Content code
e2110
Slug (identifier)
adjectives
Grades
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Secondary I
Topic
English Language Arts
Content
Title (level 2)
What Are Adjectives?
Title slug (identifier)
what-are-adjectives
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Content
Corps

Adjectives are words used to describe or modify a noun or a pronoun. They give extra information to make sentences more precise and interesting.

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Corps

Adjectives do not have a plural or singular form: they always stay the same.

Only adjectives used as determiners have plural forms. They are the:

Contenu
Links
Title (level 2)
Order of Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
order-of-adjectives
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Content
Corps

When using more than one adjective to describe a noun or a pronoun, use the following order:

Image
Order of adjectives table.
Content
Image
Order of adjectives examples.
Title
Order of Adjectives—Exercise
Title slug (identifier)
order-of-adjectives-exercise
Largeur de l'exercice
720
Hauteur de l'exercice
720
Title (level 2)
Comparative & Superlative Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
comparative-superlative-adjectives
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Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
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Title (level 3)
Comparative Adjectives
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Comparative adjectives compare two things or people.

For example comparing two people’s age:

Person 1

Age comparison

Person 2

Yayoi is

older than

Ushio.

Second column
Title (level 3)
Superlative Adjectives
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Superlative adjectives compare more than two things or people.

For example comparing one person’s age to several other people’s ages:

Person 1

Age comparison

All other people

Yayoi is

the oldest

artist in the group.

Corps

Visit the Comparative & Superlative Adjectives concept sheet to learn more about them.

Title (level 2)
Possessive & Demonstrative Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
possessive-adjectives-demonstrative-adejctives
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Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
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Title (level 3)
Possessive Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
possessive-adjectives
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Possessive adjectives are used to indicate ownership of a noun, who it belongs to.

The possessive adjectives are:

  • my

  • his/her/its

  • our

  • your

  • their

Visit the Possessive Adjectives concept sheet to learn more about them.

Second column
Title (level 3)
Demonstrative Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
demonstrative-adjectives
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Demonstrative adjectives are used to point something out or indicate the position of an object.

The demonstrative adjectives are:

  • this

  • that

  • these

  • those

Visit the Demonstrative Adjectives concept sheet to learn more about them.

Title (level 2)
Adjectives for Advanced Users
Title slug (identifier)
adjectives-for-advanced-users
Contenu
Title (level 3)
For Advanced Users: Interrogative Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
for-advanced-users-interrogative-adjectives
Contenu
Title
Interrogative Adjectives
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Corps

Interrogative adjectives are used to modify a noun in information questions.

Interrogative Adjective

Used to ask about:

Example

What

  • unknown options

  • unlimited number of answers

Question
What brush are you looking for?

Interrogative adjective: what.

Possible answer:
Any existing brush.

Which

  • known options

  • limited number of answers

  • clear choice to make

Question:
Which brush will you use?

Possible Answer: 1 of the 5 brushes available.

Possible Answer:
1 of the 5 brushes available.

Whose

  • ownership

Question:
Whose brush is this?

 Interrogative adjective: whose.

Possible answer:
The owner of the brush.

Title (level 3)
Exercises - Interrogative Adjectives
Title
Interrogative Adjectives—Exercise
Largeur de l'exercice
720
Hauteur de l'exercice
720
Title (level 3)
For Advanced Users: Nouns & Verbs as Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
for-advanced-users-nouns-verbs-as-adjectives
Contenu
Title
Nouns & Verbs as Adjectives
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Corps

Nouns and verbs can also be used to describe or modify other nouns. In these situations, they act just like adjectives.

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2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Title (level 3)
Nouns as Adjectives
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When a noun is used to describe or modify another noun, it acts as an adjective.

The noun acting as an adjective is always placed before the noun it modifies or describes. Only the noun being modified or described can take the plural.

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Nouns used as adjective examples.
Second column
Title (level 3)
Verbs as Adjectives
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Verbs in the participle form can be used to modify or describe nouns. In these situations, they act just like adjectives.

The verb acting as an adjective is always placed before the noun it modifies or describes.

Image
Verbs used as adjective examples.
Title
Nouns & Verbs as Adjectives—Exercise
Largeur de l'exercice
720
Hauteur de l'exercice
720
Title (level 3)
For Advanced Users: Proper Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
for-advanced-users-proper-adjectives
Contenu
Title
Proper Adjectives
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A proper adjective is the specific name used for a person, a place or a thing. Proper adjectives are based on proper nouns and also take capital letters.

