Adjective
Read the following passage.
Early settlers to the rock less and treeless prairies of the Midwest built comfortable homes of thick grass soil. With simple plows the settlers turned over long, deep rows of heavy sod. Then they shaped the tough earth into large blocks.
Sod houses, strong but dark, were usually about 16 feet in length. The dark inside walls were often covered with grey ashes and pieces of white paper. In the hot months, beautiful wild flowers and strong grasses grew on the sod roof. The settles also places pots of colorful flowers on the thick dirt windowsills. Heavy rains sometimes seeped through small cracks in the sod roofs. After a heavy storm, they shoveled more earth onto leaky roof. One family lived in a sod house for over 70 years.
Sod houses, strong but dark, were usually about 16 feet in length. The dark inside walls were often covered with grey ashes and pieces of white paper. In the hot months, beautiful wild flowers and strong grasses grew on the sod roof. The settles also places pots of colorful flowers on the thick dirt windowsills. Heavy rains sometimes seeped through small cracks in the sod roofs. After a heavy storm, they shoveled more earth onto leaky roof. One family lived in a sod house for over 70 years.
Functions and Types of Adjective
While reading the passage we noticed the words like rock less, treeless, comfortable, thick, grassy, simple, long, deep, heavy, large, strong, dark, grey, white, hot, wild etc.
We also noticed that these words are
used with nouns and they modify or add to the meaning of the noun with which
they are used.
Rockless and Treeless Prairies
Adjective Adjective Noun
Comfortable Homes of Thick Grassy Sod
Adjective Noun Adjective Adjective Noun
A word that modifies a noun or pronouns known as Adjective.
Let’s consider another example.
·
Saucer
slipped to landing.
·
The
huge, shiny, silvery saucer slipped slowly, silently to a soft landing.
In the above two examples the nouns, verbs and prepositions
are the same. But the first sentence does not give a clear picture whereas the
second sentence tells us the size, the color and the brightness of the saucer. It
also tells that it moved slowly and silently and landed softly. This paints
clear, specific, concrete picture in our minds.
The extra words used in the second sentence are: The huge, shiny, silvery, slowly, silently, soft. All these words are Adjective.
An Adjective
usually answers one on these questions:
What kind
of?
Which?
How many?
How?
Let’s look at the same example once again.
The huge, shiny, silvery, saucer slipped slowly, silently to a soft landing.
What kind of _____ the huge, shiny
Which
_____ Silvery
How
many _____ one
How
_____ slowly, silently and
softly
Types of Adjectives
An Adjective modifies the noun in various ways. So we can say that there are various types of Adjective.
1.
Articles
- a, an, the
2.
Demonstrative
Adjective – This, That, These, Those
3.
Distributive
Adjective – Each, Every, Either
4.
Interrogative
Adjective – Whose, What, Which
5.
Possessive
Adjectives – My, Our, His, Her
6.
Numeral
Adjectives – Cardinal-four, six
7.
An
Adjective of quality shows the kind of quality or the state of person or a
thing; as honest-man, a rich man, a new look
8.
An
Adjective of Quantity shows how much of a thing is meant; as some rice, much
patience, leaf share
9.
Proper
Adjective formed from a proper noun is called a proper Adjective; as, Pakistani
pen, English wood, Turkish cap
Position of Adjective
Adjectives occur most frequently before the nouns they refer to or after linking verbs. However, they also appear in several other positions, not only in relation to nouns and verbs but also in relation to pronouns.
Position of Adjectives in relation
to verbs
·
After
linking verbs
Be, seem, appear, look
She looks smart.
·
After
certain verbs and their objects, as objective compliments.
This issue has made me
furious
All his friends considered him stupid
When such a sentence is changed to the passive voice, the
adjective remains in the position after the verb.
I have been made furious
by this issue.
He was considered stupid
by all his friends.
·
In
the special verb-adjective combination that express a state:
hold tight, stand still,
open wide
she held her tight
he was standing still
·
Position
of Adjectives in relation to pronouns:
They are searching for
something new and stylish.
Did you buy green or blue
one?
He is wearing a dress which is ragged
one.
Comparison of Adjectives
Look at the following sentences:
Shahid is a rich boy.
Zahid is richer than Shahid.
Abid is the richest of all.
First sentence shows that Shahid is
a rich boy. Second sentence shows that Zahid is richer then Shahid and third
sentence that Abid is the richest of all. This means that there is a comparison
in the three sentences. Rich is the positive degree, richer is the comparative
degree and richest is the superlative degree.
Let us see a few more adjectives and
the three degrees of comparison.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Clever Cleverer Cleverest
Weak Weaker Weakest
Tall Taller Tallest
Large Larger Largest
Poor Poorer Poorest
All Adjectives do not form their comparatives and superlatives by adding ‘er’ and ‘est’. those Adjectives which consist of two or more than two syllables and those which end in ‘ful’ can be compared by the use of more and most.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Difficult More difficult Most difficult
Cultured More cultured Most cultured
Important More important Most important
Doubtful More doubtful Most doubtful
A few adjectives are compared irregularly.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Good Better Best
Bad Worse Worst
Many More Most
Much More Most
Little Less Least
