Adjectives: Overview

An adjective is a word used to modify, or describe, a noun or pronoun. An adjective usually answers one of these questions: Which one? What kind of? How many?

Adjectives ordinarily modify nouns or pronouns. They usually precede the words they modify.

Example sentence: the lame elephant [Which elephant?] Explanation: 'lame' is an adjective.

Occasionally they function as subject complements following linking verbs.

Example sentence: The elephant became lame in old age.

Example sentence: The stamps were old and valuable.

ESL: Adjectives and plural nouns

Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 1

Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 2

Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 3

subject complement A word or word group that follows a linking verb and either renames or describes the subject.