ADJECTIVES
Traditionally, adjectives are
defined as words that describe nouns or pronouns. When they describe nouns or pronouns,
adjectives typically answer the following questions:
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What kind?
Which one?
How many?
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For example, in
the phrase
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Tall is an adjective describing the noun man.
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Tall answers the question "which man?" or
"what kind of man?"
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Similarly, in the
phrase,
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Easy is an adjective describing the noun assignment.
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Easy answers the question, "what kind of
assignment?"
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Adjectives are usually placed before
the nouns they describe, as in the examples,
tall man and easy assignment,
above.
Thus, one may identify an adjective
by using the following word-order test:
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*
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*
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Adjectives may also follow the
noun they describe.
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Example:
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Finally, adjectives may follow a verb of being or a linking
verb, thus completing the noun subject
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Examples
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Like nouns, adjectives are often
recognizable by their suffixes.
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Endings
such as -ous -ful
-ish -able usually designate adjectives.
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Examples:
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Adjectives of two or more
syllables use more
and most
for comparative and superlative forms.
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Examples:
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Note:
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Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y may also use the -er / -est
endings to designate comparative and superlative.
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Examples:
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Note: the following adjectives do
not follow the regular rules for forming comparative and superlative forms: good, bad, little, ill.
To create negative
comparative and superlative forms, use
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less
for –er
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and
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least
for –est
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Examples:
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