What is an Adjective? | And Different Types - With Examples

What is an Adjective?

Adjectives are words that describe or/and refine other words, make your writing and speech much more precise, and much more interesting. The short, blue and sharp words are descriptive and these are all examples of adjectives. Since adjectives are used to identify or measure individual and unique things, they usually precede nouns or pronouns that they change. Some sentences also have multiple adjectives.

Definition and Examples of Adjective:

An Adjective is a word that expresses the defect, position, quantity or a number of a noun or pronoun.

Example: Good, bad, ill, red, one, two, much, many, etc. 

• He is a rich man. 
• This is a blue pen. 
• He has a lot of money. 
• Smith is a good boy. 
• He's dishonest. 
• There is a lot of water in the pond.

 

Explanation: The word good in the first sentence above expresses Smith's quality. Good Adjective here. The word dishonest in the second sentence expresses the fault of the pronoun "he". Hence the "dishonest" adjective. In the third sentence, the word "much" refers to the amount of water. Many Adjectives here.

Use of Adjective

a. Attributive uses of Adjective: When the Adjective sits before the noun and directly qualifies the noun, then that use of the Adjective is called Attributive uses of Adjective. 

• Example: He is a wise man.

Explanation: Here the word wise sits before the noun "man" and directly expresses its quality. Therefore, this kind of use of Adjective in the sentence is called Attributive uses of Adjective.

b. Predicative uses of Adjective: When the Adjective sits after the predicative verb and indirectly qualifies the subject, then that use of the Adjective is called predictive uses of the Adjective. 

• Example: He is wise.

Explanation: Here the word "wise" sits after the predicate verb and indirectly expresses the quality of the subject "he". Therefore, such use of Adjective in the sentence is called Predicative uses of Adjective.

c. Predicative Adjective Usually: Used as a compliment. From the above sentence, we can understand that Adjective is an essential part of Predicative and the meaning of the verb has been fulfilled to have this Adjective. The meaning of the verb "to be" is not complete without a mention.

What are The Different Types of Adjectives?

Now, since you already know the answer to the question, "What is an adjective?" You should also know that not all adjectives are the same. They change nouns and pronouns differently and have different types of adjectives like other parts of the word. 

These are:

1. Descriptive Adjective or Adjective of Quality.
2. Quantitative Adjective or Adjective of Quantity.
3. Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number.
4. Pronominal Adjective.

1. Descriptive Adjective or Adjective of Quality

An Adjective that expresses the fault or condition of a person or object is called a descriptive Adjective or Adjective of quality. 

Example:

• He's a rich man. 
• The boy is disobedient.

Explanation: In the first sentence above, the word "rich" expresses how he's, that is, "rich" here expresses the condition of the person in him. So "rich" Descriptive Adjective or Adjective of Quality. Similarly, the word disobedient expresses what the boy is like, that is, disobedient here expresses the fault of the noun in the boy. So "disobedient" Descriptive Adjective or Adjective of Quality.

2. Quantitative Adjective or Adjective of Quantity

An adjective that indicates the amount of a noun is called a Quantitative Adjective or Adjective of Quantity. Much, little, some, any, no/none, enough/sufficient, all/whole, half, etc are widely used as class adjectives. What kind of Adjective answers such questions? 

Example:

• The man has a lot of money. 
• Give me a little water. 
• I want some rice.

Explanation: In the above sentences, the words much, a little, and some indicate the amount of money, water, and rice respectively, so they're Quantitative Adjective or Adjective of Quantity.

3. Numeral Adjective

An Adjective that refers to the number of a noun, the order of the space or the number of times the noun exists, is called a Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number. 

Example:

• He has five pens. 
• January is the first month of the year.

Explanation: In the first sentence above, the Adjective "pen" is the number of this noun, the Adjective "first" of the second sentence expresses the order of this noun in the order of the month. So "five" and "first "A Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number.

Numeral Adjective Again There are Three Types

• i. Cardinal Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number.
• ii. Ordinal Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number.
• iii. Multiplicative Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number.

i. Cardinal Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number: One, two, three etc Adjectives that refer to a specific number of a noun are called Cardinal Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number. 

• Example: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten.

ii. Ordinal Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number: Ordinal Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number is the first, second, third etc. An adjective which refers to the place or stage of a noun in sequence. 

• Example: First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth.

iii. Multiplicative Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number: Single, double, triple etc. An adjective that means how many times a noun exists is called Multiplicative Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Number. 

