Al-Watan English Academy

ADJECTIVE:
An ADJECTIVE is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. It gives us more information
about a person, place, thing, animal, or idea. Unlike adverbs, adjectives do not modify verbs, other
adjectives, or adverbs. Adjectives usually precede the noun or pronoun they modify. Examples of
adjectives are short, beautiful, and expensive.

In English, the adjective is usually placed before the noun. For example:
●They live in a big house. ●We sat on the warm beach. ●He bought a red car.
However, in some cases, the adjective is placed after the noun. This happens when the
sentence uses the verb “to be”.
●This show is wonderful. ●English is easy. ●Your cat is friendly.

1.Interrogative Adjectives: An interrogative adjective asks a question. An interrogative

adjective must be followed by a noun or a pronoun. The interrogative adjectives are: which, what,
whose. These words will not be considered as adjectives if a noun does not follow right after them.
‘Whose’ also belongs to the possessive adjective type.

Examples:
●Which phone do you use? ● What game do you want to play?
● Whose car is this? ● What recipe did you choose to make this dish?
● Which pen do you like more? ● What books are you buying today?
● Which book on proofreading do you recommend? ● Whose book was that?
● Which player did get a fifty yesterday? ● Which bat is Watson’s?
● Which song is Zara listening to? ● What product did you order from there?
● Which topics are more important for the discussion? ● Whose pants did you wear?
● Whose phone did you use when you talked to me?

2.Qualitative adjective: Adjectives of quality describe the noun, that is, they tell us
about the quality of the person, place or thing to which we are referring.

Such adjectives can be formed in the following ways:

from nouns— Examples: gold—golden, power—powerful, dirt—dirty
from verbs— Examples: use—useful, talk—talkative, please—pleasant
from other adjectives— Examples: just—justifiable, red—reddish

3.Quantitative adjective: Adjectives of quantity refer to the quantity (how much) of

something. They are not countable. such adjectives are: some, much, little, a little, the little, some,
any, enough a lot of, a lot, more.
Examples: ●There is very little sugar in my tea. ●A little water went into the engine of my bike.
●I need a little time for making an example. ●Pour some sugar into my tea.
●Do you have any doubt. ●I spent a lot of money to build a new house.
●Ali has a lot experience in this job. ●If you want to have this post, you must have more experience.

●I think there is enough time to finish the assignment.

4.Numerical adjective:
• Adjectives of number refer to how many things, places, people, etc there are, or the order of
something. Some such adjectives are first, second, ten, one, many.
Examples: ●She came first in the race. ●Several books were stolen from the library.
It has two kinds:
1. Definite numerical adjective: It shows specific numbers and sequence.
Cardinal: shows how many persons or things we mean. 1,2,3.............
Ordinal: it shows a specific sequence. 1st, 2nd, 3rd,4th..........
2.Indefinite numerical adjective: It doesn't show any specific number.
List of ind num adjective: Some, any, a lot of, lots of, few, a few, the few, many, more, several,
●Some boys were very rude to their teachers. ●I don't have any questions.
●There are a lot of students in A-watan. ●Lots of teachers were protesting.
●A few teachers didn't participate in. ●Few teachers were left at school.
●Many citizens used to like Benazir.

5.Demonstrative adjective:
• Demonstrative adjectives indicate the noun, that is, they point out the person, place or thing to
which we are referring. They answer to the question ‘which’. Some such adjectives are this, that,
these, those, and such.
This =for near singular These =for near plural That + noun =for far singular
Those =for far plural Such =for all of the above
Examples:●These are the clothes I was looking for. ●Those are my books.

6.Possessive adjective: is an adjective that is used to show possession or ownership.

They are always followed by noun.
List of possessive adjectives: my, our, your, his, her, their, its, and whose can also be called
possessive and interrogative.
● She is my mother. ● She lost her purse.● They are our best students. ● I informed their parents.

7.Exclamatory adjective: is used to show surprise or sudden emotions.

Structure: what + (a,an) + (adjective) noun, ( subject +verb 1,5)!
●What a shot! ●What an awful coffee! ●What people, they are!

8.Emphatic adjective: is used to emphasise a noun. (OWN, VERY )

●That is my own business. ●This is your own duty. ●This is the very idea, I explained to him.
●I shall tell you that very surprise.

