The adjectives

What are adjectives?

Adjectives tell us something about a person or a thing.

What do adjectives modify?

Adjectives can modify nouns or pronouns/names.

Where do adjectives go?

An adjective can be put before the noun. Then it is an attribute.

An adjective can be put after the verb to be (is). This is called a predicative position.

Adjectives can go after the following verbs:

• appear
• become
• feel
• get
• go
• keep
• turn

When we speak about what something looks like, smells, sounds, and tastes – we use the adjective. Mind the difference between adjectives and adverbs.

• I _feel _great.
• She _looks _good.
• It _seems _impossible.
• The steak _smells _fantastic.

Can adjectives be used without nouns?

Yes, adjectives can be used without nouns. Mind the definite article the:

• the rich = rich people

Here is an example from the fairy tale Cinderella:

• “The good must be put in the dish, the bad you may eat if you wish.”

Here is another example with nationalities in the plural:

• The Scottish live in the North of the United Kingdom.

Adjectives, ending in -ing and -ed

Here are some examples:

Here the adjective is put before the noun:

• Yesterday I read an amusing **_story _**in a magazine.
• Doris has a boring job.
• We watched the group of excited people.

Here the adjective is put after the verb:

• I **_was _**not at all amused by the discussion.
• Children _get _bored very quickly.
• The end of the film **_was _**really exciting for me.