ADJECTIVE

A describing word is called an Adjective.   An Adjective is a word that names a quality or that defines or limits a noun or pronoun.                                                                                                                                                                         

   ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES : An adjective is said to be used attributively when it precedes or follows the noun it qualifies. [Adjective + Noun] or [Noun + Adjective]                                                                                 Ex :  He is a good boy.                       Anything new pleases us.                                                                            

 PREDCATIVE ADJECTIVES: An adjective is said to be used predicatively when it does not precedes or follows the noun it qualifies. The verbs after whish a predicative adjective is used are : be-verb, become, seem, appeal, feel, keep, make, look, taste, turn, smell, get………….. etc.                                                                                                                   Ex : Iam ill. She became rich. He seems sad. The boy turned pale. The flowers smell sweet.

Adjectives are of ten ( 10 ) types:

1)     PROPER ADJECTIVES: Adjectives which are formed from proper nouns are called Proper Adjectives.

        Ex:    This is an Indian lion.        It is an American pen.

2)     ADJECTIVES OF QUALITY OR DESCRIPTIVE :Adjectives that shows the quality, kind or state of a persons or things are called Adjectives of Quality or Descriptive Adjective

        Ex: She is a good girl.

3)     ADJECTIVE OF QUANTITY:  An adjective that denotes an indefinite quantity of something is called an Adjective of Quantity. Adjective of Quantity answers the question – How much?

Ex:  Give me some milk.     He is a man of little experience.       There is no sense in what he says.                                     Time I have enough.        I have not any time left.                    You should take great care of your health.               The sugar in the pot is not sufficient.               Much water is made muddy.                      You have had all the fun.

4)      NUMERAL ADJECTIVES: An adjective that denotes the number of person or things or in what order a person or a thing stands or how times something is, it is called Numeral adjectives.

Numeral adjectives are of four kinds:

a)     CARDINALS [denoting number] :      one, two, three, four,……………………….. etc.                                                   

Ex: Ten boys and twelve girls are playing.

b)    ORDINALS [denoting order] :  first, second, third, fourth,………………….etc.                                               

 Ex: Ram is the third son of my uncle.

c)     MULTIPLICATIVES [denoting multiplication] : single, double, triple, twofold………………….etc.                        

  Ex; there was a double knock on the door.

d)    INDEFINITE NUMERAL ADJECTIVES: When an adjective denotes an indefinite number, it is called an Indefinite Numeral Adjectives.                                                                                                                                  

 Ex : There are many mistakes in the answer. .                      You have had all the fun.

       Give me some milk.       I saw him on both occasions.    I have not any time left

.      There is no sense in what he says.                                I have read the book several times.    

      Few people live to be 100.                   She went there on sundry (various) reasons

 

5)     DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES: An adjective which points out person or persons or thing or things are called a Demonstrative Adjectives Demonstrative means point out.                                                                                  

Ex :      Put this book on the shelf.             These girls are active, but those boys are not so.                             They lives in yonder village.                       Such men are cunning.              I reached Mumbai the same day.         The other day he came here.                     That car is mine.

                 

  

6)     DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES:      They refer to each one of a number of persons or things or group.             

Ex :           Each refers to every one of  two or more persons, things, or groups taken separately or individually ( without adding them up )                     Each team played well.             Each team had a separate room.

               

                 Every refers to all or each one of a definite or indefinite group of more than two persons or things  Every word of it is true.       I enjoyed every minute of my holiday.                   Every man should do his duty.      [In the sense of “ all possible “ , every may be used before a noun with abstract meaning  - He had every reason to be satisfied. ]

 

           Either: In negative or interrogative contexts either is used to mean one or the other of two.    There is no lamp at either end of the street.               

Have you seen either brother?

           Either : In affirmative contexts either is used to mean any one of the two, no matter which.           Either one will be satisfactory.                

  Take either half, they are exactly the same.

     

           Either is also used to mean one and the other two, each of the two.                                 There are trees on the either side of the road.   

There was an armchair on the either end of the table.

 

            Neither: It is the negative of the either and it is used to mean not either, not the one or the other two.           Neither description is correct.   

I can agree in neither case.                 Neither statement is false.

 

7)     POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES: my, his, her, its, our, your, their, thy, thine these  Personal Pronouns in Possessive Case are used with nouns to indicate possession. These words indicating possession are called Possessive Adjectives. As these adjectives are really pronouns, they may be called Pronominal Adjectives.

 Ex; this is my table.  That is his watch.    Her pen is lost.   This is my cat.  Its tail is long. That is our car. Where is your friend? They are going with their friend.  Death, where is thy sting.

 

8)     EMPHASISING ADJECTIVES: The words own and very are called Emphasizing Adjectives when they are used attributively for putting emphasis.

Ex : I  saw the accident with own eyes.      He is his own master.                   She is her own cook.                                                You are the very man I want.                      This very book I lost.               He killed his own brother.

 

9)     EXCLAMATORY ADJECTIVES : When what is used attributively with a noun in exclamatory sentences in the sense of ‘ how great or strange or otherwise remarkable’, it is called an Exclamatory Adjectives.       

Ex :     What a piece of work is man.         What nonsense!       What a pity !     What fine books you have !    What genius !                             What pretty cups those are on the self !

 

10)  INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES : What, whose and which are called Interrogative Adjectives when they precede nouns to ask questions. These Interrogative Adjectives used attributively with nouns may the subjects of verbs. In this case the verbs should be affirmative. When they are not the subjects of the verbs, the verb should be Interrogative .

WHAT is used attributively with nouns denoting persons as well as things. In this case what asks for a selection from an indefinite  number. What is used  with all numbers and genders.

Ex:          What time is it?    What age are you ? What people do you meet ?     What colour do you like ?                      

WHAT manner of /  kind of / sort of + noun is used to ask after the kind of sort to which a person or things belongs.                                                                                                                                                                            

 Ex:         What manner of man he is ?        What sort of mangoes are those?                                                                           

 WHOSE is used attributively as the subject or object.                                                                                                      Ex : Whose car is this ?    Whose books are missing?      Whose umbrella is this?      Whose child is he? WHICH is used attributively  with a noun asking for selection from two, or from a group of a limited number. It may refer to persons or things in all numbers and genders. Which is more restricted than what in  respect of selection.                                                                                                                                                                                      

Ex :         Which way shall we go ?   Which Mr. Roy do you mean ?           Tell me which book do you want ? Which horse came last ?                   Which girl arrived first ?    

SUMIT CHATTERJEE