Adjectives are descriptive words. They usually answer which? what kind of? How many questions. They describe the noun is being talked about.
- The little boy
- A new toy
- Enough meatloaf
Types of Adjectives
- Attributive
Attributives are the ones that come right before the word(s) they modify.The old man asked a question.
That is a good book.
I found an old, black, cotton sweater.
- Appositive
Appositives come after the words they modify. They are usually in used in pairs.The woman, beautiful and smart, knew what she was doing.
The winner, tired but happy, waved and smiled.
- Predicate
Predicates come after verb to be or after linking verbs. They come at the end of the sentence and they modify the subject.The tickets are expensive.
She looked old.
The oven felt hot.
He was young and shy.
The Order of Adjectives
When there are more than 1 adjectives modifying the same word, they are usually placed in a certain order.
a) What we think (Lovely, beautiful, intelligent, nice, fine…),
e.g: A nice big house. A big square table.
b) Size (small, big, large, short, tall…)
e.g: A lovely little town.
c) Age (young, old…)
e.g: An old plastic pipe.
d) Shape (round, slim, fat, square…)
e.g: A cute round face.
e) Color (white, green, red…)
e.g: A beautiful green tree.
f) Material (plastic, glass, wooden…)
e.g: An expensive watch.
g) Origin (German, Russian, American…)
e.g: Intelligent young Danish scientist.