English adjectives

What are adjectives?

Adjectives are words that modify a noun by providing supplementary information about it. They are most often placed directly before the noun they modify and provide information for by making it more detailed. Unlike pronouns, they do not replace the noun but emphasize its qualities, quantities or properties. Sometimes more than one adjective can be used in the same sentence to provide a more detailed description of the noun. 

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Adjectives examples with sentences

• Did you bring my green coat?
• She has a unique style.
• I would really like to be on an exotic beach right now.
• It was a fun activity. 
• She met the Bulgarian delegation. 
• Anna is the brunette girl.

Types of adjectives

There are seven types of adjectives in English that we will further explore with a short summary to each one below. 

Adjectives of quality

Quality adjectives provide supplementary information about a noun or a subject. They are the most numerous category of adjectives as they can provide the most information about the nouns. 

Example:

• This is my new car. Do you like it?
• This was my old house. We moved last year.
• I don't like this boring show. Can you change it, please?

Demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are used to identify and point to people and things. They emphasize which noun the speaker is talking about and where it is located in time and space. The demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, those.

Example:

• Is this your phone?
• I left that cable in my previous apartment. 
• These nuggets are delicious.
• Those drinks are ready. 

Possessive adjectives

Possessive adjectives show a possession or a relationship between the owner and the thing that is owned. They modify a noun by showing who possess it, therefore they are placed in front of the noun they modify. 

Example:

• Their plan has succeeded. 
• My laptop is in the kitchen.
• This was her jacket.
• Are these your glasses?

Quantity adjectives

Quantity adjectives provide information in describing the quantity of something as a whole. They must be accompanied by a noun. 

Example:

• He lost all of his wealth. 
• I need some help here.
• There isn't much time left.
• Do you need any help with that?
• I have wasted more than enough time on this.

Interrogative adjectives

Interrogative adjectives modify a noun and are used to gain information. They are used only in the form of a question and must be accompanied by a noun in all cases. The interrogative adjectives are what, which, whose.

Interrogative adjectives examples:

• Whose dish is this?
• Which of the movies do you want to watch?
• What song should I put on?

Numeral adjectives

Number adjectives are used to show the precise countable number of things and people. They can show quantity, order, and position of nouns. 

Cardinal numbers example

• I passed my exam with 98% score.
• Can you buy two apples, please?
• She would like to order five steaks.

Ordinal numbers examples

• This was from my first marathon. 
• I live on the second floor.
• He chose the third dish. 
• I need the twenty-sixth piece from the collection

Comparatives 

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two or more things, situations, or individuals. They modify the regular adjectives with specific endings to establish the comparison between the nouns. 

Example of comparatives

• My rope is longer than yours. 
• Jim's room is bigger than the one of his sister. 
• Jack's stories are less interesting than hers.
• Bulgarian is more difficult than English.
• I am not as funny as you.

Superlatives

Superlatives showcase the highest or the lowest level of comparison between things and individuals. With superlatives you compare one thing with everything else and conclude it's position as the greatest or the lowest. 

Superlatives examples

• Ryan is the most intelligent person I know. 
• Jeff Bezos is the richest person on Earth right now. 
• This is the cheapest beer on the menu.
• Is this the biggest mattres you are offering?
• Bruce is the strongest guy in our group. 

Irregular adjectives

Irregular adjectives are adjectives that don't submit to the regular rules for a comparative and superlative form. They have a special form that must be learned by heart. 

Irregular adjectives list

Formation of adjectives

Majority of adjectives are formed through the use of suffixes. Certain sets of suffixes are used to describe something specific which we can explore in the table below. 

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