Types of Adjectives | Basic Grammar for IELTS PDF Download

Adjective – Definition, List, Types, Uses and Examples

Definition of Adjective

An adjective is a word that describes a noun, which can be a person, place, thing, or idea. It provides information that helps in distinguishing between different entities. Adjectives can indicate qualities of a noun or classify it based on specific characteristics.

Importance of Adjectives

• Adjectives enhance the quality of communication by providing detailed descriptions.
• They help in painting a vivid picture in the reader's or listener's mind.
• Adjectives play a crucial role in making language more expressive and engaging.

Types of Adjectives

There are several types of adjectives that serve different purposes:

• Descriptive Adjectives: These adjectives describe the characteristics of a noun, such as color, size, shape, etc. For example, 'beautiful', 'large', 'round'.
• Demonstrative Adjectives: These adjectives indicate specific nouns and their proximity. For example, 'this', 'that', 'these', 'those'.
• Comparative Adjectives: These adjectives are used to compare two or more nouns. For example, 'taller', 'smarter', 'more beautiful'.
• Quantitative Adjectives: These adjectives provide information about the quantity or number of the noun. For example, 'many', 'few', 'several'.

Uses of Adjectives

Adjectives are essential in language for various reasons:

• They make the language more descriptive and engaging.
• Adjectives help in creating vivid imagery in writing.
• They allow us to differentiate between similar nouns by highlighting their unique characteristics.

Examples of Adjectives

Here are some examples to illustrate the use of adjectives:

• The blue sky stretched endlessly above.
• She found a delicious recipe in the cookbook.
• He wore a stylish outfit to the party.

What Is an Adjective :

• A word that describes a noun or a pronoun is known as an adjective. The primary role of an adjective is to provide additional details and quantify a noun or pronoun. In simpler terms, it helps in giving more information about the subject of a sentence.
• Adjectives are positioned before the noun they modify or after the verb they modify. For instance, in the sentence "The beautiful flowers bloom," "beautiful" is an adjective placed before the noun "flowers." On the other hand, in "She looks happy," "happy" is an adjective placed after the verb "looks."
• Adjectives are versatile and can vary in types. They can describe the quality, quantity, size, color, and more attributes of a noun or pronoun. For example, in "The big house," "big" describes the size of the house.
• Using adjectives enhances the quality of writing by making it more vivid and engaging. They contribute to painting a clear picture in the reader's mind and creating a more detailed narrative.

Examples of Adjectives :

• The examples below illustrate the use of adjectives:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 1. He was dressed in an elegant suit.
• 2. A car made of wood.
• 3. I admire that very large, ancient, green bicycle parked here.
• 4. Ashwani is taller than Barsha.
• 5. Rohit works part-time.

List of Adjectives :

• The following is the list of adjectives :
• Beautiful
• Sleeveless
• Edible
• Meaningless
• Adorable
• Gorgeous
• Breakable
• Homeless
• Big
• Old
• Green
• Antique
• More intelligent
• Prettiest
• Worse
• Aggressive
• Agreeable
• Ambitious
• Brave
• Calm
• Delightful
• Eager
• Faithful
• Glamorous
• Handsome
• Long
• Magnificent
• Muscular
• Plain
• Plump
• Quaint
• Scruffy
• Shapely
• Short
• Skinny
• Stocky
• Ugly
• Unkempt
• Unsightly

• Uses of Adjectives :

  • It is common knowledge that adjectives enhance your writing by making it more expressive and vivid, offering readers and listeners a sensory experience.
  • While adjectives can enrich language, an excessive use of them can lead to ambiguity and confusion, potentially causing misinterpretations.
  • An important skill to develop is the ability to judiciously select and apply adjectives in writing and speech.

• The Order of Adjectives:

  • Adjectives in English follow a specific sequence when used to describe objects perceived through the five senses. This predetermined sequence is known as the Order of Adjectives.
  • The prescribed order for adjectives is as follows: Determiner, Quantity, Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose, and finally Noun.
  • Understanding and following this order ensures clarity and coherence in written and spoken communication.

Components of an Adjective

• Determiner
• Quantity
• Opinion
• Size
• Age
• Shape
• Colour
• Origin
• Material
• Purpose
• Noun

Example Sentence Structure:

• I like that really big, old, green antique bike that is parked here.

Examples of Adjectives in Sentences

• A wonderful old Indian car. [opinion - age - origin]
• Your brother has a beautiful big white car. [quality - size - colour]
• A big round red glass. [size - shape - colour]
• This is your medium new red sleeping kit. [size - age - colour - purpose]

Explanation:

• An adjective consists of several components that are used to describe a noun.
• The first component is the determiner, followed by quantity, opinion, and then a series of descriptive elements such as size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose, and finally, the noun itself.
• For instance, in the sentence "I like that really big, old, green antique bike that is parked here," the adjectives used describe the bike.

