DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

1. Introduction to Grammar,
continued…

2. Adjectives
• Adjectives describe or modify nouns or
pronouns.
• They tell what the things named by nouns
and pronouns are like.
• Adjectives can show which or what kind of
thing you are talking about.
• For examples: the tiny
one, the awesome one,
that one, no one.

3. Descriptive Adjectives
Examples
• Remember: descriptive adjectives add details.
They answer these questions:
– What kind?
– What is it like?
• Examples:
Long Red
Squishy Strong
Hilarious Rainy
Round Box-shaped
Faithful Canadian

4. Limiting Adjectives
Examples
• Remember: limiting adjectives make nouns and pronouns
more specific. They answer these questions:
– Which one?
– How many?
– How much?
• Examples:
This That Those My
Our Your His Its
Their First Right Left
One Ninety-six Many Few
Both No More Less
Which What

5. Features of Adjectives
1. Placement
• Generally, adjectives go before the nouns they
describe.
• You can also put them after a noun and after a
linking verb.
• Before a noun
• My orange kite flies wonderfully.
• After a noun
• My kite, orange as a pumpkin, flies wonderfully.
• After a linking verb
• My kite is orange and flies wonderfully.

6. Features of Adjectives,continued…
2. Endings
• Have you noticed words with these endings
(suffixes)?
– -able, -ful, -ic, -is, -less, -like, -ons
• Add an ending like this to a word root, and what
do you get?
Base word Ending
(suffix)
Adjective
move + able = movable

7. Using Adjectives
1. Know how to use “less” and “least.”
• Sometimes a comparison has to do with less of something –
not more. Then, instead of more or most, you use less or
least.
2. Know the difference between “fewer” and
“less.”
• The adjectives fewer and less mean just about the same thing.
• However, fewer counts separate items, and less measures the
amount of substance.
• Use fewer with plural nouns.
• Use less with singular nouns
• Examples:
– Plural: Which class has fewer students?
– Singular: Which bread has less sugar?

8. Practice using adjectives
• Handout:
Adjectives
• Refer to the
Handout: SAMPLE
List of Adjectives