Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe nouns, they are meant to give us more information about a characteristic, quality, quantity, or attribute a noun has. Adjectives can be used to describe physical traits such as shape, appearance, material, weight, quantity, etc. i.e. (tall, long, several, metal, heavy, circular, etc.) or non-physical traits such as personality, emotions, morality, empathy, etc. i.e. (confident, intelligent, sad, incredible, many, etc.). Most adjectives have 3 forms, a base form which is an adjective in its simple form with no degree of comparison, a comparative form which is used to compare a quality two nouns have, and a superlative form that describes a quality a noun has to the highest degree. Adjectives are most often placed before a noun (except when they are combined with indefinite pronouns in which case they are placed after the indefinite pronoun) or can be linked to a subject with a linking verb. Adjectives have the same form for both singular nouns and plural nouns.
Base adjective examples
Ex: There is an old cathedral in the downtown area of my city.
Ex: A black dog chased a squirrel into a tree.
Ex: An enormous storm formed off the coast of Florida.
Ex: The news described the suspects as vicious wolves.
Base adjectives linked to subjects with linking verbs
Note: Typical linking verbs include be, become, appear, look, smell, sound, feel, taste, etc.
Ex: I am excited about the elections.
Ex: The food smells delicious.
Ex: My brother feels upset.
Ex: The windows look clean.
Comparative adjectives examples
Note: Comparative adjectives compare two nouns. Adjectives either have a comparative form (-er ending) or use the word more + base form of an adjective to form their comparative form, this usually depends on how many syllables an adjective has although there are exceptions.
Ex: My brother is younger than I am. - Comparing my brother's age with my own.
Ex: I thought the movie was more interesting than most. – Comparing one movie with most movies.
Ex: His watch is more precise than mine – Comparing the preciseness of a someone's watch with my own.
Ex: Days in the winter are shorter than days in the summer – Comparing the length of winter days with summer days.
Superlative adjectives examples
Note: Superlative adjectives describe a quality a noun has to the highest degree. Adjectives either have a superlative form (-est ending) or use the word most + base form of an adjective to form their superlative form, this usually depends on how many syllables an adjective has although there are exceptions.
Ex: That was the worst mistake in my life.
Ex: New York City’s tallest building is One World Trade Center.
Ex: The largest continent in the world is Asia.
Ex: He was the most intelligent person I have ever met.
Base adjectives / Comparative adjectives / Superlative adjectives - Comparison
Ex: Charles is very tall.
Ex: Charles is taller than I am.
Ex: Charles is the tallest person in his family.
Ex: The Pacific Ocean is large
Ex: The Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic Ocean.
Ex: The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on earth.
Using Multiple Adjectives
More than one adjective can be used to describe a noun, in this case the adjectives are considered either coordinate adjectives or non-coordinate adjectives.
Non-coordinate adjectives (also called cumulative adjectives) are usually adjectives of different categories and must be placed in a specific order that cannot be reversed. There exists a general order which must be followed when putting the adjectives in a sequence, when multiple adjectives are placed in an incorrect order, the sentence will sound unnatural. The table below serves as guideline for the general order of adjectives, however there are exceptions which must be learned with experience and memorized. Non-coordinate adjectives are usually not of the same category.
Non-coordinate adjectives examples
Note: Non-coordinate adjectives are not separated by commas (,) or the conjunction -and when placed before a noun.
Ex: A large blue linen drape covered the window.
Ex: I like to collect vintage American comic books.
Ex: Many intelligent young international students want to go to Ivy League schools.
Ex: .It looks like some kind of antique metal cutting tool.
Non-coordinate adjectives linked to subjects with linking verbs examples
Note: When a linking verb is used with 2 non-coordinate adjectives, the adjectives must be separated by the conjunction -and. When 3 or more non-coordinate adjectives are combined, commas (,) must be placed between the adjectives and the conjunction -and must be placed before the last adjective.
Note: Typical linking verbs include be, become, appear, look, smell, sound, feel, taste, etc.
Ex: I thought the house was cramped, small, and old.
Ex: The structure looked enormous and ancient.
Ex: The substance turned reddish and liquidy after a week.
Ex: The art style appeared cool, modern, and Japanese.
Coordinate adjectives are usually adjectives of the same category and do not need to be placed in a specific order, their order can also be reversed. Coordinate adjectives are separated by commas (,) or with the conjunction -and. The last adjective used before a noun must not be followed by a comma (,) although the conjunction -and may be used (this is optional). To test if adjectives are either coordinate adjectives or non-coordinate adjectives we can place the word -and between the adjectives, if the sentence does not sound natural that means the adjectives are non-coordinate adjectives. Likewise, we can reverse the order of the combined adjectives and if the sentence does not sound natural that also means the adjectives are non-coordinate adjectives.
Coordinate adjectives examples
Ex: Optimistic, hopeful people are generally more successful.
Ex: We use long, wide, rectangular boxes to ship items to our customers.
Ex: This neighborhood is full of dirty and dilapidated buildings.
Ex: I like efficient and effective and resilient products.
Coordinate adjectives linked to subjects with linking verbs examples
Note: When a linking verb is used with 2 Coordinate adjectives, the adjectives must be separated by the conjunction -and. When 3 or more Coordinate adjectives are combined, commas (,) must be placed between the adjectives and the conjunction -and must be placed before the last adjective.
Note: Typical linking verbs include be, become, appear, look, smell, sound, feel, taste, etc.
Ex: He seemed both relived and satisfied after the verdict.
Ex: They looked hungry, tired, and worn out after their shift.
Ex: The cake tasted sweet, fruity, and delicious.
Ex: We felt cheated and tricked by the bank.
