What are Adjectives and How to Use Them

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that’s used to modify or describe the qualities or states of being of a noun or pronoun.

• My parents own a giant, fluffy dog.
• There were three noisy geese in the pond.
• That’s the tallest building I’ve ever seen.

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It’s important to note that while adjectives are most commonly used to describe nouns, they can appear with linking verbs or the verb to be. A linking verb describes a state of being or a sensory experience. In the examples below, the adjectives are complementing verbs.

• I feel bad about eating the last piece of pie.
• She doesn’t seem happy about her report card.

Types of adjectives

There are many types of adjectives that can be used to breathe life into your writing, but it’s important to understand what they are and how to use them correctly.

Appositive adjectives

Appositive adjectives appear after the noun that they are modifying. They are commonly set off by commas or dashes, appearing as a single adjective or a series or adjectives.

• The cat, gray and silky, curled its tail around its paws.

Denominal adjectives

These kinds of adjectives are formed from nouns but turned into descriptive words with the addition of suffixes like -ish, -ly, and -esque.

• His childish behavior earned him a reputation as a joker.

Nominal adjectives

Nominal adjectives are sometimes called substantive adjectives and they function as a noun. Typically, these adjectives are preceded by the word “the.”

• These donations will go to help the homeless.

Proper adjectives

These adjectives are formed from proper nouns and are used to show the origin of a noun. Proper adjectives are always capitalized.

• Last night we went out for Thai food.

Compound adjectives

When two or more words that express a single idea are used to modify a noun, they are referred to as a compound adjective. Location matters for these adjectives; when they’re placed in front of a noun, they’re connected by a hyphen. However, no hyphen is needed when a compound adjective is placed after a noun.

• Those two have a long-standing history.
• His reputation is well known.

Adjectives used for comparison

Adjectives can be used to show how some things measure up against others. An adjective used to describe something on its own is called an absolute adjective. If you’re comparing two or more thing, a comparative adjective will help you differentiate between them. Sometimes the words “more” or “less” may be used for words that don’t immediately adapt to adding a suffix. If you’re using a superlative adjective, you’re indicating that something has the most or least of a quality.

• A tasty dessert
• A tastier dessert
• The tastiest dessert

• A knowledgeable salesman
• A less knowledgeable salesman
• The least knowledgeable salesman

Coordinate adjectives

Two adjectives are said to be coordinate if they modify the same noun within a sentence. They should be separated by a comma or the word and, but just because the two words appear next to each other doesn’t necessarily mean they they’re coordinate. One way to tell if they’re coordinate is to switch the order of the adjectives and see if the sentence still makes sense; if it doesn’t, it’s because one adjective is likely modifying the other rather than the noun.

• She wrote a heartbreaking, insightful essay.
• The cake was moist and delicious.

Adjectives cannot be used to modify verbs or adverbs; for that, you’ll want to use adverbs. Make sure you understand the difference between adjectives and adverbs so that you’re using them correctly in your writing.

It’s also important to understand the correct order of adjectives to make sure that your writing is clear.

Using descriptive words can make your writing leap off the page and into the imagination of your readers. For more help with parts of speech and gaining more clarity in your writing, Microsoft Editor helps you write with confidence and can help you dial in the wording on your latestessay or writing project.