What is an adjective?<br>


What are adjectives?</h1>
					<p class="headline_meta"><abbr class="published" title="2010-06-02">June 2, 2010</abbr><a rel="nofollow" href="?article2pdf=1?" title="Download What are adjectives? PDF"><img src="http://www.englishgrammar.org/images/pdf.gif" alt="pdf" style="border:none;" /></a>
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<p><strong>An adjective</strong> is a word like <strong>kind, happy, smart </strong>and<strong> intelligent</strong>. An adjective typically modifies a noun and denotes a temporary or permanent quality associated with that noun. For example, <em>a smart boy</em> is a boy who is distinguished from other boys by being smart.</p>

<p>Not all adjectives are used to denote a quality associated with a noun. For example, the adjective <em>mere</em> in &#8216;a mere child&#8217; does not denote a quality of the child.</p>
<p><strong>Kinds of adjectivesWhat are the different types of adjectives?</strong></p>
<p>Adjectives may be divided into the following classes:</p>
<p><strong>Adjectives of quality</strong></p>
<p>Adjectives of quality refer to the kind or quality of a person or thing. They answer the question: &#8216;of what kind?&#8217;</p>

<ul>
<li>Tokyo is a <strong>large</strong> city. (Here the adjective large shows a certain quality associated with the city Tokyo.)</li>
<li>Alice is a <strong>brilliant</strong> student. (Here the adjective brilliant shows a quality associated with the noun Alice.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Note that adjectives formed from proper nouns are generally considered as adjectives of quality. Examples are: <strong>Persian carpets, French wines</strong> etc.</p>

<p><strong>Adjectives of quantity</strong></p>
<p>Adjectives of quantity answer the question &#8216;how much?&#8217;. Examples are: <em>some, any, much, little, enough, all, no, half, whole etc.</em></p>
<ul>
<li>We need <strong>some </strong>rice.</li>
<li>You have <strong>little</strong> patience.</li>

<li>He has lost <strong>all</strong> his wealth.</li>
<li>He did not eat <strong>any</strong> rice.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Adjectives of number</strong></p>
<p>Adjectives of number answer the question &#8216;how many&#8217;. Examples are: <em>many, one, two, first, tenth, all etc.</em></p>

<ul>
<li>Each hand has <strong>five </strong>fingers.</li>
<li>Sunday is the <strong>first</strong> day of the week.</li>
<li><strong>All</strong> men must die.</li>
<li>There are <strong>several </strong>mistakes in your essay.</li>

</ul>
<p><strong>Demonstrative adjectives</strong></p>
<p>Demonstrative adjectives answer the question &#8216;which?&#8217;. Examples are: <em>this, that, these, those and such.</em></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>That </strong>boy is industrious.</li>
<li><strong>This</strong> bag is made of expensive leather.</li>
<li><strong>Those</strong> mangoes were very sweet.</li>

<li>I hate <strong>such </strong>people.</li>
</ul>
<p>Note that <strong>this</strong> and <strong>that</strong> are used with singular nouns. <strong>These</strong> and <strong>those </strong>are used with plural nouns.</p>

<p><strong>Interrogative adjectives</strong></p>
<p>When they are used with nouns to ask questions, the questions words <strong>what, which </strong>and <strong>whose</strong> are called interrogative adjectives.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Whose </strong>bag is this?</li>
<li><strong>Which </strong>way shall we go?</li>
</ul>