Adjectives

ADJECTIVES
MODULE 1
An adjective tells about or describes a noun or a pronoun. It gives a
clearer picture of a noun or a pronoun.
Number adjectives tell the number of the nouns modified.
Descriptive adjectives describe the kind, size and shape of the noun.
Color adjectives tell the color of the thing described.
When several adjectives describe the same noun in a sentence,
they follow this order: number, quality or kind, and color.
Adjectives can tell us how many, what size, what shape,
what kind, how old, or what color a noun is / nouns are.
Examples:
blue lagoon beautiful maiden
tiny insect round table
three roses young actress
Adjectives also describe or denote the qualities of something, as in
bountiful flora and one-kilometer marathon.
Many adjectives have no common form, but they may be derived
from other words using suffixes such as:
1. From verbs: care + -ful = careful step

live + -able = livable
act + -ive = active members
Adjectives also describe or denote the qualities of something, as in
bountiful flora and one-kilometer marathon.
Many adjectives have no common form, but they may be derived from
other words using suffixes such as:
1. From verbs: care + -ful = careful step

live + -able = livable
act + -ive = active members
2. From nouns: environment + -al =
environmental concern
odor + -less = odorless surroundings
progress + -ive = progressive place
Adjectives may be made up of two or more words,
hyphenated, and unhyphenated, as in:
painstaking campaign fast-growing vines

easygoing citizen well-fed animals
poorly maintained drainage high-powered engine
When expressions referring to time, distance, and
measurement are used as adjectives, they are transformed
into compound adjectives. Note some changes.
a drive for three days → a three-day drive
a lot of two hundred square meters → a two-hundred-

square-meter lot
an aircraft with two seats → a two-seater aircraft

◦ Adjectives may be attributive or predicative depending on their
positions in the sentence.
1. An attributive adjective comes before a noun (N).
◦ Like a victorious Olympian, Fidgety Hipon did all kinds of
jumps and sprints.
◦ Adj. N
1. A predicative adjective comes after a linking verb (LK) and other
copular verbs, such as seem, appear, and feel.
◦ The kingdom was majestic.
◦ LV Adj.
Using Adjectives in a Series
Sometimes we use more than one adjective to describe a person, a

place, or an object. There should be a correct order of adjectives
when they are used in a series Read the following sentences:
1. My friend gave me three lovely red Holland tulips on my birthday.
2. The last five brave young Filipino soldiers in Iraq make us proud.
3. Those twelve big round colorful balloons add joy to the festivity.
4. Our teacher told us to bring two dozen multicolored popsicle
sticks.
5. I eat one delicious red Fuji apple every night before I go to bed.
Notice how adjectives are arranged when they come in a
series.
What size? What shape? What kind? How old? What color?
Which one? How many?
Noun
Color Noun
Determiner Ordinal Cardinal Size Shape Quality Old Modifier
1. three lovely red Holland tulips
2. The last five brave young Filipino soldiers
3. Those twelve big round colorful balloons
4.
two dozen multicolored popsicle sticks
5. apple
one delicious red Fuji
Can you tell where this is?
The Banaue Rice Terraces
Have you visited the Banaue Rice Terraces recently? This “Eighth
Wonder of the World” used to be well cultivated and productive. These
rice terraces are the highest, best built and the most extensive in the
world. They are the second most popular tourist destination in
Cordilleras after Baguio. Now they are slowly deteriorating from their
former wondrous appeal. In less than a decade, Banaue might lose its
attraction unless the government helps in its maintenance and
preservation. Due to economic problems, many young Ifugaos who tend
the terraces are now looking for better-paying jobs in the lowlands.
Do you think the government can do something to preserve the
Banaue Rice Terraces?
What can the people living near the vicinity do to save it?
As a pupil, what can you do to help preserve our tourist spots?
◦ The following sentences are taken from the selection. Study how adjectives are
used in making comparison. Note the form of the underlined adjectives.
1. This “Eighth Wonder of the World” used to be well cultivated and productive.
The adjectives describe noun without making comparison.
2. These rice terraces are the highest, best built and the most extensive in the world.
The adjectives compare the rice terraces with all other rice terraces in the world.
3. They are the second most popular tourist destination in Cordilleras after Baguio.
The adjective compares the Banaue with other tourist destinations in Cordilleras.
As shown in the above examples, adjectives can be used to compare the qualities or
characteristics of things, animals, persons, situations or events. There are degrees of
comparison.
Three Degrees of Comparison.
1. Positive degree makes no comparison. It is
used to describe only one person, place or
thing.
◦Example: Kimberly is a studious girl.

1.Comparative degree is used to compare two persons, places,
or things.
a.Unequal comparison shows that one of the two items,

persons or group being compared has a greater or lesser
quality or characteristic.
Example: Math is easier than English.
b.Equal comparison shows that the two items, persons, or

groups being compared are equal or of the same quality or
characteristic.
◦Example: The lady is as excited as the contestant.
3. Superlative degree is used to compare 3 or more persons,
things or places.
Example: Our classroom is the cleanest room in the

building.
◦Rules in forming the adjectives in the different
degrees of comparison.
◦1. Use the base form for the positive degree.
◦Examples:
bright + er = brighter
fast + er = faster
dark + er = darker
◦2. Add -er to one or two syllable adjectives in the
comparative degree and -est in the superlative degree.
◦Examples:
◦ bright + est = brightest
◦ fast + est = fastest

◦ dark + est = darkest
◦3. Change y to i then add er or est to adjective
ending in y.
◦Examples:
◦scary → scarier → scariest
◦noisy → noisier → noisiest
◦lovely → lovelier → loveliest
◦4. Add more or most to the positive forms of
multisyllabic in the comparative and superlative
degrees.
◦Examples:
◦diligent → more diligent → most diligent
◦clever → more clever → most clever
◦successful → more successful → most successful
Things to remember in using comparative and
superlative adjectives (regular):
1. Do not use both more and -er or most and -est in
one word.
Examples:
Not: more harder
but: harder
most colorfullest
most colorful
2. The comparative forms of adjective are always
followed by th
Examples.
Jasper Dave is taller than Joshua.
Tony is a slower runner than Ronnie.
3. The superlative forms of adjective are always
preceded by the.
Examples:
My mom is the kindest person I know.
Libya has the highest temperature of all.

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ADJECTIVES

1. From verbs: care + -ful = careful step

1. From verbs: care + -ful = careful step

painstaking campaign fast-growing vines

a drive for three days → a three-day drive

a lot of two hundred square meters → a two-hundred-

an aircraft with two seats → a two-seater aircraft

Sometimes we use more than one adjective to describe a person, a

1. three lovely red Holland tulips

2. The last five brave young Filipino soldiers

3. Those twelve big round colorful balloons

◦Example: Kimberly is a studious girl.

a.Unequal comparison shows that one of the two items,

b.Equal comparison shows that the two items, persons, or

Example: Our classroom is the cleanest room in the

◦ fast + est = fastest

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