Basic Grammar

Parts of speech: Adjectives and articles

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?

Example: the frisky horse [Which horse?] Explanation: The adjective frisky answers the question Which horse?

Example: cracked old plates [What kind of plates?] Explanation: The adjectives cracked and old answer the question What kind of plates?

Example: nine months [How many months?] Explanation: The adjective nine answers the question How many months?

Adjectives usually precede the words they modify. However, they may also follow linking verbs, in which case they describe the subject.

Example sentence: The decision was unpopular. Explanation: The adjective unpopular follows the linking verb was.

Articles, sometimes classified as adjectives, are used to mark nouns. There are only three: the definite article the and the indefinite articles a and an.

Example sentence: A defendant should be judged on the evidence provided to the jury, not on hearsay. Explanation: The articles are A, the, and the (A defendant, the evidence, the jury).

Some possessive, demonstrative, and indefinite pronouns can function as adjectives: their, its, this And nouns can function as adjectives when they modify other nouns: apple pie (the noun apple modifies the noun pie).

Exercises:

Parts of speech: adjectives 1

Parts of speech: adjectives 2

All parts of speech 1

All parts of speech 2