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    Adjective Issues For ESL Writers: Dr. Linda Bergmann, Professor of English, Purdue

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    This document discusses rules for ordering and punctuating adjectives for English language learners. It explains that adjectives are generally ordered from most objective to most subjective. Rules are provided for placing adjectives before or after nouns depending on whether a "to be" verb is used. The document also reviews comma rules for coordinate adjectives and provides practice examples for readers.

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    Adjective Issues For ESL Writers: Dr. Linda Bergmann, Professor of English, Purdue

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    beqs
    36 views12 pages
    This document discusses rules for ordering and punctuating adjectives for English language learners. It explains that adjectives are generally ordered from most objective to most subjective. Rules are provided for placing adjectives before or after nouns depending on whether a "to be" verb is used. The document also reviews comma rules for coordinate adjectives and provides practice examples for readers.

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    Use of Adjectives

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    2008_indotAdjective_727

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    This document discusses rules for ordering and punctuating adjectives for English language learners. It explains that adjectives are generally ordered from most objective to most subjective. Rules are provided for placing adjectives before or after nouns depending on whether a "to be" verb is used. The document also reviews comma rules for coordinate adjectives and provides practice examples for readers.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    36 views12 pages

    Adjective Issues For ESL Writers: Dr. Linda Bergmann, Professor of English, Purdue

    Uploaded by

    beqs
    This document discusses rules for ordering and punctuating adjectives for English language learners. It explains that adjectives are generally ordered from most objective to most subjective. Rules are provided for placing adjectives before or after nouns depending on whether a "to be" verb is used. The document also reviews comma rules for coordinate adjectives and provides practice examples for readers.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 12

    Adjective Issues for ESL

    Writers
    Dr. Linda Bergmann, Professor of
    English, Purdue
    Adjectives

    Adjectives describe nouns or noun phrases.


    They are almost always placed in this order:

    1) Number
    2) Evaluation
    3) Physical Description (size, shape, age, color)
    4) Classifying Adjectives
    Adjective Rules
    Rule One: The adjectives are placed before the noun if
    sentence does not use a ‘to be’ verb to define the noun.

    The sixteen durable oblong rods undergird


    Number Evaluation Shape Subject

    the bridge section.

    The two experienced and certified


    Number Evaluation Class

    engineers accompany the undergrads.


    Subject
    Adjective Rules
    Rule Two: The adjectives are placed after the noun if
    a ‘to be’ verb is used to define the noun.

    The road was long, flat, and two-lane.


    Shape Shape Class

    The mixture is toxic and hazardous.


    Evaluation Class

    “To be” verbs are conjugations of “to be”: am, is, are, was, were
    Comma Rules for Adjectives
    Commas always separate coordinate
    adjectives. Coordinate adjectives have the same
    status in the sentence, as in the following
    examples:

    He was a difficult, stubborn child.

    The quick, efficient roadwork helped the


    city a lot.

    The crew used meticulous, precise


    measurements to complete the work.
    Comma Rules for Adjectives
    How will you know if the adjectives are coordinate?

    Ask these two questions:

    Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives


    are written in a different order?

    Does the sentence make sense if and goes


    between the adjectives?

    If the answer to these questions is yes, the adjectives are


    coordinate and should be separated by a comma. Never put a
    comma between the last adjective and the noun.
    Practice Examples
    Order the words in parenthesis to create a sentence with
    appropriate adjective order. Ask the ‘coordinate adjective’
    questions to determine if you need a comma between adjectives.

    1) The saw cuts were (clean deep


    straight).

    2) The team of (Lebanese chemical


    well-renowned) engineers visited
    campus.
    Practice Answers

    1) The saw cuts were clean, deep, and


    Evaluation Shape
    straight.
    Shape

    2) The team of well-renowned, Lebanese


    Evaluation Class
    chemical engineers visited campus.
    Class
    Practice Examples
    Order the words in parenthesis to create a sentence with
    appropriate adjective order. Ask the ‘coordinate adjective’
    questions to determine if you need a comma between adjectives.

    3) The (pavement control group


    unhardened) mixture was used for the
    final experiment.

    4) The (graduate industrious


    intelligent) student worked hard in the
    class.
    Practice Answers

    3) The unhardened pavement control group


    physical descript. Class Class
    mixture was used for the final

    experiment.

    4) The industrious, intelligent graduate


    Evaluation Evaluation Class
    student worked hard in the class.
    Adapted by Joshua Prenosil and Linda
    Bergmann from The Thomson
    Handbook by David Blakesley and
    Jeffrey L. Hoogeveen
    For More Information

    • Contact the Purdue Writing Lab:


    – Drop In: Heavilon 226
    – Call: 765-494-3723
    – Email: [email protected]
    – On the web: http://owl.english.purdue.edu

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