Notes on Adjectives
Definition
- Etymology: ad (toward) + ject (throw)
Think of an adjective as throwing meaning to the noun.
- Modify means to change.
- Note: an adjective limits the noun. If I ask you to go into the room and grab me a book, you wouldn’t know which book to grab because there are many books. If I ask you to go into the room and grab me the ripped book, then I have limited what book I am speaking about. Ripped is an adjective that allow us to narrow what specific book we are talking about.
Hints:
1. An adjective is a modifier. Only modifiers can take the word Very in front of it.Example:
very blue
very vibrant
very good
Note: there are exceptions, and just because a word takes the word very doesn’t mean it is an adjective. It can also be an adverb.
2. If you have a word and you want to test to see if it is an adjective, ask the question:
_______________ what?
For instance:
The mouse ran through the small hole.
Small what? Answer is hole. Hole is a noun. Words that modify nouns are adjectives. Small is an adjective.
The mouse ran through the small hole.
Mouse what? The question doesn’t make sense. If I answer “mouse ran,” that doesn’t sound like a complete noun phrase, not like small hole. Mouse is not an adjective. Also, I can’t say very mouse.
The first artist I learned about in school was M.C. Escher.
_______________ what? --- First what? First artist. Artist is a noun. Words that modify nouns are adjectives. First is an adjective.
The painting was filled with smeared and splattered paint.
Smeared what? Smeared paint. Paint is a noun. Therefore, smeared functions as an adjective in this sentence.
