Adjectives

An adjective is the part of speech which modifies either a noun or a pronoun. As much as
possible, it has to be placed as near as possible to the word or words it modifies.

Kinds of Adjectives

1. Article
An Article is any one of a group of things. The words “a”, “an”, and “the”, generally
called as articles are usually adjectives. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are known as indefinite articles
because they describe nouns in general. ‘The’ on the other hand restricts the meaning of a
noun or pronoun to make it more specific. Therefore, the article ‘the’ is known as the
definite article.

Examples:
There was a tiger in my garden.
The tiger is an endangered species.
I bought a ukulele.
I play the ukulele.

Another way to make a statement more general is to use no article at all. This is
sometimes referred to as the zero article and usually applies to plurals or mass nouns.

Examples:
Women are not good with maps.
Shorts are not suitable office attire.
Cats are thankless creatures.
Grammar is hard to learn.

2. Proper Noun Adjective – formed from a proper noun.

Examples:
He loves to eat American pie.
Italian pizza makes me feel good.
I cannot master the Canadian accent.
Studying Philippine history breaks my mind.
German language interests me.

3. Common Noun Adjective – common nouns used as adjective when they modify another
noun or pronoun.

Examples:
Our TLE teacher prepares fruit salad.
Can I order vegetable salad?

4. Pronoun Adjective – pronouns used to modify a noun or pronoun. They may be

demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite, and possessive. These pronoun adjectives clearly
and specifically identify the kind or classification of the subject or the one being modified.
 a. Demonstrative

Examples:
That speaker does not belong to me.
This life is enjoyable.
Call those students outside.
Are you really giving me these books of yours?

b. Interrogative

Examples:
Whose idea impressed you?
What reason justifies your question?

c. Indefinite

Examples:
Several students underwent Bryce Personality Program.
Only few bags were sold yesterday.

d. Possessive

Examples:
Try to recover her reports from my desktop.
Give me your contact number.
Have you seen his report of grades?

5. Predicative Adjective – an adjective that completes the verb and modifies the subject. It
should come after the linking verb.

Examples:
The mayor looks worried.
The basketball game grew exciting.
I feel tired but happy.

6. Descriptive Adjective – denotes the kind or quality. It tells something about the noun.

Examples:
Have you seen my maroon bag?
The black cat entered into our old house.
7. Numerical Adjective – numerically limits and locates the noun.

a. Cardinal Numerical Adjective – quantifies the noun.

Examples:
I bought two kilograms of avocado. But my mother asked me to buy another four.
When I arrived at home, she asked me to go back to the market to buy two liters of
oil.
 b. Ordinal Numerical Adjective – states the chronology of the noun.

Examples:
Meet me at the second floor.
Or if you want, wait at the first.

8. Compound Adjective – is made up of more than one word. Most compound adjectives are
hyphenated but some are written as combined words.

a. Adjective + Noun

Example:
I will be hosting the silver wedding anniversary of my parents.

b. Adjective + Adjective

Example:
I am looking for an old-fashioned watch.

c. Noun + Adjective

Example:
I haven’t seen a century old tree yet.

d. Verb + Verb

Examples:
My father is running a buy and sell business.
The mother of the hit and run victim cries out for justice.

e. Noun/Pronoun + Noun

Examples:
As a teacher, I must know how to deal with students who are born in this space-age
technology.
People admired this movie which uses a he-man role.

f. Adverb + Verb

Example:
My younger sister loves riding in a fast-moving car.
Our school is still welcoming in-coming first year students.

g. Noun + Adjective

Example:
Manny Pacquiao is one of the world-famous boxers.

h. Noun + Preposition
 Examples:
I am hesitant in attending a dress up party.
My friends and I love shopping during closing-out sale.
i. Prefix + Adjective

Example:
It is disgusting for her to have an extra dry hair.

j. Prefix + Noun

Example:
Our organization has been offering anti-virus vaccine in this community.

k. Verb + Preposition

Example:
The stand-up comedian enlightens the mood of the show.

9. Absolute Adjective – has no comparison in formal writing.

Examples:
She got a perfect score in one of our subjects during Midterm Examination.
Have you seen the dead body inside our house?
Glenn was the only one who got the correct answer.

Degrees of Adjectives

1. Positive. It is the state where only one subject is described.

Examples:
Have you seen my big house?
The ugly truth cannot be hidden anymore.
The kind woman pays for my debt without any in return.
The heavy rain falls.
Your hard heart has to be softened.

