AdjectivesBy Ellyn Ball and Lilly Jenkins

Adjectives Review

What is an adjective?

AdjectivesAdjectives are words that describe.

When used properly, they sharpen and polish the meaning of nouns and pronouns. Adjectives help a writer paint a picture with words. Adjectives modify two different parts of speech-nouns and pronouns.

Example adjectives: ugly, pretty, blue, colorful

Quick Check

What does an adjective do?

It describes and/or paints a picture

What two parts of speech does an adjective modify?

Noun and pronoun

Adjectives

To modify means to “change slightly.” Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns by slightly changing their meanings.

When adjectives modify nouns, they usually come directly before the nouns, but occasionally, they may come after.

Example: The room, narrow and dark, frightened us. (after)

Adjectives usually answer one of these four questions about the noun or pronoun they modify.

Adjectives

What kind?

new car striped tie

Which One?

this swan every page

How Many?

one hamburger many geese

How Much?

no food little rain

Quick Check

What does modify mean?

To “change slightly”

What four questions does an adjective answer?

What kind? Which One? How many? How much?

Adjectives Three common adjectives-the, a and an- are known as

articles. Unlike other adjectives, which may sometimes come after nouns or pronouns they modify, articles always come before nouns.

Articles answer the question which one?

The definite article the refers to a specific person, place or thing. Example: the canoe or the trumpeter swan

A and an, the other two articles, are called indefinite articles. They point out a type of person, place or thing, but they do not refer to a specific one. Example: a pond (perhaps one of several) or an old sweater (any one of many)

You should also know when to use a and when to use an

A is used before consonant sounds and an is used before vowel sounds.

Letters H, O and U maybe problem areas, they can sound like either vowels or consonants sometimes.

Quick Check

Three common adjectives are?

The, a and an

They are known as?

Articles

They always come _____ nouns.

Before

The definite article ___ refers to a ________________?

The a specific person, place or thing

The other two articles are ___ and ___ and they are called___________?

A and an, indefinite article

Using A and An

A With Consonant Sounds An With Vowel Sounds

a yellow hat an endangered water bird

a happy time (H sound) an honest person (no H sound)

a onetime nesting area(W sound)

an old map(o sound)

a unicorn (Y sound)

an uncle(U sound)

Using Noun and Proper Nouns as Adjectives

Nouns Used as Adjectives

shoe A shoe salesperson (What kind of salesperson?)

waterfowl the waterfowl refugeWhich refuge?)

Proper Nouns Used as Proper Adjectives

Truman the Truman library(Which library?)

Florida Florida wetlands (What kind of wetlands?)

December December weather(What kind of weather?)

Proper Nouns Proper Adjectives Formed From Proper Nouns

America American history (Which kind)

Victoria Victorian ideas (What kind?)

Using Compound Adjectives

A compound adjective is made up of more than one word.

Most compound adjectives are written as hyphenated words. Some are written as combined words, as in “a runaway horse.” If you are unsure about how to write a compound adjective, look up the word in the dictionary.

Hyphenated Combined

a well-known actress a featherweight boxer

a full-time job A freshwater lake

Quick Check

You use _____ with a consonant sound and use ____ with a vowel sound?

A, an

Can nouns and proper nouns be used as adjectives?

Yes

What is a compound adjective?

It is made up of more than one word

Using Nouns and Pronouns as Adjectives

A noun or pronoun is used as an adjective if it modifies a noun.

Example: The duck pond sometimes freezes in winter.

The noun duck functions as an adjective modifying pond.

Example: Which ducks are the males?

The interrogative pronoun “which” modifies ducks

Using Possessive Nouns and Pronouns as Adjectives

These personal pronouns are often called possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our and their.

They are adjectives because they are used before nouns and answer the question Which one? They are pronouns because they have antecedents.

Example: The ducks flapped their wings.

Their is an adjective because it modifies wings. At the same time, it is a pronoun because it stands in for the antecedent ducks.

Demonstrative Adjectives

This, that, these and those- the four demonstrative pronouns-are often used as demonstrative adjectives.

Examples: Pronoun; We saw that.

Adjective: That lake is home to many geese.

Interrogative Adjectives

Which, what, and whose-three of the interrogative pronouns-can be used as interrogative adjectives.

Examples: Pronoun; Which do you think he will choose?

Adjective; Which parrot do you think he will buy?

Quick Check

A noun or pronoun is used as an adjective if it modifies a _________. Noun Personal pronouns are often called __________? possessive adjectives Give me several examples of a possessive adjective. my, your, his, her, its, our and their. What question does a possessive adjective answer? Which One? This, that, these and those- the four demonstrative pronouns-are

often used as _____________? demonstrative adjectives. Which, what, and whose-three of the interrogative pronouns-can be

used as__________? interrogative adjectives.

We Do?

As a group fill in the correct kind of article indicated in the parentheses.

1. Swans nest along (definite) shores of ponds and marshes during summer.

2. Some move to (indefinite) large lake or bay for (indefinite) winter season.

3. Swans feed mostly on plants that they find under (definite) the water.

4. Because of its webbed feet, (indefinite) swan is (indefinite) excellent swimmer.

5. The swan’s long neck helps it locate (indifinite) underwater meal.

You Do

On the left side of your interactive notebook, list one of each kind of adjective learned today (do not use any examples given today). Make sure to illustrate and color code.