Adjectives
Rajiv is a good boy. He lives in a big house. There are five rooms in his house. He has one brother and two sisters. These girls are his sisters.
In the above paragraph, the coloured words add something to the meaning of nouns.
1. good tells us more about toy.
2. five tells us more about rooms.
3. two tells us more about sisters.
4. big tells us more about house.
5. one tells us more about brother.
DEFINATION:
Words which describe or qualify a noun are called adjectives.
Features of Adjectives
1. Adjective can occur before nouns.
A weak stem
colourful flowers
A sweet mango
2. Adjective also comes after the verb (is/am/are/was/were/been)
The stem is weak.
The flowers are colourful.
Honey is sweet.
3. Most adjectives can come after the adverb very.
very good
very fair
very naughty
Kinds of Adjectives
There are seven kinds of adjectives:
1. Adjectives of Quality
2. Adjectives of Quantity
4. Demonstrative Adjectives
6. Interrogative Adjectives
7. Possessive Adjectives
1. Adjectives of Quality
Read the following sentences.
i. Mumbai is a big city.
ii. The clever fox pleased the crow.
iii. The dog has a small tail.
iv. She is a beautiful girl.
In the above sentences, the adjectives big, clever, small and beautiful show the quality of nouns. Such adjectives are called Adjectives of Quality.
Adjective of quality answers the question What kind?
2. Adjective of Quantity
Read the following sentences.
i. I have spent all the money.
ii. I did not eat any bread.
iii. I spent the little money I had.
iv. He showed much patience.
In the above sentences, adjectives all, any, little and much show the quantity of nouns.
Such adjectives are called Adjectives of Quantity.
• Adjective of Quantity answers the question How much?
3. Adjectives of Number
Read the following sentences.
I. Your brother got first position.
ii. Two hands have ten fingers.
iii. They had no book.
iv. Several women attended the meeting.
In the above sentences, adjectives first, two, no and several are Adjectives of Number because these tell us about the number of persons or things.
Adjective of Number answers the question How many?
4. Demonstrative Adjectives
Read the following sentences.
i. These mangoes are sour.
ii. This book belongs to me.
iii. Those labourers are working hard.
iv. That girl is playing.
V. I like this book.
In the above sentences, adjectives these, those, that and this point out to the persons or things. So they are called Demonstrative Adjectives.
Demonstrative Adjective answer the question which?
5. Distributive Adjectives
Read the following sentences.
i. Each man had a cap.
ii. Every person will meet his end.
iii. You can take either pen.
iv. Neither team won the match.
In the above sentences, adjectives each, every, either and neither restrict the nouns to express that they are taken separately one by one or in separate groups. So they are called Distributive Adjectives.
6. Interrogative Adjectives
Read the following sentences.
i. Which book do you like?
ii. Whose bag is lying there in the field?
iii. What kind of men do you like?
iv. How much water can you drink?
In the above sentences, adjectives which, whose, what and how much are used with nouns to ask questions. Such adjectives are called Interrogative Adjectives.
Interrogative Adjectives are the words which are used with the nouns to ask questions.
7. Possessive Adjectives
Read the following sentences.
i. I have lost my umbrella.
ii. The colour of her frock is red.
iii. We love our parents.
iv. You love your brother.
In the above sentences, adjectives my, her, our and your show possession or relationship with the noun used after them. So they are called Possessive Adjectives.
. Possessive Adjectives always come before the nouns.
. Possessive Adjectives answer the question whose?