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Grammar - Adjectives

Adjectives Part 1
Descriptive Adjectives
Distinguishing Common and Proper Adjectives
An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. In the sentences below, the adjectives are in bold
print. The arrows point to the word each adjective modifies.
John told an interesting story.
Alice wore a beautiful blue dress to the party.
The old car chugged up the steep hill.
Adjectives are often placed before the words they modify, like the adjectives in the sentences
above.
Sometimes adjectives follow the words they modify; in this case they usually need to be
connected with a linking verb or set off with punctuation. Here are some examples:
Alices dress is blue.
The car was old.
The street, steep and narrow, wound around the hillside.
Exercise A
Look at the adjective in bold print in each sentence. Write the word it modifies in the blank.
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Updated by: A. Tuzlak, May 2010

A large crowd waited at the bus stop.


The roasting sun beamed down on them.
One man, hot and tired, leaned against the bench.
A child sat in a very small patch of shade.
A European couple talked quietly in German.
The day was very humid.
A boy played his miniature radio.
Two men balanced a heavy box of groceries.
Huge and green, the bus roared toward the stop.
The passengers, relieved, began to board.

Grammar - Adjectives

Adjectives answer the questions: What kind? Which one? How many? How much?
What kind?
Which one?
How many?
How much?

blue dress, old car


these books, every woman
sixty cents, several answers
no time, great confidence

Exercise B
Look at the adjective in bold print in each sentence. Write the question it answers (which one,
how many, how much, or what kind) in the blank.
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

This bicycle is blue and white.


That one is made of aluminum.
There are two reflectors at the rear.
The fenders have several dents.
The powerful brakes work quickly.
This style is more reliable.
But that type costs less.
A comfortable seat is necessary.
A ten-speed requires less work on hills.
Some bikes are racing dreams.

Descriptive adjectives describe or characterize the words they modify. These adjectives are
divided into two groups -- common and proper.
1. A common adjective gives a general trait to the word it modifies. Sometimes these are
formed from verbs, so be particularly careful with words that end in -ed and -ing.
blue skies, pleasant valley, rambling creek, lone pine, painted toy
2. A proper adjective (based on a proper noun) modifies a word with reference to a
specific person or place:
Japanese gardens, Swiss mountains, Victorian literature, Douglas fir
Almost all proper adjectives, like proper nouns, are capitalized. However, a few have been in
common use for a long time and have taken on a common form:
india ink, pasteurized milk, quixotic search
Note that sometimes common adjectives are capitalized because they are part of a title. For
example, The Great Gatsby is the title of a novel. Great is a common, not proper, adjective.

Updated by: A. Tuzlak, May 2010

Grammar - Adjectives

Exercise C
In the spaces list the adjectives and say whether they are common or proper.
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

1.
The American South has interesting attractions.
2.
The beautiful Mississippi River runs through several states.
3.
South Carolina is famous for its magnificent gardens.
4.
The English colonies founded the fascinating city of Charleston.
5.
Austin is the capital city of Texas, but Houston is larger.
6.
Texan food is known for its spicy flavours and generous portions.
7.
Floridas wetlands are home to many unusual animals and birds.
8.
These include lovely butterflies and dangerous alligators.
9.
Louisiana boasts the French city of New Orleans and famous jazz
musicians.
10.
Cotton is an important crop in the south.

Updated by: A. Tuzlak, May 2010

Grammar - Adjectives

ANSWER KEY: THE ADJECTIVE (I)


Exercise A:
1. crowd
2. sun
3. man
4. patch
5. couple
6. day
7. radio
8. box
9. bus
10. passengers
Exercise C:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

American (p), interesting (c)


beautiful (c), several (c)
famous (c), magnificent (c)
English (p), fascinating (c)
capital (c), larger (c)
Texan (p), known (c), spicy (c),
generous (c)
7. unusual (c)
8. lovely (c), dangerous (c)
9. French (p), famous (c), jazz (c)
10. important (c)

Updated by: A. Tuzlak, May 2010

Exercise B:
1. What kind of bicycle is it?
2. Which one is made of aluminum?
3. How many reflectors are at the rear?
4. How many dents are there?
5. What kind of brakes are they?
6. Which one (style) is more reliable?
7. Which one (type) costs less?
8. What kind of seat is necessary?
9. How much work is required on hills?
10. What kind of dreams are they?

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