoun or Adjective? Notice that in the phrases we just saw, one, this, other, few and several – words which may also be used as pronouns – are actually used as adjectives, because they modify the nouns in the phrases rather than take the place of the nouns. Notice that in the phrases we just saw, one, this, other, few and several – words which may also be used as pronouns – are actually used as adjectives, because they modify the nouns in the phrases rather than take the place of the nouns.

What kind? white car nylon rope wise person big desk How many? one minute three girls few people several days Which One? this road last week the first day the other man

which one? A possessive pronoun actually acts as an adjective when it tells which one? about a noun. my sister my sister your book your book our team our team their tents their tents

Articles The most frequently used adjectives are the little words a, an and the. These little adjectives are usually called by a special name: articles.

Some examples… A woman arrived. An automobile went by. She waited an hour. The woman arrived. The automobile went by. The hour passed quickly.

An adjective usually comes in front of the word it modifies. Mrs. Russell gave each boy here hot tea and apple pie. The ancient, battered manuscript was found in her desk.

Sometimes, however, adjectives follow the word they modify or are separated from it by other words.. Magazines, old and dusty, cluttered her desk. Anna seemed unhappy. She was not optimistic. Courageous in battle, he deserved his medals.

Fill in the blanks below with appropriate adjectives. 1.My family visited the ____ zoo on Sunday. 2.____ monkeys were chattering in their ____ cages. 3.My sister heard the ____ lion roaring and immediately became ____.

4.She laughed, though, when she saw the ____ birds with ____ feathers on their heads. 5.The ____ birds made ____ squawks. 6.The seals, ____ and ____, performed stunts. 7.The ____ elephants appeared ____ for our peanuts.

8.The bears were begging for food on their ____ feet. 9.By ____ afternoon, the sky was becoming ____. 10.After a ____ day, we finally arrived home, ____ and ____.