Adjectives and Adverbs

What is an Adjective?

An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or a pronoun.

• The noisy crowd cheered for Darla.

Adjective

describes

• Adjectives answer the questions what kind, which one, how many, and how much.

What kind? Fast riders Crowded lanes Steamy afternoon

Which one or ones? First lap Inner lanes Final race

How many or how much?

Five teams Many fans More applause

Indefinite Articles

A and an are forms of the indefinite article. The indefinite article is used before a noun that names a nonspecific person, place, thing, or idea.

• A sudden turn can cause an accident.

Definite Articles

A definite article refers to a particular person, place, thing, or idea.

• The competition continued through the afternoon.

Forming Adjectives

• Many adjectives are formed from common nouns.

Noun Adjective

Storm Stormy

Child Childish

Music Musical

Beauty Beautiful

Predicate Adjectives

A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the verb’s subject. The linking verb connects the predicate adjective with the subject.

• The airplanes were strange.

Subject Linking Verb

Describes

Predicate Adjective

Demonstrative Pronouns

This, that, these, and those are demonstrative pronouns that can be used as adjectives.

• This phone has a dial.

• That phone has a keypad.

modifies

modifies

Possessive Pronouns

My, our, your, her, his, its, and their are possessive pronouns that are used as adjectives.

• Your phone is lighter. My phone has better reception.

modifies modifies

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns such as all, each, both, few, most, and some can be used as adjectives.

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

modifies

What is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

• Historians strongly believe that the Chinese invented rockets.

• Ancient Chinese warriors fired very powerful rockets.

• Today, rockets almost always power missiles and spacecraft.

modifies

Verb modifies

Adj.modifies

Adverb

• Adverbs answer the questions how, when, where, and to what extent.

Adverbs

How? Patiently, loudly, carefully

When? Sometimes, daily, always

Where? Inside, there, everywhere

To what extent? Extremely, nearly, almost

IntensifiersIntensifiers are adverbs that modify adjectives

or other adverbs. They are usually placed directly before the words they modify. Intensifiers usually answer the question to what extent.

• We covered our ears very quicklymodifies

Almost Extremely Quite So Usually

Especially Nearly Really Too very

Forming Adverbs

• Many adverbs are formed by adding the suffix –ly to adjectives.

Adjective AdverbSudden Suddenly

True Truly

Heavy heavily

Making ComparisonsAdjectives and adverbs can be used to compare

people or things. Special forms of these words are used to make comparisons.

Comparative form: Use the comparative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare a person or thing with one other person or thing.

• The Titanic was larger than the OlympicSuperlative form: Use the superlative form of an

adjective or adverb when you compare someone or something with more than one thing.

• The Titanic was the largest ship of all.

Good and Well

Good is always an adjective; it modifies a noun or a pronoun.

• The ice-cream sundae was a good invention.

Well is usually an adverb, modifying a verb, an adverb, or an adjective. Well is an adjective when it refers to health.

• Ice-cream sold well.

modifies

Adjective Noun

Verb Adverb

• He doesn’t feel well.Modifies

Pronoun Adjective

Real and Really

Real is always an adjective; it modifies a noun or a pronoun.

• Medical inventions can make a real difference.

Really is always an adverb; it modifies a verb, an adverb, or an adjective.

• A few inventions have really changed our lives.

adjective Noun

VerbAdverb

Bad and Badly

Bad is always an adjective; it modifies a noun or a pronoun.

• A bad illness can require medicine.

Badly is always an adverb; it modifies a verb, an adverb, or an adjective.

• I did badly on the last science quiz.

adjective noun

verb adverb

Avoiding Double Negatives

A negative word is a word that implies that something does not exist or happen. Some common negative words are listed below.

Barely Hardly Never None Nothing

Can’t Hasn’t No No one Nowhere

Don’t Neither Nobody Not scarcely

If two negative words are used where only one is needed, the result is a double negative. Avoid double negatives in your speaking and writing.

Double NegativesIncorrect: I can’t hardly believe someone created pajamas

for dogs.

Correct:I can hardly believe someone created pajamas for

dogs.or I can’t believe someone created pajamas for dogs.