Adjective Phrase

What Is an Adjective Phrase?

An adjective phrase (or adjectival phrase) is a phrase that tells us something about the noun it is modifying. The
head (principal) word in an adjective phrase will be an adjective. In the examples below, the adjective phrase is
shaded and the head word (i.e., the adjective) is in bold:
 These are unbelievably expensive shoes.
(In this example, the head adjective ends the adjective phrase.)
 Sarah was fairly bored with you.
(In this example, the head adjective is in the middle of the adjective phrase.)

Examples

Examples of Adjective Phrases

Here are some more examples of adjective phrases (with the head adjectives in bold):

 The extremely tired lioness is losing patience with her overly enthusiastic cub.

 My mother was fairly unhappy with the service.
 Her baking always smells very tempting.
 The consequences of agreeing were far too serious.
 The dog covered in mud looked pleased with himself.

How Can I Identify an Adjective Phrase?

The trick to identifying an adjective phrase is to look at the first word within the group of words. If the first word is
an adverb or a preposition, there's a good chance you're looking at an adjective phrase.
Ask yourself, what is this phrase modifying? Is it describing a noun? If it is, in fact, modifying the noun or subject of
a sentence, then you're looking at an adjective phrase.

What Does an Adjective Phrase Consist Of?

An adjective phrase can be formed out of an intensifier and an adjective. An example might be:
The dazzlingly beautiful woman walked down the street.
Sometimes, one adjective isn't descriptive enough. In this case, a string of adjectives can work together as an
adjective phrase to describe a noun, such as: She had the most silky, smooth, and radiant hair I've ever seen.
In the sentence, "Monica is a sweet girl," there is one adjective, namely, sweet. However, in the sentence, "Monica
is a sweet, intelligent, beautiful girl," we see an adjectival phrase that paints a much more in-depth picture of
Monica.

What Can Adjective Phrases Do in a Sentence?

Adjective phrases don't simply modify nouns. They can also modify pronouns. Let's look at two examples:
 He is from Boston.
 Tom is from Boston.
Each of these sentences has an adjective phrase. In the first example, the adjective phrase from Boston points back
to the pronoun (and subject) "he." In the second example, the adjective phrase from Boston points back to the noun
(and subject) "Tom."
It doesn't matter if the noun is a pronoun or not; the adjective phrase still functions in the same manner. So, if you're
looking for a more complex way to modify a noun - beyond a simple adjective - try using an adjective phrase. You
can either use several adjectives in a row, begin a phrase with a preposition, or start with an adverb to modify the
noun at hand.

Examples of Adjective Phrases

Of course, the best way to understand this type of phrase is to see it in action. Let's take a look at an example with an
adjective and one with an adjective phrase:
 The beautiful house sits atop the hill.
 The house that is so beautiful sits atop the hill.
These two sentences mean the same thing. However, the former has an adjective, while the latter has an adjectival
phrase.
Here's another example:
 The angry dog barks all day long.
 The dog that seems very angry barks all day long.
Again, these two sentences mean the same thing. However, the former has an adjective, while the latter has an
adjectival phrase.
Some adjective phrases modify nouns or noun phrases. Here are a few examples:
 The very small kitten jumped at the big dog.
 The cost of the car was way too high.
 The man covered with sweat trudged his way home.
 Something in the corner was moving.
 The big bug under the blanket is coming toward me.
Other adjective phrases modify the predicate of the sentence. Here are some examples:
 Extra buttons came with the coat.
 Gremlins cause mischief inside of machines.
 We were saddened by the news of his demise.
 The brownies smell deliciously sweet.
 I was delighted he was chosen for the part.
Adjective phrases can also modify objects and will follow the word they are modifying. Here are some examples:
 She wanted to paint her room lemony yellow.
 My new kitten makes me very happy.
 I sometimes pity people living in large cities.
 We are collecting money for children born with heart defects.
 They were proud of their team winning the championship.

Adjective Phrases Provide Greater Detail

A well-chosen adjective phrase can give a sentence more life and personality. A single adjective alone may be all the
spice you need, but if it can be built out into an adjective phrase, you may be able to provide readers with greater
detail.