Adjective Notes

ADJECTIVE- a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or pronoun

Ex. The noisycrowd cheered for Daria.

ADJECTIVES answer the following questions:

WHAT KIND?

Ex. Fastrunners, crowdedstadium

WHICH ONE?

Ex. twentiethlap, innerlanes

HOW MANY?

Ex. twoteams, onechance

HOW MUCH?

Ex. manyfans, moreapplause

ARTICLES are ADJECTIVES:

*____A ____ & ____AN _____ name nonspecific nouns & are indefinite articles

• Use _a_ before a word beginning with a consonant

Ex: a snickerdoodle

• Use _an_ before a word beginning with a vowel

Ex: an opportunity

*____THE ____ names a specific noun & is a definite article

Many ADJECTIVES are formed from NOUNS.

NOUNS / ADJECTIVES
child / childish
music / musical
beauty / beautiful
drama / dramatic

Common ADJECTIVE suffixes:

SUFFIX / MEANING / EXAMPLES

-able / able; capable of / believable, desirable, excitable, unavailable
-ible / incredible, tangible, credible, incorrigible

-al / Relating to; characteristic of / natural, vocal, hypocritical
-ic / romantic, spasmodic, fantastic, spastic

-ful / beautiful, meaningful, painful

-ive / Full of; given to;
marked by / protective, secretive
-ous / poisonous, venomous, humorous, vicious, promiscuous
-ish / Like; resembling / foolish, bluish, eight-ish
-like / childlike, batlike
-less / Lacking; without / careless, fearless

Practice

Directions: Highlight each adjective in these sentences AND circle the noun or pronoun it modifies.

  1. Somesuccessfulinventors are maturescientists.
  1. Chester Greenwood, however, was a creativeteenager when he made his firstpair of earmuffs.
  1. Chester’s cold, redears bothered him during theharsh Northeasternwinters.
  1. He didn’t like itchy, woolenmufflers.
  1. Oneday, Chester had abrilliantidea.
  1. He took apiece of flexiblewire.
  1. His grandmother sewed softfur on thewire.
  1. Chester then put on thestrangecontraption.
  1. Earmuffs made Chester arichman.
  1. Chester received anAmericanpatent for the earmuffs at the age of eighteen.

* CHALLENGE: Identify the 2 proper adjectives in the sentences above. For each, write the proper noun from which it is formed.*

Adjectives Notes (continued)

PREDICATE ADJECTIVE- an adjective that follows a linking verband describes the verb’s subject.

Ex. The monkeys are silly.

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS USED AS ADJECTIVES:

THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE

Ex. This phone has a keypad.

Ex. That phone has a cord.

•Demonstrative Pronouns used as Pronouns


Ex. This is cool!

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS USED AS ADJECTIVES

MY, OUR, YOUR, YOURS, HER, HIS, ITS, THEIR

Ex. Your phone is lighter.

Ex. My phone has better reception.

•Possessive Pronouns used as Pronouns

Ex. Hers is better.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS USED AS ADJECTIVES:

ALL, EACH, BOTH, FEW, MOST, SOME

Ex. Originally, few people believed in the idea of the telephone.

Ex. All Puddin’ Taters eat corn.

Ex. Most people finish their homework every day.

•Indefinite Pronouns used as Pronouns

Ex. All of the Puddin’ Taters are funny.

PRACTICE

PART A

Directions: Highlight each predicate adjective and circle the noun or pronoun it modifies. There may be more than one predicate adjective in a sentence.

  1. Because of a trolley rider’s fear, windshield wipers arecommon today.
  1. To Mary Anderson, electric trolleys seemeddangerous.
  1. The drivers werealert.
  1. The windshield wipers, however, lookedblurry and cloudy.
  1. The windshields becameclean when drivers rubbed them with damp tobacco and onions.
  1. Anderson wascreative, so she invented a windshield wiper.
  1. Her first wiper wasclumsy.
  1. It wasmanual, and the driver had to crank a handle.
  1. Today’s wipers are automatic.
  1. Because of Mary Anderson’s invention, transportation becamesafer than it had been.

PART B

Directions: Highlight each pronoun that is used as an adjective and circle the noun it modifies.

  1. Most inventions are made by people.
  1. However, beavers may have inspired those huge dams that we build across rivers.
  1. Our inventions often imitate the contrivances of nature.
  1. To escape their enemies, insects mimic flowers and tree limbs.
  1. An army uses camouflage to hide its tanks.
  1. Birds adjust their wings to airflow as they fly.
  1. Most airplanes have adjustable wing surfaces too.
  1. Bats use sound waves to locate their prey.
  1. With sonar, we use sound waves to map the ocean floor.
  1. I’m watching my cat for new ideas.