adjective

Today we learnt about an adjective. What is an adjective ? An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies. 

In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:

The truck-shaped balloon floated over the treetops.

Mrs. Morrison papered her kitchen walls with hideous wall paper.

The small boat foundered on the wine dark sea.

The coal mines are dark and dank.

Many stores have already begun to play irritating Christmas music.

An adjective can be modified by an adverb, or by a phrase or clause functioning as an adverb. In the sentence.

My husband knits intricately patterned mittens.

for example, the adverb "intricately" modifies the adjective "patterned."

Some nouns, many pronouns, and many participle phrases can also act as adjectives. In the sentence

Eleanor listened to the muffled sounds of the radio hidden under her pillow.

for example, both highlighted adjectives are past participles.

Grammarians also consider articles ("the," "a," "an") to be adjectives.

Using a, an, and the.

• Use a before a singular noun that begins with a

consonant sound.

• Use an before a singular noun that begins with a

vowel sound.

• Use the before all plural nouns.

• Use the before any singular noun.

to most adjectives to compare two things.

• Add -est to most adjectives to compare three or more

things.

This elephant is smaller

than that one.

Elephants are the largest of all land animals.

African elephants are bigger than Indian elephants.

Elephants have the biggest ears of all animals.

Comparing with more and most.

• Use more and most with adjectives of two or more

syllables.

• Use more to compare two things.

• Use most to compare three or more things.nsider articles ("the," "a," "an") to be adjectives.