Adjectives & Adverbs Unit 5

Adjectives/Predicate Adjectives An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or a pronoun. The eager, large crowd of visitors examines the huge painting. A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and modifies the subject of the sentence. The painting is realistic and timeless.

Questions That Adjectives Answer What Kind? brick house white paper Which One? that judge each answer How Many? one daffodil several roses How Much? no time enough raisins

The endless landscape seemed filled with Find the Adjectives The endless landscape seemed filled with strange objects and ghostly figures. The silent woman was aware of everything around her. The bright flowers and whitened bones of the desert inspired her. A piece of red coral was especially eye-catching. endless, filled (PA), strange, ghostly silent, aware (PA) bright, whitened red, eye-catching (PA)

Articles The articles a, an, and the are always considered to be adjectives. Indefinite articles = a and an refer to one of a general group of people, places, things, or ideas A is used before words that start with a consonant sound; an is used before words that start with a vowel sound. Definite article = the identifies specific people, places, things, or ideas A tiger and an antelope ran through the clearing.

Compound Adjectives A compound adjective is made up of more than one word. usually written in hyphenated form one-sided opinion so-called expert sometimes written in combined form heartbreaking news nearsighted witness

Find the Articles & Compound Adjectives Hazleton is an industrial city in the central part of Pennsylvania. The grandfather clock stands on the living room floor. A left-handed pitcher threw to a right-handed batter. An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a commonsense maxim. an, the The, grandfather, the, living room A, left-handed, a, right-handed An, a, the, a, commonsense

Proper Adjectives A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun and always begins with a capital letter. Sometimes the proper noun stays the same when it is used as an adjective. I enjoy April showers. Most times an ending must be added: -an, -ese, -ian, -ish I ate dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Nouns Used as Adjectives Nouns are sometimes used as adjectives. When this happens, the noun is used immediately in front of another noun and answers the question What Kind? or Which One? Noun = court Adjective = court date Noun = morning Adjective = morning meal Noun = chalk Adjective = chalk tray

Find the Proper Adjectives & the Nouns Used as Adjectives The flood waters reached the top of the barrier. According to Greek mythology, Zeus is the king of gods and men. For the pizza party Jane made Italian pasta as a side dish. A basketball referee should be in good physical condition. flood Greek pizza, Italian, side basketball

Pronouns Used as Adjectives Possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) followed by nouns are often called possessive adjectives. They are pronouns because they have antecedents, and they are adjectives since they answer the question Which One? my book your friend his idea her courage its surface our destination their reservation

Pronouns Used as Adjectives The four demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) are actually demonstrative adjectives when they are followed by nouns. They also answer the question Which One? this painting that portrait these pictures those sculptures

Pronouns Used as Adjectives Some interrogative pronouns (which, what, whose) are followed by nouns. When this happens, they’re actually interrogative adjectives, and they modify the nouns that follow them. Which student borrowed the library book today? What time are we leaving for the train station? Whose project is posted on the bulletin board?

Pronouns Used as Adjectives A number of indefinite pronouns (both, few, many, each, most, some, all, etc.) can be followed by nouns, which makes them indefinite adjectives. They often tell How Much? both representatives few complications many circumstances each attraction most phenomena some predicaments all experiments

Find the Pronouns Used as Adjectives Several people are presenting their interpretations of the novels in class this afternoon. Which lawyer will argue her case in court? Our report can help all students understand what steps we can take to save those animals. Whose appointment is scheduled in a few days? Several, their, this Which, her Our, all, what, those Whose, few

Adverbs An adverb can modify 3 different parts of speech – a verb, an adjective, or another adverb Adverbs answer the questions Where? When? In What Way? To What Extent? about the verb, adjective, or adverb. Most adverbs have an –ly ending.

Adverbs That Modify Verbs Where? drove down stay nearby When? report later come tomorrow In What Way? cautiously approached walk quietly To What Extent? hardly counted scarcely escaped

Adverbs That Modify Adjectives When an adverb modifies an adjective, it usually answers the question: To What Extent? adv. adj. noun verb PA Very old violins are valuable. adj. noun verb adv. PA The food was not ready. adj. adv. adj. noun verb adj. noun The unusually quiet girls had a secret.

Adverbs That Modify Other Adverbs When an adverb modifies another adverb, it usually answers the question: To What Extent? adj. noun verb phrase adv. adv. Some violins are played extremely rarely. adj. noun verb adj. adj. noun adv. adv. The boy lost the chess game too quickly. adj. noun verb phrase adv. adv. A spy must move very cautiously.

Adverbs That Do Not End With -ly afterward almost very quite often there hard sometimes soon everywhere long later here fast straight Similarly, not all –ly words are adverbs. Lovely, friendly, lively, kindly, lonely, homely, and elderly are used as adjectives.

