Recognising and Placing Adjectives in Sentences

What is an adjective? 

An adjective is a describing word. It is used to describe nouns. The function of adjectives is to modify the noun. These can be concrete or abstract nouns. 

• They say that love(n) is blind(adj).
• My workplace(n) has been busy(adj).
• English(adj) grammar(n) can be difficult(adj).

Recognising adjectives

Here are some ways you can identify an adjective in a sentence:

Find adjectives based on their position in a sentence

Look for a describing word that is placed either before or after a noun.

Examples:

• The ginger(adj) cat(n) strolled leisurely into the kitchen.
• The early(adj) bird(n) catches the worm. 
• John(n), groggy and bleary-eyed(adj), fumbled with the coffee machine. 

Also, look for describing words that come after verbs. 

Examples:

• She seems(v) happy(adj). Your nails are(v) long(adj).
• Look for comparative phrases
• Often, adjectives will be used to compare two things. 

Examples:

• It’s a shame she thinks everyone(n) is prettier(adj) than her(n).
• The countryside(n) is quieter(adj) than the city(n).

Look for common suffixes

Suffixes – the endings of words – are another way to spot adjectives.

Examples:

• -ful
• -some
• -ous
• -ive