What is an Adjective - Basic English Grammar lessons

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In this lesson, we will study important things about adjectives and how to use them.


Bruce: An adjective is a word that describes some attribute or quality that someone or something has. For example, they may be added to nouns to state what kind, what colour, which one or how many they are. Here are some examples of adjectives for you:

Henry: Craig caught a large fish.

Bruce: In this example, the adjective 'large' qualifies the word ‘fish’ which is a noun.

Henry: He's got a beautiful car.

Bruce: Beautiful is an adjective that qualifies the car.

Henry: Adjectives are classified under 3 main categories. An adjective of quality answers the question ‘Of what kind?’. They describe nouns that refer to action, state, or quality. For example:

Bruce: There are dangerous chemicals in the chemistry lab.

Henry: The adjective “dangerous” here represents the quality of the chemicals.

Adjectives of quantity tells us the number (how many) or amount (how much) of a noun. For example:

Bruce: He has eaten three apples.

Henry: Now, there are also the demonstrative adjectives: ‘This,’ That,’ ‘These,’ ‘Those.’ They basically point out a fact about the noun. For example:

Bruce: This red balloon is mine and those three yellow ones are yours.

Henry: Last but not least, there are the possessive adjectives: ‘My,’ ‘Your,’ ‘Her,’ ‘His,’ ‘Its,’ ‘Our,’ ‘Your,’ and ‘Their.’ They express possession of a noun by someone or something. For example:

vBruce: His arms have a few tattoos.

Henry: Let’s see some sample conversations.

Conversation 1

Merry: Today is the best day of my life.

Suzie: vWhat happened?!

Merry: My boyfriend proposed to me today and that too in front of all the staff in my office.

Suzie: It must’ve been a terrific moment for both of you guys.

Merry: Yes. It surely was. I’m never going to forget this beautiful day.

Conversation 2

Yasmine: vLet’s go somewhere in the evening. It’s been long since I last went out to dinner.

Hansie: Where do you want to go, Yasmine?

Yasmine: vI’ve heard about this new Italian restaurant in the town. Let’s try it out today.

Hansie: Have any of your friends been there before?

Yasmine: Yes. Our neighbours went there last week and they told me that it’s an amazing place. They say it’s cozy and that the food is delicious.

Hansie: Alright. I’ll pick you up 6!

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