Adjective Part-1

 Adjective

Read the following paragraph carefully.

It was morning time. The trees were green. The waterfall in the center of the forest looked very pleasant. It was cool there. The birds sitting on the tree were chirping. Some boys were making paper boats and sailing them away in the river. The water was very clean.

This paragraph does not sound so good. Now let's read the paragraph in which adjectives are used.

It was a bright, sunny morning. The trees were green and healthy. The waterfall in the center of the forest looked very pleasant and made a burbling sound. It was cool and breezy. The birds sitting on the tree were chirping melodiously. Some boys covered full of muddy sand, made small, colored paper boats, and sailed them away in the river. The water in the river was crystal-clear, clean and white.

In this paragraph, adjectives are used. The words bright, sunny, green, healthy, burbling, cool, breezy, melodiously, muddy, small, colored, crystal-clear, clean, and white are adjectives.

What is an Adjective?

An adjective is a word that tells us more about nouns and pronouns. They are describing words. They tell us many things such as the features, appearance, qualities, amount, and the present state of the nouns.

Type of Adjectives

There are mainly six types of adjectives. They are as follows : 

1) Descriptive adjective

2) Quantitative Adjective

3) Adjective of Number :

    a) Definite Numeral Adjective

    b) Indefinite Numeral Adjective

    c)Distributive Numeral Adjective

4) Demonstrative Adjective

5) Interrogative Adjective

6) Emphasizing Adjective

Now let's have a look at the use of each type of adjective and its example.

1) Descriptive Adjective

A descriptive adjective is a word that describes nouns and pronouns. Descriptive adjectives are also called Qualitative adjectives. They usually answer the question: Of what kind?

Example:

1) The foolish, old crow tried to sing.

In this sentence, the words - 'foolish' and 'old' are describing the crow. They are telling us about the qualities of the crow such as its appearance.

2) Bangalore is a large city.

In this sentence, the word 'large' is describing the word city.

2) Quantitative Adjective

Quantitative adjective shows how much of a thing is meant. It answers the question: How much?

Example:

1) He shows lots of patience.

In this sentence, the word 'lot' describes the word patience. In short, it shows its amount or quantity.

2) He has some money.

In this sentence, the word 'some' describes money. It shows its amount or quantity.

3) Adjective of Number

It shows how many people or things or things are meant or in what a person or thing stands. It basically answers the question: How many?

Example:

1) The hand has five fingers.

In this sentence, the word 'five' describes the word 'fingers'. It shows the number.

2) Most boys in the class like to play cricket.

In this sentence, the word 'most' describes the word ' boys'. It tells us about the number of boys.

There are three subtypes of Adjective of Number. They are as follows:

a) Definite Numeral Adjective

A definite numeral adjective denotes the exact number. The definite numeral adjectives are:

One, Two, Three (These are cardinals)

First, Second, Third (These are ordinals)

Example:

One of the thieves was encountered.

Rohan stood in the first position in the competition.

b) Indefinite Numeral Adjective

An indefinite numeral adjective is an adjective that does not denote the exact number. The indefinite numeral adjectives are - All, Few, Some, Many.

Example:

All the students were waiting for the results to be announced.

Very few people were shocked to hear the news.

Some of the book's edges were torn.

Many people attended the live performance.

c) Distributive Numeral Adjective

A distributive numeral adjective refers to each one of the numbers. The distributive numeral adjectives are - Either, Every

Example:

Either tea or coffee will do.

Every citizen must do his duty.

4) Demonstrative Adjective

A demonstrative adjective is an adjective that directly refers to something or someone. The demonstrative adjectives are - This, That, These, Those.

'This' adjective is used for a singular object near you.

'That' adjective is used for a singular object away from you.

'These' adjective is used for many (plural) objects near you.

'Those' adjective is used for many (plural) objects away from you.

Example:

This is the girl who was searching for her cell phone.

That boy is much stronger than Harry.

These people were the ones who visited Singapore last week.

Those flowers produce such an aromatic smell.

5) Interrogative Adjective

An interrogative adjective asks a question. An interrogative adjective must be followed by a noun or pronoun. The interrogative adjectives are - Which, What, Whose.

Example:

Which juice will you like to have?

What is the time now?

Whose book is this?

6) Emphasizing Adjective

An emphasizing adjective is used to emphasize any of the statements. It heightens or reduces the effect of the noun they are modifying. There are many emphasizing adjectives. Some of them are - Own, Very.

Example:

He was beaten at his very own game.

That is the very thing that we all want.