Adjectives in English Grammar
What is an Adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, giving more information about it. Adjectives can describe qualities such as size, color, shape, age, condition, and more. They help make sentences more detailed and vivid.
Types of Adjectives
Adjectives can be categorized into different types based on their usage and the kind of information they convey:
1. Descriptive Adjectives
Descriptive adjectives provide more details about a noun, such as size, color, shape, and quality.
- big (She has a big house.)
- blue (The sky is blue.)
- round (The table is round.)
- happy (He feels happy today.)
2. Quantitative Adjectives
Quantitative adjectives describe the quantity or amount of something. They answer the question “How much?” or “How many?”.
- some (I have some milk left.)
- few (There are few people in the room.)
- many (He has many friends.)
- enough (I don't have enough money.)
3. Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out specific things or people. They are used before nouns to show which one you mean.
- this (Is this your pen?)
- that (I don’t like that shirt.)
- these (Are these your shoes?)
- those (I don’t like those pens.)
4. Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives show ownership or possession. They are used before a noun to indicate who owns the object or thing.
- my (This is my book.)
- your (Is that your car?)
- his (That is his phone.)
- her (That is her dress.)
5. Interrogative Adjectives
Interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about nouns. They are placed before the noun they modify.
- which (Which book do you prefer?)
- what (What color is your car?)
- whose (Whose bag is this?)
6. Indefinite Adjectives
Indefinite adjectives are used to refer to non-specific things or quantities. They do not refer to a particular person or thing.
- some (I have some questions.)
- any (Do you have any apples?)
- many (There are many cars on the road.)
- few (We have few options.)
7. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives compare two things, while superlative adjectives compare more than two things.
- better (This book is better than the other one.)
- best (This is the best book I’ve read.)
- more beautiful (She is more beautiful than her sister.)
- most beautiful (She is the most beautiful of all.)
Questions and Answers
1. Which of the following is an example of a descriptive adjective?
Answer: Beautiful
2. Which of the following is a possessive adjective?
Answer: Your
3. Which of the following is an example of a comparative adjective?
Answer: Better
3. Which of the following is an example of a comparative adjective?
Answer: Better
Explanation: The word "better" is a comparative adjective, as it compares two things. For example, "This book is better than the other one." "Best" and "most beautiful" are superlative adjectives, which compare more than two things.
4. Which of the following is an example of a superlative adjective?
Answer: Best
Explanation: "Best" is a superlative adjective because it compares more than two things. For example, "She is the best student in the class." "Better" and "more beautiful" are comparative adjectives that compare only two things.
5. Which of the following is an example of an interrogative adjective?
Answer: Which
Explanation: "Which" is an interrogative adjective because it is used to ask questions about a noun. For example, "Which book do you prefer?" "What" is also an interrogative adjective, but in this case, the correct answer was "Which" because it specifically refers to a selection of items.
6. Which of the following is an example of a descriptive adjective?
Answer: Tall
Explanation: "Tall" is a descriptive adjective because it describes the height of a noun, such as "He is tall." "Some" and "few" are quantitative adjectives, and "which" is an interrogative adjective.
7. Which of the following is an example of a possessive adjective?
Answer: His
Explanation: "His" is a possessive adjective, showing ownership or possession, as in "That is his car." "Mine" is a possessive pronoun, not an adjective. "What" is an interrogative adjective, and "few" is a quantitative adjective.
8. Which of the following is an example of an indefinite adjective?
Answer: Some
Explanation: "Some" is an indefinite adjective because it does not refer to a specific quantity. For example, "I have some cookies." "This" and "those" are demonstrative adjectives, "mine" is a possessive pronoun.
9. Which of the following is an example of a comparative adjective?
Answer: More expensive
Explanation: "More expensive" is a comparative adjective because it compares two things. For example, "This car is more expensive than that one." "Most expensive" is a superlative adjective, while "expensive" is just the base form.
10. Which of the following is an example of a superlative adjective?
Answer: Most beautiful
Explanation: "Most beautiful" is a superlative adjective because it compares more than two things. For example, "She is the most beautiful of all the contestants." "More beautiful" is a comparative adjective, and "beautiful" is a descriptive adjective.