Adjectives
Very simply, adjectives modify nouns. This means that they may
modify any verb including:
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 fire fighter.
Adjectives are divided into categories as a way of understanding
their purpose.
1. DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVE:
These types of adjectives add detail or description to the noun.
[In the following examples, the adjective is bold and the noun is underlined.]
- When Tennessee and Connecticut first met in women's basketball
in 1995, it was a nice made-for-TV game between an established power and one on the rise.
- NICE describes the predicate nominative GAME and ESTABLISHED
describes the object of the preposition POWER.
- Note: In this sentence, ESTABLISHED is also a participle.
- The tall man thought he could reach the top shelf of the bookcase.
- TALL describes the subject MAN and TOP describes the direct object
SHELF.
- After the difficult surgery, the famous doctors to a nap.
- DIFFICULT modifies the object of the preposition SURGERY and
FAMOUS describes the subject DOCTOR.
- A worthwhile rivalry had been born.
- WORTHWHILE describes the subject RIVALRY.
- Monica said, "Wow, this is a great game."
- GREAT describes the predicate nominative GAME.
2. LIMITING ADJECTIVE:
These types of adjectives specify or limit the noun.
[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.
3. 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're not 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.
- Stan does not seem scared of them.
- DOES SEEM is a linking verb connecting the subject STAN with
its descriptor of equal weight SCARED.
4. VERBALS AS ADJECTIVES:
Two types of verbals can acts as adjectives. Participles are
always adjectives and may end in EN, ED or ING. Infinitives (TO+VERB)
may act as adjectives, adverbs or nouns.
[In the following examples, the verbal is bold and the noun it modifies is underlined.]
- Playing tough defense, both teams push the ball up the floor and score a lot of points.
- PLAYING modifies or describes the subject TEAMS. It is not the
verb for the subject, but rather it describes the subject.
- Note: PUSH and SCORE are the verbs for the subject TEAMS.
- Connecticut, averaging 90.3 points, is winning by an average of 29.
- AVERAGING describes CONNECTICUT. It is not the verb for the subject,
but rather it describes the subject.
- Note: IS WINNING is the verb for the subject CONNECTICUT.
- USC, shocked by a loss to OSU in its season opener, has little hope of going
to the Rose Bowl.
- SHOCKED describes USC. It is not the verb for the subject, but
rather it describes the subject.
- Note: HAS is the verb for the subject USC.
- It will be an interesting game to watch.
- TO WATCH modifies the predicate nominative GAME.
5. DEGREES OF ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are used to indicate levels, degrees of intensity
or comparison
6. ARTICLES [ Go to top]
Some sources identify the articles A, AN, THE as adjectives.
- The tempo of the game could reflect a track meet more than a basketball game.
- Tennessee no longer has Chamique Holdsclaw, twice the national player of the year.
- But the Lady Vols have an outstanding combination in Tamika Catchings, Semeka Randall
and Kristen Clement.
Note: Use "A" before words that begin with a consonant or consonant
sounds.
Note: Us "An" before words that begin with a vowel or vowel sound.
To do a practice worksheet on adjectives, go to the next page.