• Example: Single, double, triple, threefold, fourfold, fivefold, sixfold, sevenfold, eightfold, ninefold and tenfold.

Cardinal    Ordinal     Multiplicative

One              First             Single

Two              Second        Double, twofold

Three           Third            Triple, threefold

Four              Fourth         Fourfold

Five               Fifth             Fivefold

six                 Sixth            Sixfold

Seven           Seventh       Sevenfold

Eight             Eighth          Eightfold

Nine             Ninth            Ninefold

Ten               Tenth            Tenfold

4. Pronominal Adjective

When a pronoun precedes a noun and performs the function of an Adjective, it's called a pronominal Adjective. 

Example:

• This is his toy. 
• Every man should respect the learned. Which pen have you bought? 
• This boy is brilliant.

 

Explanation: In the above sentences, the Adjectives in his, every, which and this are toy, man, pen and boy, respectively, sitting in front of these nouns to complete the work of the Adjective. So they are Pronominal Adjectives.

There are Four Common Types of Pronominal Adjectives

• i. Demonstrative Adjective
• ii. Interrogative Adjective
• iii. Distributive Adjective
• iv. Possessive Adjective

i. Demonstrative Adjective: Demonstrative Pronoun When a noun precedes an Adjective, it's called a Demonstrative Adjective.

Example:

• This boy is honest. 
• That pen is new. 
• These horses are very strong. 
• Those boys are playing.

 

ii. Interrogative Adjective: When the interrogative pronoun completes the function of the Adjective before the noun, it is called an Interrogative Adjective. 

Example:

• Which pen did you BUY? 
• What fruit do you like? 
• Whose pen have you taken?

iii. Distributive Adjective: When the Distributive Pronoun sits before the noun and qualifies it as an Adjective, it's called a Distributive Adjective. 

Example:

• Each boy has a pen. 
• Every man must die. 
• You can go either way of the two (one way or the other) 
• I shall support neither party (one of the two parties) 

iv. Possessive Adjective: Possessive Pronoun (my, our, your, their, his, her, its) is called Possessive Adjective when it completes the function of the Adjective before the noun. 

Example:

• This is your school. 
• That's my pen.

Explanation: Here our and my Possessive Adjective sits before the two nouns in school and pen and specifies them and expresses the relation with them, so they are Possessive Adjectives.

Some Other Adjective

1. Proper Adjective
2. Relative Adjective
3. Exclamatory Adjective
4. Emphasizing Adjective
5. Compound Adjective

1. Proper Adjective

The Adjective formed from Proper Noun is called a Proper Adjective. It is considered as an Adjective of Quality. Since Proper Adjective originates from Proper Noun, its first letter is capital. Proper Adjective is formed from the specified place and person's name.

Proper Nouns    Proper Adjective

• Asia                        Asian
• America                 American
• Argentina              Argentine
• Africa                     African
• Bangladesh           Bangladeshi
• Britain                    British
• Brazil                      Brazilian
• China                      Chines
• Denmark                Danish
• Egypt                       Egyptian
• England                  English
• France                    French
• Germany               German
• Greece                   Greek
• India                       Indian
• Iran                         Iranian
• Italy                         Italian
• Japan                      Japanese
• Nepal                      Nepali
• Pakistan                 Pakistani
• Russia                     Russian
• Singapore              Singaporean
• Shakespeare         Shakespearean

2. Relative Adjective

Relative Pronoun When it works like an Adjective then it's called a Relative Adjective. That, which, what etc Relative Adjective. Ask him which book he needs.

Explanation: In the above sentence in which the relative pronoun "book" noun will be asked who has completed the work of the Adjective. So 'which' is a relative adjective. Note that "Relative Adjective" precedes the noun and Relative Pronoun precedes the noun.

3. Exclamatory Adjective

When the Adjective completes its function and expresses surprise, it's called an Exclamatory Adjective.

Example:

• What a mistake! 
• What inhumanity is this! 
• What a beautiful bird it is! 
• What a fine bird it is!

4. Emphasizing Adjective

Many times it's used as own or very-Emphasizing Adjective to emphasize. 

Example:

• I saw the accident with my own eyes. 
• This is the very pen which I want.

5. Compound Adjective

He has completed a three-year Degree Course.

• Note: Most Adjectives are used either attributively or Predicatively. But alone, alive, ashamed, asleep, afraid, awake, aware etc Adjectives are used only predicatively. He's not afraid of anybody. However, somewhat, a fast etc adverb can be used attributively in front of most Adjectives. 