9.Relative adjective: is used to combine two clauses and make an adjective clause from
one of the two clauses.
●The boy is sad. His father has been killed. The boy is sad whose father has been killed.
●We have a car. Its sound system costs one lack. We have a car whose sound system costs one lack.
10.Proper Adjectives:
A proper adjective is derived from a proper noun and shows origin or nationality.
● French class, Spanish food, European car. ●He is Pakistani. ●Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer

11.Compound Adjectives:
Compound adjectives consist of two or more words that function as a unit. Depending on its position
within the sentence, the compound hyphen to join the adjectives.

Note: When a compound adjective follows the noun it modifies, do not use a hyphen to join the
adjective, adjective is punctuated with or without a hyphen.
Note: When a compound adjective comes before the noun it modifies, use as.
Example:
● She is taking a class on nineteenth-century literature. (The adjective nineteenth-century precedes
the noun literature so a hyphen is used.)
●She is studying literature from the nineteenth century. (The adjective nineteenth century comes
after the noun literature so no hyphen is used.)
●Her friend is well known as a author. ●Her friend is a well-known author.

12.Coordinate Adjectives:
A coordinate adjective consists of two or more adjectives separated by a comma instead of by a
coordinating conjunction.
Example: a cold, rainy day.
To determine if you can replace the coordinating conjunction with a comma, see if the adjectives can
be reversed or if "and" can be added between the adjectives without changing the meaning. If the
adjectives can be reversed, they are coordinate and a comma can be used.
Example:
●The clowns arrived in a bright, shiny car. The clowns arrived in a shiny, bright car. (Reversing
bright and shiny does not change the meaning.)
●The clowns arrived in a bright and shiny car. (Adding and between bright and shiny does not
change the meaning.)

However, if the adjectives cannot be reversed or if “and” cannot be used, a comma cannot be used.
Example:
●The clowns arrived in two colourful cars. The clowns arrived in colourful two cars. (Reversing two
and colourful changes the meaning.)
●The clowns arrived in two and colourful cars. (Adding and between two and colourful changes the
meaning.)

13.Participle adjective: is made of the present participle (verb+ing) or past participle

(verb3) forms of the verb. ●He is surprised. ● He is surprising.

Comparative & Superlative Adjectives in English

SIMPLE ADJECTIVE: in this degree, we don't compare persons, places, or things. It just shows the
quality of any place, thing, or person.
COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES compare one person, place, or thing with another person, place, thing.
SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES compare one person, place, or thing with three or more than three
persons, places, or things.

●John is tall. basic adjective ●Mike is taller than me. comparative adjective
●Bob is the tallest player on the team. superlative adjective
Some Rules for making comparative and superlative:

one syllable:
• add er- est = cold- colder- the coldest

one syllable ending in e:

• add r, st =wide- wider- the widest

one syllable ending in one vowel and one consonant:

• double the last consonant and add er est =hot- hotter- the hottest

two syllables ending in y:

• drop the y and add ier iest easy- easier- the easiest, happy- happier- the happiest,.

two syllables without y:

• add more and the most modern- more modern – the most modern.

three or more syllables:

• add more and the most =delicious - more delicious - the most delicious, interesting - more
interesting - the most interesting, comfortable - more comfortable - the most comfortable

Comparative adjectives are often followed by than or but.

●Today is cold, but yesterday was colder. ●The first test was easier than the second test.
●Her house is modern, but his house is more modern.
●This class was interesting, but that class was more interesting.

Superlative adjectives are usually preceded by the.

EXAMPLES:
●It was the hottest day of the year. ●Today was the happiest day of my life.
●This is the most popular restaurant in town. ● That was the most interesting experience.

COMMON EXCEPTIONS:
good-better-the best bad-worse-the worst many- more -the most
far- father – farthest little- less- least much- more- the most
old elder- the eldest or more- more- the most
●This song is good. ●That song is better. ●The last song is the best.

Note: Never use “the” with the name of Allah in superlative degree because the is used for
comparison and Allah cannot be compared with anyone in this world. ●
Allah is most merciful and compassionate. Right ●Allah is the most merciful and compassionate.
Wrong. ●Starting in the name of Allah, who is most beneficent. Right ● Starting in the name of
Allah, who is the most beneficent. Wrong