Adjective and its Kinds

Adjective and its Kinds:

What is Adjective?

An Adjective is a word that is used to qualify or modify a noun or pronoun; as,

• A sweet mango.
• A green coat.
• A careless boy.

The words sweet, green and careless qualify or modify the nouns mango, coat and boy respectively and thus limit their meaning and application.

Kinds of Adjectives:

There are nine kinds of Adjectives. They are as follows-

(1) Proper Adjectives are formed from Proper nouns; as,

• The Indian soldier (the soldier of India).
• The French apple (the apple of France).
• The English language (the language of England).
• The Kashmir silk (the silk of Kashmir).

Note- A Proper Adjective must with a capital letter.

(2) Descriptive Adjectives or Adjectives of Quality show the kind, state or quality of a person or thing; as,

• A brave boy.
• A good game.
• A lucky chance.
• A silk girl.

(3) Quantitative Adjectives or Adjectives of Quantity show how much of a thing is meant; as,

• Much (or little, same, no, any, enough, sufficient) milk.
• A half holiday.
• All day.
• The whole bread.
• Great joy.

(4) Numeral Adjective or Adjectives of Numbers show many persons or things are meant and in what order or how many times they are taken; as,

• Ten girls.
• Second chapter.
• Double share.
• All men.

Adjectives of Number are of three kinds-

(I) Definite Numeral Adjectives; as,

• One, two, three, four, etc. (cardinal numbers).
• First, second, third, fourth, etc. (ordinal numbers).

(II) Indefinite Numeral Adjectives; as,

• All girls.
• A few boys.
• Several times.
• Some men.
• Any person.
• No guest.

(III) Distributive Numeral Adjectives; as, each, every, either, neither, etc.

(5) Demonstrative Adjectives are used to point out which person or thing is meant; as,

• This chair.
• That mango.
• These boys.
• Those girls.
• Such men.
• The same book.

Note: A, An and The are also Demonstrative Adjectives. They are called the Articles.

(6) Distributive Adjectives refer to each one of a number; as,

• Each boy.
• Every man.
• Either or neither side.

(7) Interrogative Adjectives are used with Nouns to ask questions; as,

• Whose book is this?
• Which pen do you like most?
• What book is that?

(8) Emphasizing Adjectives lay emphasis on the Noun or Pronoun to which they belong; as,

• This is my own pen.
• This is the very pen I wanted.
• It is the same boy that stole my hat.

(9) Exclamatory Adjective- the word what when used with nouns to show surprise; as

• What nonsense!
• What a misfortune!
• What joy!