ADJECTIVE | ENGLISH GRAMMAR RULES AND USAGE

Adjective

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word used with a noun which modifies a noun by describing its size, shape, color, quality, or more.

Examples:

• Alisha is a good girl. (Quality)
• This is a good book. (Good: quality)
• This is a beautiful house. (Beautiful: appearance)
• Ali is a fast bowler. (Fast: kind)
• He is an intelligent boy. (Intelligent: quality)
• Where is a flexible ball? (Soft: quality)
• This is a beautiful wooden table. (Wooden: material)
• The woodcutter was an old man. (Old: age)

Kinds of adjectives:

Adjectives of quality

Adjectives of quality describe the quality or kind of a person, place or thing.

Examples:

Lahore is a big city. (Big)

He is a loyal man. (Loyal)

Adjectives of quantity:

Words such as ‘any, most, many’ and ‘few,’ along with numbers (e.g. all, no), are adjectives of quantity.

Adjectives of quantity describe the exact amount or approximate amount of noun.

Examples:

• He ate some rice. (Some)
• Ali showed little patience. (Little)
• He is extraordinary intelligent (extraordinary)
• Take great care of yourself. (Great)

Adjectives of numbers:

Adjectives of quantity and adjectives of number both indicate an amount. The point of difference between adjectives of number and quantity is -adjectives of quantity represent an approximate quantity whereas adjectives of number represent the exact number.

Examples:

• He won the race by 5. (5)
• I have five chocolates. (Five)
• Every student has to attend the class. (Every)

Adjectives of number are of three types

Definite numeral adjectives:

Definite numeral adjectives indicate an exact number. These are of two types:

Cardinal: three, four five.

Ordinal: third; fifth; sixth.

  Indefinite numeral adjectives:  Indefinite numeral adjective tells how many, but it’s not specific.

For example:

• A few dogs ran up the stairs. The number of dogs is not definite whether one, two, three, or another number.

Distributive numeral adjectives: distributive numeral adjective describes each member of a group.

For instance:

• Each cat that ran up the stairs had grey eyes.
• Each of his words is true.
• Pakistan expects every man to do his duty.

Demonstrative adjectives:

Demonstrative adjective points out the importance of noun or pronoun while emphasizing its importance.

Examples:

• This
• That
• These
• Those
• Such
• Once

Interrogative adjective

Which, what, whose, when are used with nouns to ask questions and are called an interrogative adjective.

Note: interrogative adjectives are which words that are similar to interrogative pronouns and modify a noun.  These words cannot stand without a noun.

• Whose pen is this?
• Which coat is Rama’s?
• Exclamatory adjectives:

The word “what” is used as an exclamatory adjective.   

• What an idea!
• What a blessing!
• What a piece of art!