DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES

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V. ADJECTIVES

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.  The man in the corner is reading an R. L. Stine’s novel.  What book are you reading?  Many people believe that workers in Indonesia are under-paid.

1. TYPES OF ADJECTIVE

A. DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

A descriptive adjective tells something about the nature of the noun they modify. It describes feeling, quality, origin, age, size, colour, shape, condition, material, and the like.  The widower is a lonely man.  They are honest people  Pierre is French  The new president of the United States is a young man.  Paul wore a red shirt.

B. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

A possessive adjective is similar or identical to a possessive pronoun; however, it is used as an adjective and modifies a noun or a noun phrase. The possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, its, our, your, and their.  That is his book and this is mine.  She will lend me her book if I lend her my dictionary.  They had submitted their final paper.

C. DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

The demonstrative adjectives this, these, that, and those are identical to the demonstrative pronouns, but are used as adjectives to modify nouns or noun phrases. 28  Who owns that house?  This car looks much cleaner than those ones.  Do you remember that wonderful day in June?

D. INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES

An interrogative adjective is like an interrogative pronoun, except that it modifies a noun or noun phrase rather than standing on its own. The interrogative adjectives are what, which, and whose.  Which books have you read?  What movies do you like the most?  Whose bag is this?

E. INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES

An indefinite adjective gives indefinite or general information. Often, it answers the question How manymuch? It is similar to an indefinite pronoun, except that it modifies a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. Some indefinite adjectives can only go with either countable or non-countable nouns. Some other can be used with both countable and non-countable nouns, as seen in the table below: With non-countable nouns With non-countable and countable nouns With countable nouns Much - Many - All Both - Other Another A little Nonone A few A bit of Not any A number of - Some any Several A great deal of A lot of A large number of a large amount of Plenty of a great number of - Lots of - 29  Theres not much sugar in the cupboard.  There werent many people at the concert.  I had some rice for lunch.

F. DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES