Adjective and its Types

Adjectives Definition and Examples

It usually provides relevant information about the nouns/pronouns. they modify/describe by answering the questions: What kind? How many? Which one? How much? It enriches your writing by adding precision and originality to it.

Examples:

• The team has a dangerous batsman. (What kind?)
• I have ten candies in my pocket. (How many?)
• I loved that red car. (Which one?)
• I earn more money than he does. (How much?)

Types of Adjectives 

1. DESCRIPTIVE WORDS EXAMPLES

A descriptive adj is a word which describes nouns and pronouns. Most of the adj belong in this type. These provide information and attribute to the nouns/pronouns they modify or describe. Descriptive adj are also called qualitative adj.

Participles are also included in this type of adj when they modify a noun.

Examples:

• I have a fast car. (The word ‘fast’ is describing an attribute of the car)
• I am hungry. (The word ‘hungry’ is providing information about the subject)
• The hungry cats are crying.
• I saw a flying Eagle.

2. QUANTITATIVE 

A quantitative adj provides information about the quantity of the nouns/pronouns. This type belongs to the question category of ‘how much’ and ‘how many’.

Examples:

• I have 20 bucks in my wallet. (How much)
• They have three children. (How many)
• You should have completed the whole task. (How much)

3. DEMONSTRATIVE 

A demonstrative adj directly refers to something or someone. Demonstrative adj include the words: this, that, these, those.

Examples:

• That building is so gorgeously decorated. (‘That’ refers to a singular noun far from the speaker)
• This car is mine. (‘This’ refers to a singular noun close to the speaker)

4. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

A possessive adj indicates possession or ownership. It suggests the belongingness of something to someone/something.

Some of the most used possessive adjectives are my, his, her, our, their, your. 

All these adjectives always come before a noun. Unlike possessive pronouns, these words demand a noun after them.

Examples:

• My car is parked outside.
• His cat is very cute.
• Our job is almost done.
• Her books are interesting.

5. INTERROGATIVE 

An interrogative adj asks a question. An interrogative adj must be followed by a noun or a pronoun. The interrogative adj are: which, what, whose. These words will not be considered as adj if a noun does not follow right after them. ‘Whose’ also belongs to the possessive adjective type.

Examples:

• Which phone do you use?
• What game do you want to play?
• Whose car is this?

6. INDEFINITE 

An indefinite adj describes or modifies a noun unspecifically. They provide indefinite/unspecific information about the noun. The common indefinite adjectives are few, many, much, most, all, any, each, every, either, nobody, several, some, etc.  

Examples:

• I gave some candy to her.
• I want a few moments alone.
• Several writers wrote about the recent incidents.
• Each student will have to submit homework tomorrow.

THE DEGREES OF ADJECTIVES

There are three degrees of adjectives: Positive, comparative, superlative.

1. The Positive Degree
The positive degree of an adjective makes no comparison.

• A tall building.
• She runs fast.
• This is a beautiful car.

2. The Comparative Degree
The comparative degree compares two people, things, actives, or qualities.

• A taller building than this one.
• She runs faster than I do.
• This car is more beautiful than yours.

3. The Superlative Degree
The superlative degree compares a person, thing, activity, or quality with the group.

• The tallest building in the town.
• She is the fastest runner among the students.
• This is the most beautiful car I have ever seen