2. Comparative. This degree is used to show that two concepts, objects, individuals/entities
etc. are either being compared or contrasted. The comparative degree is indicated by
putting “more”/ “less” before the describing word or adding “-er” at the end of the word.
Other irregular adjectives change their morphological structure like better and worse from
good and bad respectively.

Examples:
Your performance today is more amazing than what you did last week.
His emotion is calmer than mine.
It is better to give than to receive.
Do not make the situation even worse than expected.
Our findings are less confusing than yours.
 3. Superlative – shows comparison among three or more objects, persons, ideas etc. It is
indicated by putting “most” or “least” before the describing word or by simply adding “-
est” at the end of a word. Other irregular adjectives change their morphological structures
like best and worst from good-better and bad-worse. When comparing in this level, do not
forget to use a specifying adjective which basically come in the form of proper noun,
possessive pronouns or definite article ‘the’ before the describing word or the words ‘most’
or ‘least’.

Examples:
SEE 5 is the most relaxing major subject in BSE English of the College of Education.
Radz is the cutest guy in their block.
True love comes in the least expected way.
Your smile seemed to be your best asset.
Expect the worst things to come to easily accept things.
Logical Comparisons of Adjectives
Amidst the knowledge of the English language users as to levels of comparisons, there are
still instances that they compare adjectives illogically. That is, the subject is compared to another
kind. Do not compare two different types of subjects.

Illogical: Darz’s penmanship is more legible than Zrad.

Correct: Darz’s penmanship is more legible than Zrad’s.

Illogical: Feeding swine is more fun than the hogs.

Correct: Feeding the swine is more fun than feeding the hogs.

Illogical: Watching movies is more relaxing than a theatrical act.

Correct: Watching movies is more relaxing than watching a theatrical act.

Order of Adjectives

When two or more adjectives are used before a noun, they seem usually in a recognizable
sequence, beginning with an article and ending with the noun.

Article or
Noun used
pronoun Proper
Size Age Color Participle as an noun
used as an Adjective
adjective
adjective

The Small blue Italian bag

Your old stitched pants
Her Big red repaired German plastic Shoes

Adverbs
 Adverbs are used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Just like the adjectives,
adverbs can also be omitted from the sentence but can also provide a more detailed information
about the action, or another modifier.

Kinds of Adverbs

Adverb of Frequency
This kind of adverb adds information on occurrence of an action or state of being. This kind
of adverb answers the question “how recurrent?” or for “how often?” the action or state of being is
repeated.
Examples:
You will always be beautiful in my eyes.
(The adverb ‘always’ modifies the verb phrase ‘will be’.)
They regularly visit their grannies from their hometown.
(The adverb ‘regularly’ modifies the verb ‘visit’.)
Often, the students forget the complete names of their teachers.
(The adverb ‘often’ modifies the verb ‘forget’.)
Adverb of Time
This kind of adverb indicates the time of occurrence of action or state of being in the
sentence. This adverb answers the question “when?”
Examples:
I need you today.
In 1986, Filipinos reunited to regain the democracy in the Philippines.
Submit to my office the Annual Financial Report next week.
There will be First Year Students Orientation on Monday.

Adverbs of Manner
The state of the means on how the action is being done is described by this adverb. In short,
this adverb answers the question “how?”
Examples:
The teacher hurriedly called the attention of the students.
 (How did the teacher call the attention of the student? The adverb ‘hurriedly’ describes the
teacher’s manner of calling the attention of the students. The adverb comes before the word it
modifies.)
My parents are patiently waiting for me outside the auditorium.
(The adverb ‘patiently’ describes the parents ‘are waiting’. Take note that in this case, the
adverb can be found within the verb phrase which is ‘are waiting’ in this sentence.)
Quantine sings well.
(This kind of adverb does not follow the traditional belief that adverbs end with ‘-ly’. Just
consider the word if it functions the role or nature of adverb. It can also be observed that in
this sentence, the adverb comes after the word it modifies.)

Adverb of Place
This kind of adverb answers the question “where?” or locates the action or state of being in
the sentence.
Examples:
The ambulance moves northwest.
(In this sentence, the adverb ‘northwest’ indicates the direction of the ambulance or where this
vehicle is heading to.)

Have you seen the kid who was sitting there?

(The adverb ‘there’ answers or gives additional information on where the kid was sitting.)

Here I am.
(In this sentence, there is no action yet the adverb ‘here’ indicates the position of the speaker
or of the pronoun subject ‘I’.)

