4. Order of adjectives
O Determiners — articles and other limiters.
O Observation — postdeterminers and limiter adjectives
(e.g., a real hero, a perfect idiot) and adjectives subject to
subjective measure (e.g., beautiful, interesting)
O Size and Shape — adjectives subject to objective
measure (e.g., wealthy, large, round)
O Age — adjectives denoting age (e.g., young, old, new,
ancient)
O Color — adjectives denoting color (e.g., red, black, pale)
O Origin — denominal adjectives denoting source of noun
(e.g., French, American, Canadian)
O Material — denominal adjectives denoting what
something is made of (e.g., woolen, metallic, wooden)
O Qualifier — final limiter, often regarded as part of the
noun (e.g., rocking chair, hunting cabin, passenger car,
book cover)
5. Kinds of Adjectives
O Descriptive Adjective
tells “what kind” ; gives quality, size,
shape, color, and other
characteristics
Ex. petite, sunny, big, tiny, oval, round,
yellow,
6. Kinds of Adjectives
O Limiting Adjective
tells “which one, how many, and how
much.”
Articles – a, an, the
7. Kinds of Adjectives
Numerical Adjective
Cardinal (numbers used in counting and in
stating quantities)
Ex. one bus
six children
twenty boxes
Ordinal (numbers used in indicating a
place, rank or a position in a series)
Ex. first wife
second prize
third honor
8. Kinds of Adjectives
O Noun Adjective
noun used to modify another noun
Proper Noun Adjective
Ex. Spanish era, American pie, Japanese
cuisine, Vietnamese language
Common Noun Adjective
Ex. hand bag, apple green, leather shoes
9. Kinds of Adjectives
O Quantitative Adjective
tells how much of something is spoken about
Ex. much interest, little improvement, sufficient
courage, some attractions
O Demonstrative Adjective
points out an object or objects
Ex. this, that, these, those
10. Kinds of Adjectives
O Possessive Adjective
shows ownership
Ex. The students’ council received an award.
O Interrogative Adjective
used in asking questions
Ex. Which dress will you wear tonight?
11. Comparison of Adjectives
Positive/Base Comparative Superlative
pretty prettier prettiest
good better best
handsome more
handsome
most
handsome
big bigger biggest
far farther farthest
12. Comparison of Adjectives
Positive/Base Comparative Superlative
beautiful more
beautiful
most
beautiful
bad worse worst
cheap cheaper cheapest
funny funnier funniest
sad sadder saddest
13. Rules for forming comparisons
O One syllable adjective: add -er (c) / -est (s)
small – smaller - smallest
O One syllable adjective ending in e: add –r (c) / -st
large – larger - largest
O One-syllable adjective ending with a single
consonant with a vowel before it: double the
consonant and add –er (c) / double the consonant
and add –est (s)
thin – thinner - thinnest
14. Rules for forming comparisons
O Two-syllable adjective: add more (c) / most (s) before
the adjective or less (c) / least (s)
careful – more careful – most careful
careful – less careful – least careful
O Two-syllable adjective ending with –y: change the y
to i and add –er (c) / change the y to i and add –est.
pretty – prettier - prettiest
O Two-syllable adjectives ending in -er, -le or –ow: add
–r or–er (c) / add –st or –est (s)
clever – cleverer – cleverest
gentle – gentler – gentlest
narrow – narrower -narrowest
15. Rules for forming comparisons
O Adjectives with three syllables or more: add more (c) /
most (s) before the adjective beautiful – more beautiful
– most beautiful
