ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

ADJECTIVES An adjective is a word that modifies, or

describes, a noun or a pronoun.A heavy rainstorm soaked the campsite.

Heavy is an adjective. It describes the rainstorm.

Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell all the experiences you read about.

Adjectives answer the questions what kind, which one, how many, and how much.

ADJECTIVES What kind?

Green backpack, sturdy tent, spicy stew Which one(s)?

Last hamburger, third hike, every lantern How many or how much?

Two flashlights, many insects, little moonlight

ARTICLES AS ADJECTIVES The most commonly used adjectives are

the articles a, an, and the.A candle, an elephant, the trail

Remember! Use a before a singular word beginning with a consonant sound. Use an with a singular word beginning with a vowel sound.

PROPER ADJECTIVES Many adjectives are formed from common

nouns.

Some are formed by proper nouns.

Nouns Adjectives

Rain Rainy

Scene Scenic

Beauty beautiful

Nouns Adjectives

China Chinese

Ireland Irish

Mars Martian

PREDICATE ADJECTIVES A predicate adjective is an adjective

that follows a linking verb and describes the verb’s subject.The linking verb connects the predicate

adjective with the subject. The volcanic eruption is violent.

Is = linking verb, violent = adjective describing eruption

**We have done this twice before.

OTHER WORDS AS ADJECTIVES Sometimes pronouns and nouns can be

used as adjectives.

PRONOUNS AS ADJECTIVES Demonstrative Pronouns – This, that,

these and those are demonstrative pronouns. They can be used as adjectives.This book was passed down from my

grandmother. Possessive Pronouns – My, our, your, her,

his, its, and their are possessive pronouns. They are used as adjectives.My house is brand new.

PRONOUNS AS ADJECTIVES Indefinite Pronouns – Indefinite

pronouns such as all, each, both, few, most, and some can be used as adjectives.Some people love cats.

NOUNS AS ADJECTIVES Like pronouns, nouns can be used as

adjectives. In the expression “mountain climber,” for example, the word mountain (normally a noun) modifies climber.

Rock climbers practice indoors on winter nights.

ADVERBS An adverb is a word that modifies a

verb, an adjective, or another adverb.Explorers eagerly chase adventure.Some explorers visit amazingly beautiful

places.Others quite bravely explore the unknown –

space.

ADVERBS Adverbs answer the questions how,

when, where, or to what extent.

Adverbs

How? Suddenly, carefully, sadly

When? Now, later, soon

Where? There, up, ahead

To what extent? Completely, totally, fully

ADVERBS Adverbs can appear in different

positions in sentences.The tourists boarded the bus eagerly. (after

verb)

The tourists eagerly boarded the bus (before verb)

Eagerly, the tourists boarded the bus. (at beginning)

ADVERBS Adverbs that modify adjectives or other

adverbs usually come directly before the words they modify. They usually answer the question to what extent.Marco Polo told really wonderful tales of

China.People were very eager to hear his stories.They nearly always hung on every word.

FORMING ADVERBS Many adverbs are formed by adding the

suffix -ly to adjectives.Near becomes nearlyGentle becomes gentlyEasy becomes easily

MAKING COMPARISONS Adjectives and adverbs can be used to

compare people or things. Special forms of these words are used to make comparisons.

Use the comparative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare a person or thing with one other person or thing. Todd is taller than Rachel.

Use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare someone or something with more than one other person or thing. Todd is the tallest person in the family. However, Rachel is the most beautiful person in the

family.

REGULAR FORMS OF COMPARISON For most one-syllable modifiers, ad -er

to form the comparative. Add –est to form the superlative.

One-Syllable Modifiers

Base Form Comparative Superlative

Adjectives Thin Thinner Thinnest

Brave Braver Bravest

Adverbs Slow Slower Slowest

Soon Sooner Soonest

REGULAR FORMS OF COMPARISON

Two-Syllable Modifiers

Base Form Comparative Superlative

Adjective Shallow Shallower Shallowest

Awful More awful Most awful

Adverbs Calmly More calmly Most calmly

Briskly More briskly Most briskly

REGULAR FORMS OF COMPARISON

Modifiers with More than Two Syllables

Base Form Comparative Superlative

Adjective Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful

Dangerous More dangerous Most dangerous

Adverb Gracefully More gracefully Most gracefully

Dangerously More dangerously

Most dangerously

IRREGULAR FORMS OF COMPARISON The comparative and superlative forms

of some adjectives and adverbs are completely different words. You don’t need to add –er or –est to an irregular comparison.

Base Form Comparative Superlative

Adjectives Good Better Best

Bad Worse Worst

Adverbs Well Better Best

Much More Most

Little Less Least

ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB? Some pairs of adjectives and adverbs

are often confused. Good and Well – Good is always an

adjective. It modifies a noun or pronoun. Well is usually an adverb, modifying a verb, an adverb, or an adjective.

Well is an adjective when it refers to health.

ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB? Real or Really – Real is always an

adjective; it modifies a noun or pronoun. Really is always an adverb; it modifies a verb, an adverb, or an adjective.

Bad and Badly – Bad is always an adjective; it modifies a noun or pronoun. Badly is always an adverb; it modifies a verb, an adverb, or an adjective.

AVOIDING DOUBLE NEGATIVES A negative word is a word that says “no.”

Contractions that end in n’t are negative words. Remember, n’t means not.

Some common negative words: barely, neither, nobody, nothing, hardly, never, none, nowhere

If two negative words are used together, the result is a double negative. Avoid double negatives in speaking and writing.

AVOIDING DOUBLE NEGATIVES Incorrect

I don’t want no pizza.

Correct I don’t want any pizza. I want no pizza.