Adverb of Intensity or Degree

Adverb of intensity or degree responds to the questions “up to what extent?” or “up to
what level?”. Also, this kind of adverb modifies verbs and adjectives.
Examples:
The performance of the cadets was so great!
(How great what the performance? It was so great.)

The question that our teacher posted was very confusing.

 (The question being posted by the teacher is not lightly confusing but to higher degree.)

Comparison of Adverbs
Adverbs of manner and time also have three degrees of comparison like adjectives. Thus,
the basic rules are the same as those for the comparison of adjectives.
1. For monosyllabic adverbs, the comparative degree is formed by adding ‘-er’ and the superlative
degree by adding ‘-est’ to the adverb.
Examples:
Mac Jim eats fast.
Jimmy eats faster than Mac Jim does.
Johnny eats the fastest of them all.

2. Additional ‘more’ for comparative degree and ‘most’ for superlative are added to adverbs of
manner ending in ‘-ly’. Add ‘less’ or ‘least’ for the opposite.
Examples:
Sheena decorates her room beautifully.
Samantha decorates hers more beautifully.
Sherryl does hers most beautifully among them.

Percival plays volleyball skillfully.

Eric plays this sport less skillfully than Percival does.
Celso does in this sport the least skillfully among them all.

3. Some adverbs form their both comparative and superlative degrees irregularly.
Examples:
I know that I acted well on our performance.
But I guess you acted better.
Whatever it is, she acted the best among us.
During our dance number, I move badly.
But I also saw that you did it worse.
In our surprise, he did it the worst of all.
You give little on this project.
I give less.
But among us, our leader gives the least.
Adverbs vs. Adjectives
Though there are adverbs and adjectives which look alike, they function differently. It must
be clarified that adjectives modify only noun and pronoun while adverbs modify verb, adjective,
and another adverb. These modifiers should not be interchanged in usage. Be careful with how they
are used in sentences and expressions.
1. Do not use an adjective to modify a verb.

Wrong: My Uncle drives our van too rapid. (‘Rapid’ is an adjective.)

Correct: My Uncle drives our van rapidly.

2. Do not use an adjective to modify another adjective.

Wrong: Jade was a real powerful volleyball player. (Use ‘really’, an adverb.)
Correct: Jade was really a powerful volleyball player.

3. After sense verbs (such as appear, feel, look, seem, smell, taste, sound) and ‘be’ and ‘become’, the
modifier should be an adjective if it these verbs refer to the subject. But if these verbs describe
or defines the verb, use adverb.

Correct: That tea flavor tastes good. (Adjective)

The stage looked beautiful. (Adjective)
Sarah appeared sick when she left the room. (Adjective)
I looked at her lovingly. (Adverb)
Joy felt intensely that she was slighted. (Adverb)
We tasted carefully before we swallowed. (Adverb)

4. Be accurate in using modifiers that may be either adjectives or adverbs.

Correct: Jake was a little boy. (Adjective)

Please move a little farther. (Adverb)
Greg was a kindly man. (Adjective)
Alex speaks kindly to anyone. (Adverb)
Be there like an early bird. (Adjective)
Be there early. (Adverb)

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

 One of the technical qualities of technical and effective writing is the establishment of
coherence of ideas. One of the ways to achieve coherence is avoiding misplaced and dangling
modifiers. A modifier, in word, phrase or clause, is misplaced if it suggests awkwardness of the idea
and if it tampers or alters the real meaning of the expression brought by improper location of the
modifier. In the sentence:

‘John still attends his church where he was married regularly.’,

it seems that John is being married for couple of times and in regular basis. Now, look at the
sentence below. The idea is clear.

Edited: John still regularly attends his church where he was married.

Observe the same manner in another example with their corrected versions. This sentence
also suffers from misplaced modifier like the previous one.

Misplaced: We will still continue to sell goods to people in plastic wrapping.

Edited: We will still continue to sell goods in plastic wrapping to people.

Now, look at the next sentence below:

Walking down the high street, the new dress shop caught her eyes.

Whose eyes was being caught by the new dress shop? Who is walking down the high street?
The sentence above has dangling modifier or the doer of the action or being modified is actually
missing. There are two ways on how to correct this sentence. One is simply use a pronoun or the
other one is use a noun applicable to the feature of the thought of subject.

Edited: While she was walking down the high street, the new dress shop caught her eyes.
While Ela was walking down the street, the new dress shop caught her eyes.