ADJECTIVE

Adjective is derived from the Greek word ‘adjectous’ that means ‘to
describe’.

Definition
Adjective is a word or group of words that describes the
quality, quantity, shape, color, age, temperature and origin of a noun
and a pronoun.
Word Group Of Words
1. nice 1. Good looking
2. good 2. Mind blowing
3. intelligent
Quality: Good looking, bad, beautiful etc.
Quantity: Much, many, some, any etc.
Size: Big, small, huge, titanic etc.
Shape: Round, rectangular etc.
Age: Old, young, teenage etc.
Temperature: Cold, hot, warm etc.
Color: Black, white, blue etc.
Origin: American, Canadian, Japan etc.
 TYPES OF ADJECTIVE
Adjective are divided into ten types.
1. Proper Adjective
2. Demonstrative Adjective
3. Possessive Adjective
4. Distributive Adjective
5. Exclamatory Adjective
6. Emphatic Adjective
7. Interrogative Adjective
8. Descriptive Adjective
9. Adjective Of Quality
10. Numerical Adjective
 PROPER ADJECTIVE
Proper adjectives are those adjectives which are formed of some proper noun.
Proper Nouns: Proper Adjective:
Canada Canadian
Pakistan Pakistani
America American
Japan Japanese
To show origin of pronoun and noun proper adjective always start with capital
letter or
upper case letter eg. Capital letter: British or Upper Case letter: American.
She likes American car.
In the above example the American is proper adjective and the car is
described which is a noun.
Proper adjectives are formed only from proper noun. [place]
 DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES
Descriptive adjectives are those adjective which are used to describe
either favorable or non favorable quality of noun or pronoun.
Some descriptive adjective are listed here:
1. Intelligent
2. Lazy
3. Sluggish
4. Tipsy
5. Beautiful
6. Good etc.
He is an intelligent student.
She is beautiful.
In the above examples intelligent and beautiful are descriptive adjective
and she is pronoun while student is noun.
 DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE
Demonstrative adjectives are those adjective which are used to demonstrate
or point out noun or pronoun.
They are five in number:
1. That
2. That
3. These
4. Those
5. Such
These books are interesting.
That one is expensive.
This car is expensive.
In the above examples, these, that and this are demonstrative adjective ‘car’
and ‘books’ are noun and ‘one’ is pronoun.
 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE
Possessive adjectives are those adjective which are followed by noun or
pronoun to show possession or relationship.
Possessive adjective are seven in number:
Possessive Adjective Possessive Pronoun
1. My 1. Mine
2. His 2. His
3. Her 3. Hers
4. Its 4. Its
5. Your 5. Yours
6. Our 6. Ours
7. Their 7. Theirs
She drives her car.
She drives hers. In the above two examples her is possessive adj
hers is possessive pronoun and car is noun.
 INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVE
Interrogative adjectives are those adjective which are used to
interrogate are asked about noun or pronoun.
Interrogative adjectives are listed here:
1. What
2. Whose
3. Which
What subject do you like?
Which color does she like?
Whose book is this?
In the above examples what, whose and which are interrogative
adjective and subject, color and book are noun.
 DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVE
Distributive adjectives are those adjective which are used to modify
noun individually.
Some distributive adjective are listed here:
1. Each
2. Every
3. Either
4. Neither
5. Everyone
6. Any other
She bought two cars. Each car is expensive.
Football is nicer than any other game in the world.
In the above example each and any other are distributive adjective and
car and game are noun.
 ADJECTIVE OF QUANTITY
Adjective of quantity are those adjective which are used to show
quantity or measurement of either countable or non countable noun.
1. Much
2. Many
3. Some
4. Any
5. Enough
6. Little
She needs much water.
He bought many books.
In the above examples much and many are adjective of quantity and
water is non countable noun and books are countable noun.
 Numerical Adjective
Numerical adjectives are those adjectives which are used to count or order
nouns or pronouns in a series. It is divided into two types:
1. Cardinal Numerical Adjectives
2. Ordinal Numerical Adjectives
Cardinal Numerical Adjectives:
These are those adjective which are used to count noun or pronoun in a series.
e.g one book, two books, three cars and four rooms.
She bought two books. In this sentence ‘two’ is cardinal numerical adjective.
Ordinal Numerical Adjectives:
These are those adjectives which are used to order noun or pronoun in a series.
e.g first car, second car, third car and fourth car.
She likes the second car. In this sentence ‘second’ is ordinal numerical adjective.
 EXCLAMATORY AJECTIVE
Exclamatory adjectives are those adjectives which are used to
show sudden surprise or emotion about noun or pronoun.
They are two in number:
1. What
2. Such
What a car.
Such a nice building.
In the above examples what and such are exclamatory adjectives
and car and building are noun.
 EMPHATIC ADJECTIVE
Emphatic adjectives are those adjectives which are used to
emphasize noun or pronoun in a sentence.
They are two in number:
1. Own
2. Very
She drives her own car.
Money is the very thing in life.
In the above examples own and very are emphatic adjectives and
car and thing are noun.
 PRESENT AND PAST PARTICIPLE ADJECTIVE
Present Participle Adjective:
These are those adjectives which has [ing] at the end.
e.g boring, Interesting, exciting, amazing and amusing etc.
Past Participle Adjective:
These are those adjectives which have [ed] at the end.
e.g bored, interested, excited and amazed etc.
Examples
He is interesting person.
She is interested in books.
In the above sentences ‘interesting’ is present participle adjective and
‘interested’ is past participle adjective.
 CASES OF ADJECTIVES
Cases of adjectives is a grammatical term that denote position of
adjectives in sentences.
Adjectives have four cases:
1. Attributive Or Direct Case
2. Predicative Or Indirect Case
3. Abridging Or Central Case
4. Post Positive Or Indefinite Case
 ATTRIBUTIVE OR DIRECT CASE
In this case adjective is used before noun or pronoun.
For example:
She drives big car.
She wore a beautiful dress.
The tall building dominates the skyline.
In the above examples big, beautiful and tall are attributive
adjective case and car, dress and building are noun
 PREDICTATIVE OR INDIRECT CASE
In this case adjective is used after linking verbs e.g is, am, are,
look, seem, get, become and smell.
He is intelligent.
He looks happy.
In the above examples is and look are linking verbs and intelligent
and happy are predicative adjective case.
 ABRIDGING CASE
In this case adjective is used between one linking verb and a noun
or pronoun.
He is an intelligent student.
In the above example intelligent is abridging adjective case and
student is noun.
 POST POSITIVE CASE
In this case adjective is used after indefinite pronoun.
She bought something expensive.
He knows someone famous.
I need something special.
In the above examples something and someone are indefinite
pronoun and expensive, famous and special are post positive
adjective case.
 DEGREE OF ADJECTIVE
Degree of adjective is a grammatical term that form of adjective.
Adjective have three degrees:
1. Positive degree
2. Comparative degree
3. Superlative degree
 POSITIVE DEGREE
Positive degree is a degree where forms of adjective have neither
prefix nor suffix.
For Example:
1. Tall
2. Big
3. Nice
4. Beautiful etc.
 COMPARATIVE DEGREE
Comparative degree is a degree where form of adjective compare
one preson with another person, one place with another or one
thing with another thing.
For Example:
1. Taller
2. Bigger
3. Nicer
4. More/Less Beautiful
 SUPERLATIVE DEGREE
Superlative degree is a degree where forms of adjective compare
one person with the group of people one place with group of
places one thing with group of things.
For Example:
1. Tallest
2. Biggest
3. Nicest
4. Most/Less Beautiful