ADJECTIVE

The basics
• Adjectives are one of the eight parts of speech. Just as a
reminder, the others are the verb, the noun, the pronoun, the
adverb, the preposition, the conjunction, and the interjection.
• The primary purpose of an adjective is to modify a noun. They
typically answer one of these three questions about the noun:
What kind? How many? Which one?

For example:
• the 44th president
• a green product
• a responsible investment
• an economist’s analysis
• the dumbest, worst leader
• A subject:
The volatile Bobby Knight has been accused of choking
a player.
• A direct object:
Tom threw the slimy ball for his dog, Rover.
• An indirect object:
After the last out, David Justice tossed
the excited child the game ball.
• A gerund
Cecilia enjoys distance running.
• A predicate nominative:
They didn’t know that Caroline was a decorated officer.
DEGREES OF ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are used to indicate
levels, degrees of intensity or
comparison
high   ____ base
higher ____ comparative
highest ____ superlative
Adjectives: Limiting
These types of adjectives specify or limit the
noun.
An adjective that limits a noun; they include
definite articles, indefinite articles, possessive
adjectives, demonstrative adjectives, indefinite
adjectives, interrogative adjectives, cardinal
adjectives, ordinal adjectives, proper adjectives
and nouns used as adjectives.
[In the following examples, the adjective is bold and the
noun is underlined.]

The two teams have met every season since 1932.

TWO tells us how many TEAMS and EVERY tells us how many
SEASONS.

Note: It does not describe the teams; it tells us which ones to limit
our attention to.

Saturday, Oregon plays USC before what should be a sellout crowd.

SELLOUT tells us what size of crowd. A specific number would also

be limiting.
Did Garret see this article that appeared in the paper?

THIS indicates which “limited” article.

Note: In this sentence, THIS is NOT a demonstrative pronoun.

Will you be sitting at the captain’s table this evening?

CAPTAIN’S limits what table we are considering.

Note: This type of possessive is called a possessive noun.

This season, the two are meeting on a home-and-
home basis, unusual for non-conference rivals.

HOME-AND-HOME limits the basis for meeting.

Note: We use hyphens to connect words that work

together to modify the noun.
Article Adjectives
THE, AN, and A define whether the noun is used indefinitely
or definitely.

For the families of the miners killed

in the accident, the settlement was justice denied.

In each case, “the” acts to limit by indicating a definite noun.

A third-party panel issued a harshly worded report.

Again, the article (in this case “A”) serves to limit the noun,
“panel.”
 The thing to keep in mind here though is that although the
article is a limiting adjective, it really acts more as a signal that a
limitation can be made rather than setting the limit itself.

For example:

The planned name change of the Miami Art Museum to the Jorge
M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County has offended some
on the board.

With “[t]he planned name change,” the article “the” signals that
a particular name change is being discussed. The writer will then
go on to define (i.e. limit) what that name change is.
Numeral Adjectives
Just like it sounds, numeral adjectives limit the noun to a
specific number or amount.

The panel tasted 2o single malts from Islay, smoky

whiskies that demand a sense of wonder.

• “20” is a numeral limiting adjective.

More than 2,300 Americans were killed in World War II.

• “2,300” is a limiting adjective

Pronominal Adjectives
These are adjectives that may be used as a
pronoun. In other words, if they stood alone they
would be pronouns, but when attached to a
noun, they become limiting pronouns.

Good creative writing courses don’t just develop

individual writers – they give those writers a
sense of their place in the world.
When standing alone “those” operates as a
demonstrative pronoun. In conjunction
with the noun, it serves as a pronominal
adjective.

• Never really getting any solid chances,

Norfolk couldn’t convert
on either opportunity.
• When standing alone “either” operates as a
distributive pronoun. In conjunction with the
noun, it serves as a pronominal adjective.

Pronominal adjectives may be further

distinguished as:

• Distributive pronouns or those which point

out objects taken singly. The distributives
include each, every, either, and neither.
It is the only campaign that has an organization
in every state.
Demonstrative pronouns or those which
point out objects definitely showing which
is meant.

• She and others conceded, however, that

the bigger task for the government is
enforcing or implementing these laws.
• Indefinite pronouns or those that point out
objects indefinitely. The indefinites are some,
one, none, all, any, whole, such, other,
and another.

Such an event, experts say, would undoubtedly

send the American unemployment rate higher and
possibly induce another recession.

We haven’t done any advertising.
• Reciprocal pronouns or those that are
reciprocally related. The reciprocals
are each, other, and one another.

She enjoyed the intricate patterns, colors

and symbols that made each example
unique.
Possessive Adjectives
• These adjectives indicate ownership:
my, our, your, his, her, its, their

Babies could still drink the formula every

day without any effect on their health.

When his battered body was found by the

police, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving,
he was simply John Doe.
 Interrogative Adjectives

These adjectives are used in asking a question

(which, what)

They’ve still got the shortlist from last time,

but which candidate can rescue the BBC?
Predicate Adjective
This is a special type of adjective that follows a linking
verb and modifies (directly refers to) the subject of the
sentence.

[In the following examples, the predicate adjective

is bold and the subject/noun is underlined.]

People are interested in this game.

• ARE is a linking verb connecting the subject PEOPLE
with its descriptor of equal weight INTERESTED.

Note: The descriptor is an adjective; therefore, it is a

predicate adjective. A noun would be a predicate
nominative.
Watching the championship was fun.

• WAS is a linking verb connecting the subject

WATCHING with its descriptor of equal weight
FUN.

Note: WATCHING is the form of a verb used as a

noun—a gerund.
Don argues that cheering for a team can
be nerve-wracking, too.

• CAN BE is a linking verb connecting the

subject
CHEERING with its descriptor of equal weight
NERVE-WRACKING.

• Note: CHEERING is the form of a verb used as

a noun—a gerund.
If you‘renot careful, the whole group is
going to judge you on what you do on this
day.

• ARE in the contraction YOU’RE is a

linking verb connecting the subject YOU
with its descriptor of equal weight
CAREFUL.
The two teams look very similar in the
tempo that they play.
• LOOK is a linking verb connecting the
subject TEAMS with its descriptor of
equal weight SIMILAR.
• Note: TO BE is not the only linking verb.
• DOES SEEM is a linking verb connecting
the subject STAN with its descriptor of
equal weight SCARED.