Examples:

• 1. A wonderful old Indian car: This phrase illustrates the opinion, age, and origin of the car being described.
• 2. Your brother has a beautiful big white car: Here, the quality, size, and colour of the car are highlighted.
• 3. A big round red glass: This example showcases the size, shape, and colour of the object.
• 4. This is your medium new red sleeping kit: In this sentence, the size, age, colour, and purpose of the sleeping kit are specified.

Types of Adjectives

• Possessive Adjectives

  Possessive adjectives indicate ownership or possession. Examples include "my," "your," "his," etc.

  Example: Shivam is my brother.

• Interrogative Adjectives

  Interrogative adjectives are used to modify a noun or pronoun by asking a question. Examples include "what," "when," "where," etc.

  Example: Which novel did you read recently?

• Demonstrative Adjectives

  Demonstrative adjectives directly define the position of someone or something. Examples include "this," "that," "these," "those," etc.

  Example: The ambience of my office is chilling.

• Compound Adjectives

  Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words to act as an adjective. They can include a noun, present participle, or past participle.

  Examples: four-foot, part-time, all-too-common, green-eyed, cold-blooded, man-eating, well-behaved.

  Example: Rohit is a part-time worker.

• How To Recognize Adjectives in a Sentence

  Here are the methods you can use to identify adjectives in a sentence:

  • Look for a word that describes a noun before it.
  • Identify words that describe a noun and appear after it.
  • Check for any adjectives that follow a verb.
  • Be alert for comparative adjectives in your phrases.
  • Watch out for common adjective suffixes like -ful, -ish, -able, -some, -ous, -al, -ic, -less.

• Adjectives vs. Adverbs

  Adjectives and adverbs have distinct roles:

  Adjectives	Adverbs
  A word that modifies a noun or a pronoun, providing further definition and quantification.	A word that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, offering additional details about the verb in a sentence.

  Adverbs

  Adverbs are words that start with at least one syllable and offer specific information on aspects like time, manner, frequency, etc.

  • Beautiful, sleeveless, edible, meaningless, adorable, gorgeous, breakable, homeless, big, old, green, antique, more intelligent, prettiest, worse, aggressive, agreeable.
  • Fast, hard, slowly, bravely, foolishly, wisely, loudly, soundly, badly, carefully, fluently, beautifully, clearly, today, tomorrow, yesterday, last night, last day, last week, here, there, away, down, anywhere, everywhere, above, below, etc.
  • I appreciate that very large, old, green antique bicycle parked here.
  • Ashwani is taller than Barsha.
  • Rohit is a part-time employee.
  • The farmer called once more.
  • My daughter was extremely careless.
  • Therefore, she left school.

Adjectives Quiz/Practice Questions on Adjective :

Choose the correct adjective :

• The Principal delivers __________ speech:
  • a. Colourful
  • b. Intelligent
  • c. Important
  • d. Shameful

  Solution: option c will be the correct fit because Important means having great influence or very necessary as we all know principal of a school is much more powerful.

• In the school, the Principal is _______ Teacher:
  • a. Superior
  • b. Senior to
  • c. Superior to
  • d. Senior

  Solution : As we know Principal of a school is senior to the Teacher not superior to that. Here Senior will be the correct choice.

• My Father is rich _______ to buy a Lamborghini:
  • a. Enough
  • b. Person
  • c. than
  • d. more

  Solution : Here option a will be the correct choice because in this sentence the person has that much amount of money by which he can afford this luxury.

• There should be _______ punishment for killers:
  • a. much
  • b. too
  • c. too much
  • d. severe

  Solution : Severe punishment will be the correct statement here. Option d will be the correct choice.

• This is your _______ kit:
  • a. medium red new sleeping
  • b. red new medium sleeping
  • c. medium new red sleeping
  • d. a red sleeping new medium

Adjective Order Rules

• Rule 1: Size - Age - Color - Purpose

  Example: His hair is long and shiny.

• Rule 2: Superlative Degree

  Example: Taj Mahal is the most amazing site in Agra.

• Rule 3: Quality - Size - Color

  Example: Your mother has a beautiful big red scooty.

Explanation and Examples

• Correct Order of Adjectives
  • Rule 1: Size - Age - Color - Purpose

    For instance, when describing an object, the sequence should follow a specific order like size, age, color, and purpose. This helps in maintaining clarity and coherence in your sentence structure. An example of this can be seen in "His hair is long and shiny."

  • Rule 2: Superlative Degree

    When comparing more than two things, the superlative degree is used. This is evident in the statement "Taj Mahal is the most amazing site in Agra." Here, the use of "most amazing" highlights Taj Mahal as the superior choice among the options.

  • Rule 3: Quality - Size - Color

    In scenarios where you're detailing an object based on its qualities, size, and color, the order should be quality, size, and color. An illustration of this concept is "Your mother has a beautiful big red scooty," where the adjectives are arranged in the correct sequence.

Rules for Degree of Adjectives

• Adjectives indicate the quality or quantity of a noun.
• They can be classified into three degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative.
• The positive degree is used when no comparison is made.
• The comparative degree is used to compare two nouns.
• The superlative degree is used to compare three or more nouns.