Example:

• A somewhat afraid soldier. 
• The fast asleep children. 
• The wide-awake patient.

Comparison of Adjectives

• Comparison of Adjective Degrees of Comparison is the amount of fault/ quality of one over the other.
• Rubel is a brave boy.
• Rubel is braver than Rumi.
• Rubel is the bravest of all.

In the above three sentences, this Adjective brave has three conditions (brave-braver-bravest). In the first sentence, only the normal state of the Adjective is revealed by brave. Positive Degree for brave here. In the second sentence, the comparison between the two is given by braver.

That's why the condition of the brave has changed. The Adjective in Braver is Comparative Degree. In the third sentence, everyone is compared by bravest. So the brave's condition has changed and becomes bravest. The Adjective in Bravest is a Superlative Degree.

Rules of Adjective

1. If an Adjective has two consonants at the end or a consonant and two vowels before it, then "er" is added to comparative and "est" is added to achieve a Superlative Degree.

Positive      Comparative     Superlative

Black              Blacker                Blackest

Cold                Colder                 Coldest

Deep               Deeper                Deepest

Hard               Harder                 Hardest

Low                 Lower                   Lowest

Tall                  Taller                    Tallest

New                Newer                   Newest

Poor                Poorer                   Poorest

Strong            Stronger                Strongest 

2. If there is a consonant or a vowel at the end of an Adjective, then the last letter is doubled then "er" and "est" are added respectively.

Positive       Comparative     Superlative

Big                  Bigger                    Biggest

Fat                  Fatter                     Fattest

Hot                 Hotter                    Hottest

Red                 Redder                   Reddest

Thin                Thinner                  Thinnest

3. If there is "e" at the end of Positive Degree, then only "r" is added to form comparative, and "st" is added to form a Superlative Degree.

Positive        Comparative    Superlative

Brave              Braver                  Bravest

Fine                 Finer                     Finest

Gentle             Gentler                Gentlest

Large               Larger                  Largest

Noble              Nobler                  Noblest

Nice                 Nicer                     Nicest

True                Truer                     Truest

Wise                Wiser                    Wisest

4. If there is a "y" at the end of a positive degree and a consonant before it, I will replace it with "y" and adder and "est" respectively to form an Attentive comparative and superlative degree.

You can easily change by looking at the comparative and superlative degrees in the video:

Positive         Comparative    Superlative

Dry                    Drier                   Driest

Busy                  Busier                 Busiest

Happy               Happier              Happiest

Heavy                Heavier              Heaviest

Lazy                   Lazier                 Laziest

Pretty                Prettier              Prettiest

Merry                Merrier              Merriest

5. Most Adjectives with two syllables and all Adjectives with more than two syllables and all Adjectives with "full" are comparative by adding more/less before and superlative degree by adding least.

Positive     Comparative      Superlative

Beautiful     More beautiful    Most beautiful

Careful        More careful        Most careful

Cunning      More cunning      Most cunning

Honest        More honest         Most honest

Final Thoughts

This article is titled "Grammar Basic": What is an Adjective?" Can be very helpful for newcomers who want to improve their grammar skills and gain proficiency in English. If you have a really deep idea about what an adjective is, you must be able to apply this idea correctly to your compositions. Just keep in mind that while adjectives may seem a little trivial, an effective use of this part of the statement can actually strengthen your writing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are Adjectives?

Answer: When it comes to functions, adjectives are data collectors. In particular, they provide more information about the size, shape, age, color, source or material of an object.

What is an Adjective Clause?

Answer: An adjective clause is made up of an adjective and a group of words called a clause. It does not stand and provides information about a noun. There are two types of clauses - essential adjectives and unnecessary adjectives.

What are The Types of Adjectives?

Answer: When used in a sentence, adjectives can be divided into different categories based on their function. The different types of adjectives are:

1. Possessive Adjectives
2. Interrogative Adjectives
3. Demonstrative Adjectives
4. Compound Adjectives

What is a Superlative Adjective?

Answer: A best adjective is an adjective that is used to describe a noun using the most extreme high or extreme low quality. For example, the longest, the shortest, the best, the worst, the biggest, and the smallest are all examples of higher adjectives.

How an Adjective is Used in a Sentence?

Answer: Now we will know how it is an adjective used in a sentence. Adjectives in sentences are used in two ways. They are:

1. Attributive use
2. Predicative use