Language 06

Adjectives
Academic Year 2022-2023
OBJECTIVES
 Define adjectives
 Identify adjectives used in limericks
 Identify the different types of adjectives

LESSON PREREQUISITE
None

LESSON PROPER
Types of Adjectives in Limericks

Adjectives are words that describe a noun or a pronoun. They are found in
different types of writing because they add color and make the subjects of these
writings more vivid or alive.

One type of writing that makes use of adjectives is limerick. A limerick is a

humorous poem that consist five lines. Its first, second, and fifth lines are
composed of 7-10 syllables. Its third and fourth lines are composed of 5-10 syllables.

Before we examine adjectives used in limericks, here are some types of adjectives
you should familiarize yourself with:

Descriptive Adjective

These are adjectives that refer to the kind, size, shape, length, texture, odor, age or
color of a noun or pronoun.

1. Proper - are derived from proper nouns. They are formed by adding suffixes -an,
-ian, -n, -ese, and -ish. Their first letter is capitalized.

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Examples:

Japanese clothing

Korean food

2. Common - describe qualities of people, places, and things. They begin with a
small letter, except when they are placed at the beginning of a sentence.

square eyeglasses

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 pink shoes

Limiting Adjective

These adjectives limit a noun or give the number of a noun.

1. Articles

a boy

an apple

the ship

2. Numerals

Cardinals like one, two, three, four, five

Ordinals like first, second, third, fourth, fifth

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3. Pronominals

Demonstratives like this, these, that, those

Possessives like my, your, his, her
Distributive like every, each, both, several

Here’s a limerick by English poet Edward Lear. The circled words are the adjectives
used in it, and the words in red text are the types of adjective they belong to.

There was an Old Person of Dover,

article common

Who rushed through a field of blue Clover;

article common

But some very large bees,

distributive common

Stung his nose and his knees,

possessive possessive

So he very soon went back to Dover.

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