Adjectives List in English

• Adjectives describe or modify nouns.
• Common examples include "happy," "beautiful," and "tall."
• Adjectives can be used to provide more information about the noun in a sentence.

List and Examples of Indefinite Adjectives

• Indefinite adjectives refer to nonspecific things or persons.
• Examples include "some," "any," "several," and "many."
• They are used when the exact quantity or identity is unknown or irrelevant.

Difference Between Noun and Adjective

• A noun is a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things.
• An adjective is a word that describes or gives more information about a noun.
• While nouns name things, adjectives describe those things.

Proper Adjectives Definition and Examples

• Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns and retain their capitalization.
• Examples include "American," "French," and "Shakespearean."
• They are used to describe specific people, places, or things.

Quantitative Adjective

• Quantitative adjectives express quantity or how many of something there is.
• Examples include "many," "few," "some," and "several."
• They provide information about the number of a noun in a sentence.

Difference Between Adjective and Verb

• An adjective describes a noun or pronoun, while a verb expresses action or state of being.
• Adjectives modify nouns, whereas verbs show actions or states.
• Understanding this difference is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences.

Difference Between Adjective of Quantity and Adjective of Number

• An adjective of quantity describes the amount of something, while an adjective of number specifies how many.
• Examples of adjectives of quantity include "some," "little," and "much."
• Examples of adjectives of number include "one," "five," and "several."

Parts of Speech

• Parts of speech categorize words based on their function in a sentence.
• Common parts of speech include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
• Each part of speech plays a specific role in conveying meaning within a sentence.

English Grammar

• English grammar encompasses the rules that govern the structure of sentences in the English language.
• It includes syntax, punctuation, spelling, and word usage.
• Understanding grammar is essential for effective communication in English.

Demonstrative Pronouns

• Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things or persons.
• Examples include "this," "that," "these," and "those."
• They help indicate which person or thing is being referred to in a sentence.

• FAQ's on Adjectives :

  • What is an adjective?

    A word that typically modifies a noun to describe it as different from something else, to indicate the amount or extent of the named object, or to specify one of its qualities.

  • What is an example of an adjective?

    Examples of adjectives include:

    • A wonderful old Indian car
    • Your brother has a beautiful big white car.
    • This is your medium new red sleeping kit.

  • What are the different forms of adjectives?

    Adjectives come in three forms:

    • Positive or Absolute Form
    • Comparative Form
    • Superlative Form

  • What are the various types of adjectives?

    There are four types of adjectives:

    • Possessive Adjectives

  • What distinguishes adjectives from adverbs?

    An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun, aiming to further define and quantify it. In contrast, an adverb modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, offering additional details regarding the sentence's verb. Adverbs can provide specific information on time, method, frequency, and other aspects.

• Adjective Modification

  Adjectives alter nouns and pronouns.

• Adjective Grammar

  Adjective grammar deals with the usage of words that describe nouns in a language. They usually precede nouns, can be compared (positive, comparative, superlative), follow a specific sequence, and may be introduced by articles like "a," "an," or "the." It ensures language clarity and descriptiveness.

  Adjective grammar entails understanding how words that describe nouns are utilized in a language. They typically appear before nouns, can be compared in degrees (positive, comparative, superlative), follow a specific order, and may be preceded by articles like "a," "an," or "the." This aspect of grammar ensures that language is clear and descriptive.

• Superlative Adjective Definition

  A superlative adjective indicates the highest degree of a quality among three or more entities. It is formed by adding "-est" or using "most" before the adjective, denoting the utmost level of that quality. For instance, in "the tallest building," "tallest" signifies it is the tallest among all buildings.

• Irregular Comparative and Superlative

  Irregular comparatives and superlatives are adjective forms that deviate from the usual pattern of adding "-er" for the comparative and "-est" for the superlative. Instead, they undergo unique changes to indicate a higher quality degree. Memorization is often necessary for these irregular forms due to their deviation from standard rules.

  Irregular comparatives and superlatives are adjectives that do not follow the regular pattern of adding "-er" for the comparative form and "-est" for the superlative form. Instead, they change in unique ways to show a higher degree of a quality. These irregular forms require memorization as they do not conform to the typical rules.

  • Good:
    • Comparative - Better
    • Superlative - Best
    • Example: She is a better singer than her sister, and she is the best in the choir.
  • Bad:
    • Comparative - Worse
    • Superlative - Worst
    • Example: The weather today is worse than yesterday, and it's the worst we've had all year.

English Grammar Concepts

• Far: When we talk about distance, we use "far" to compare. For example, "The airport is farther from here than I thought." The superlative form is "farthest," like saying "It's the farthest airport I've been to."
• Little: When we talk about a small amount, we use "little." For instance, "She has less experience than her colleague." The superlative form is "least," as in "who has the least experience on the team."

What is the comparative and superlative form of "less"?

The comparative form of "less" is used to compare two things, showing a smaller amount. For example, "She has less money than her friend." The superlative form, "least," is used when comparing three or more things, indicating the smallest amount, like "She has the least experience among the three candidates."

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