Adjectives

1. Introduction to Adjectives

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun.
For example:

The quick cat caught the mouse. (The word ‘quick’ is an adjective. It is describing the noun ‘cat’. It is telling us of what kind the noun is.) She is intelligent. (The word ‘intelligent’ is an adjective. It is describing the pronoun ‘she’. It is telling us of what kind the pronoun is.)

Sometimes a phrase can perform the role of an adjective in a sentence.
For example:

The cupboard is full of clothes. (Here, the phrase ‘full of clothes’ is describing the noun ‘the cupboard’. It is telling us of what kind the noun is. Hence, the phrase is working as an adjective in this sentence.)

Sometimes a clause can perform the role of an adjective in a sentence.
For example:

Roshan Singh, who had last played a test match in 2003, is playing in today’s match against Australia. (Here, the clause ‘who had last played a test match in 2003’ is describing the noun ‘Roshan Singh’. It is telling us which noun is being talked about. Hence, the clause is working as an adjective in this sentence.)

2. Adjectives of Quality, Quantity and Number

Adjectives of Quality
These adjectives answer the question ‘of what kind?’

Geeta is a good girl. (Ask the question ‘what kind of girl?’ and you get the answer ‘good’.) Rishabh is hard working. (Ask the question ‘Rishabh is of what kind?’ and you get the answer ‘hard working’.) Indian tea is famous all over the world. (Ask the question ‘what kind of tea?’ and you get the answer ‘Indian’.) He is a gifted cricketer. (Ask the question ‘what kind of cricketer?’ and you get the answer ‘gifted’.)

Adjectives of Quantity
These adjectives answer the question ‘how much?’

Our neighbour is asking for some sugar. (Ask the question ‘how much sugar?’ and you get the answer ‘some’.) I don’t have much time to answer that last question. (Ask the question ‘how much time?’ and you get the answer ‘[not] much’.) You have given a sufficient explanation. (Ask the question ‘how much explanation?’ and you get the answer ‘sufficient’.) She has little sense of what is going on. (Ask the question ‘how much sense?’ and you get the answer ‘little’.) You can take all the jewellery. (Ask the question ‘how much jewellery?’ and you get the answer ‘all’.)

[Note: The nouns described by these adjectives are usually uncountable nouns.]

Adjectives of Number
These adjectives answer the question ‘how many?’ or ‘in what order?’

I have eleven fingers. (Ask the question ‘how many fingers?’ and you get the answer ‘eleven’.) All the students passed the exam. (Ask the question ‘how many students?’ and you get the answer ‘all’.) Each student has to sign the form. (Ask the question ‘how many students?’ and you get the answer ‘each’.) Every person in the auditorium was standing. (Ask the question ‘how many persons?’ and you get the answer ‘Every’.) Tarun was the first to complete the test. (Ask the question ‘in what order was Tarun?’ and you get the answer ‘the first’.)

[Note: The nouns described by these adjectives are usually countable nouns.]

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

These adjectives answer the question ‘which?’

That house is mine (Ask the question ‘which house?’ and you get the answer ‘that’.) Keerti gave me this pen. (Ask the question ‘which pen?’ and you get the answer ‘this’.) I can solve these puzzles. (Ask the question ‘which puzzles?’ and you get the answer ‘these’.) Those boys were playing in the park. (Ask the question ‘which boys?’ and you get the answer ‘those’.) I don’t know why such questions are asked. (Ask the question ‘which questions?’ and you get the answer ‘such’.)

When a noun does not immediately follow ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’ and ‘those’, they are referred to as demonstrative pronouns.

This is my car. (‘This’ points to the object ‘my car’.) That is a banana. (‘That’ points to the object ‘a banana’.) These are good apples. (‘These’ points to the object ‘apples’.) Those are her shoes. (‘Those’ points to the object ‘her shoes’.)

[Remember: A noun does not immediately follow a demonstrative pronoun, while a demonstrative adjective always comes before a noun.]

4. Interrogative Adjectives

When ‘what’, ‘which’ and ‘whose’ are used with some noun to ask a question, they are called interrogative adjectives.

What kind of organism is it? Which shirt do you want to wear? Whose car are you driving?

When a noun does not immediately follow ‘what’ and ‘which’, they are called interrogative pronouns.

What is your name? What is hidden under the picture? (‘What’ is used for indicating the non-living.) Which is Shyam’s house? Which of these boys is the culprit? (‘Which’ is used for indicating both the living and the non-living.)

[Remember: A noun does not immediately follow an interrogative pronoun, while an interrogative adjective always comes before a noun.]

5. Possessive Adjectives

These are the possessive forms of the personal pronouns ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘we’ and ‘they’. They are immediately followed by a noun.

My book is lying on the table. Your phone is with the teacher. His house is painted yellow. Her parents are out of town. Do you know the child’s name? Yes, I do know its name. Our country is making great progress. Your passports are lying with the judge. Their performance was liked by all.

These possessive forms are different from possessive pronouns.

The book lying on the table is mine. That phone is yours. That yellow painted house is his. That idea was hers. All that land beyond the lake is ours. These passports are yours. At the end of the day, the award-winning performance was theirs.

[Remember: A noun does not immediately follow a possessive pronoun, while a possessive adjective always comes before a noun.]

6. The Positive, Comparative and Superlative

Adjectives have three forms—the positive, the comparative and the superlative.
Let us look at some adjectives and their different forms.
Where the comparative and superlative are formed by adding ‘−er’ and ‘−est’

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
Clever	Cleverer	Cleverest
Utsav is a clever boy. The lawyer is cleverer than the judge. That is the cleverest politician I have ever seen.
Heavy	Heavier	Heaviest
I am carrying heavy luggage. The weight I am carrying is heavier than the one you are carrying. That blue bag is the heaviest.
Hot	Hotter	Hottest
Today is a hot day. It was hotter yesterday than it is today. This has been the hottest month of the year.

Where the comparative and superlative are formed by adding ‘more/less’ and ‘most/least’

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
Beautiful	More beautiful	Most beautiful
This picture is beautiful. That picture is more beautiful than this one. These pictures are the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Difficult	More difficult	Most difficult
The first question is difficult. The fifth question is more difficult than the first. This is the most difficult exam that I have ever sat for.
Fluent	More fluent	Most fluent
Himesh is very fluent. Gyanesh is more fluent than Himesh. Jignesh is the most fluent of the three.

Irregular adjectives

Positive Form	Comparative Form		Superlative Form
Good	Better		Best
I am good. He is better. They are the best.
Bad	Worse		Worst
His handwriting is bad. His teacher’s handwriting is worse. The principal’s handwriting is the worst.
Little	Less		Least
Dimagi has little intelligence. Khopadi has less intelligence than Dimagi. Bheja has the least intelligence of them all.
Much	More		Most
Lambu has much wealth. Tingu has more wealth than Lambu. Motu has the most wealth of the three.
Old	Older		Oldest
I am quite old. This book is older than that one. We are the oldest members of this club.
Old		Elder		Eldest
He is very old. I am elder to him. She is the eldest in the family.