Corps

Example:

From the proper noun:

Indicates:

Yayoi is a Japanese artist.A person standing under a Japanese flag.

Japan

Nationality: She is from Japan.

We’re using a Canadian recipe.People cooking.

Canada

Country of origin: it is from Canada.

They bought a Victorian house.Two people standing in front of the house they have bought.

Victoria

From the time period when Queen Victoria reigned.

He has Herculean strength.A person pointing to another person holding a piano in the air.

Hercules

It required great effort and strength. A reference to Hercules in Greek mythology.
(Greek → from Greece)

Title (level 3)
For Advanced Users: Compound Adjectives
Title slug (identifier)
for-advanced-users-compound-adjectives
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Title
Compound Adjectives
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Corps

Compound adjectives are a combination of 2 or more words used to describe or modify the same noun.
 

Hyphens (-) in compound adjectives:

Examples:

placed before a noun

It is a long-term plan.
It was a well-planned project.

placed after a noun

X

The plan is long term.
The project was well planned.

formed with an adverb ending in -ly

X

It was an expertly planned project.
The project was expertly planned.

Title (level 3)
Compound Adjective Formation
Corps

Formation

Examples

Making compound adjectives using an adjective and a noun.

last-minute
large-scale
short-hair

There are always last-minute
preparations.
I love large-scale sculptures.
She likes short-hair brushes better.

Making compound adjectives using two adjectives.

white-hot
top-right
blue-grey

Be careful: The lamp is white-hot.
The paper is on the top-right shelf.
He took my blue-grey marker.

Making compound adjectives using an adjective and a present participle.

good-looking
fast-drying
soft-shimmering

What a good-looking portrait!
Yayoi chose a fast-drying paint.
It gives it a soft-shimmering effect.

Making compound adjectives using an adjective and a past participle.

old-fashioned
best-known
long-awaited

Ushio uses old-fashioned canvases.
He is best-known for his abstract works.
I can’t wait to see his long-awaited show. 

Making compound adjectives using an adverb and a present participle.

never-ending
hard-working
rather-interesting

Skill improvement is a never-ending journey.
They are hard-working students.
Some of them have rather-interesting ideas.

Making compound adjectives using an adverb and a present participle.

almost-completed
much-needed
well-known

I have a few almost-completed pieces.
After the show, I’ll take a much-needed vacation.
Maybe I’ll become a well-known artist.

Making compound adjectives using a number and a noun.

five-star
two-month
thousand-word

We went to a five-star restaurant.
There was a two-month wait before getting a table.
I wrote a thousand-word review.

Making compound adjectives using a noun and an adjective.

world-famous
jet-black
brand-new

They met a world-famous painter.
I was surprised by his jet-black moustache.
He was also wearing brand-new sunglasses.

Making compound adjectives using a noun and a present participle.

ground-breaking
time-consuming
Japanese-speaking

The installation uses ground-breaking technology.
Building it was a time-consuming process.
Hopefully, there was a Japanese-speaking technician to translate the instructions for us.

Making compound adjectives using a noun and a past participle.

water-soaked
hand-made
creativity-oriented

She tried the water-soaked paper method.
The hand-made paper worked well.
She loves creativity-oriented experiments.

Making compound adjectives using two nouns.

part-time
cotton-candy
cookie-cutter

I have a part-time job in a t-shirt printing shop.
We used a lot of cotton-candy pink dye.
It isn’t a cookie-cutter production: everything is handmade.

Content
Corps

Compound adjectives using an adverb ending in -ly do not take a hyphen.

Forms

Examples:

Making compound adjectives with adverbs ending in -ly.

completely new
expertly built
highly entertaining

Yayoi has a completely new studio.
It is an expertly built workshop.
She said it is a highly entertaining place.

Title
Compound Adjectives—Exercise
Largeur de l'exercice
720
Hauteur de l'exercice
720
Title (level 2)
See Also
Title slug (identifier)
see-also
Contenu
Links
Contenu
Contenu
Title
The Real-Life Yayoi
Content
Corps

Yayoi, the character used in the examples, was inspired by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. To learn more about her colourful life and work, visit the Yayoi Kusama Museum website.

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