Find the Adverbs People usually handle old violins carefully. Sometimes airplanes fly quite low in the sky. The heater ran almost continuously during the day. Quickly tell your friend the answer. Orators often speak confidently in front of others. usually, carefully Sometimes, quite, low almost, continuously Quickly often, confidently

Avoiding Double Negatives Negative words express the idea of “no.” Not often appears in a shortened form as part of a contraction. is not = isn’t was not = wasn’t did not = didn’t Avoid using double negatives, 2 negative words together in the same sentence. Instead, remove one negative word or change it to an affirmative word, which shows the idea of “yes.” Incorrect: That isn’t no beautiful sofa. Correct: That isn’t a beautiful sofa.

Correct the Double Negatives any She doesn’t have no time to work on the project today. He hardly never refuses when someone asks him for help. Be careful when walking across the wet floors; we don’t want nobody to slip. We couldn’t find no one who knew the directions to the museum. anybody doesn’t have any/does have no He hardly ever/(He never is grammatically correct, but it changes the meaning of the sentence.) don’t want anybody/we want nobody couldn’t find anyone/could find no one any

Comparative Forms of Adjectives The comparative form of an adjective compares two things or people. For most adjectives of one syllable & some of two syllables, add –er to the adjective when comparing. younger older softer earlier For most adjectives of two or more syllables, add more before the adjective when comparing. more colorful more beautiful

Superlative Forms of Adjectives The superlative form of an adjective compares more than two things or people. For most adjectives of one syllable & some of two syllables, add –est to the adjective when comparing. youngest oldest softest earliest For most adjectives of two or more syllables, add most before the adjective when comparing. most colorful most beautiful

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives good, well (healthy) better best bad worse worst many, much more most little (amount) little (size) less littler least littlest

Comparative Forms of Adverbs The comparative form of an adverb compares two actions. For short adverbs, add –er as an ending when comparing. louder faster harder later For long adverbs, use more before the adverb when comparing. more rapidly more harshly

Superlative Forms of Adverbs The superlative form of an adverb compares more than two actions. For short adverbs, add –est as an ending when comparing. loudest fastest hardest latest For long adverbs, use most before the adverb when comparing. most rapidly most harshly

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adverbs well better best badly worse worst little (amount) less least

Use the Correct Comparative or Superlative Form farthest The DeAngelos had to walk ________ of all to school. (far) Not surprisingly, parks that are ________ to population centers have the _________ visitors. (near, many) He walked ___________ after winning the award. (proudly) Geysers are one of nature’s ________ phenomena. (interesting) nearest most more proudly farthest, nearest, most, more proudly, most interesting most interesting

Distinguishing Adjectives from Adverbs Adjectives and adverbs are often confused, especially when they appear after verbs. The musicians are professional. The predicate adjective professional follows a linking verb and describes (modifies) musicians. The musicians behaved professionally. The adverb professionally follows and describes (modifies) the action verb behaved.

Distinguishing Adjectives from Adverbs The sound is bad. The band sounds good. The soloist seems well. (healthy) Music is a real art. A pianist needs sure hands. Most pianos have eighty-eight keys. The actor sang badly. (Good is never an adverb.) The band played well. Music is really popular. Piano music is surely popular. Piano strings almost never break. Bad is a PA that modifies the noun sound. Badly modifies the verb sang. Good is a PA that modifies the noun band. Well is a PA that modifies the noun soloist. Well modifies the verb played. Real modifies the noun art. Really modifies the adjective popular. Sure modifies the noun hands. Surely modifies the adjective popular. Most modifies the noun pianos. Almost modifies the adverb never, which modifies the verb break.

Which is correct, Adjective or Adverb? I am (real, really) glad we left the park before the thunderstorm. He was (good, well) enough to go back to school when his fever was gone. I (sure, surely) appreciate all the assistance that was given. She proved that she could play (good, well) enough to be first chair flute. really, well, surely, well

Adjective Clauses An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. Starts with a relative pronoun that which who whose whom Immediately follows the noun it modifies They visited the memorial that remembers Holocaust victims. Requires commas only if not essential to the meaning of the sentence Remind students that subordinate clauses have subjects & verbs but cannot stand alone because they do not express complete thoughts.

Adverb Clauses An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. Starts with a subordinating conjunction after because though when (see pg. 452) Can be anywhere in the sentence Requires a comma when it starts a sentence When she reached the station, Marie phoned.

Find the Adjective or Adverb Clause The Aqua-Lung, which divers strap on, holds oxygen. Scuba divers wear tanks because they cannot breathe underwater. After she bought safe equipment, Lee explored the undersea world. Did you see the meet that our team won yesterday? The woman who is near the pool is a good swimmer.

Bibliography Carroll, Joyce A., Edward E. Wilson, and Gary Forlini. Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar. Vol. Grade 8. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008. Royster, Jacqueline J., and Mark Lester. Writer's Choice Grammar Workbooks : Teacher's Wraparound Edition. Vol. Grade 8. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1996. Writer's Choice Grammar Workbook 1996 : Grade 8. Vol. Grade 8. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1999.