Functions of adjectives

Function of Adjectives

An adjective modifies nouns or pronouns. We use adjective to describe a person, place, or thing.

Describe feelings or qualities:

Examples

  • He is a lonely man
  • They are honest people

Express a judgement or a value:

Examples

  • A fantastic film
  • Grammar is boring.

Tell us about size and measurement:

Examples

  • John tall man.
  • This is a very long film.

Tell us about age:

Examples

  • He's young man
  • My coat is very old

Tell us about temperature :

Examples

  • This tea is very hot.
  • The weather is so cold.

Tell us about shape:

Examples

  • A rectangular box
  • A square envelope

Tell us about colour:

Examples

  • Paul wore a red shirt.
  • The sunset was crimson and gold.

Give nationality or origin:

Examples

  • Pierre is French
  • This clock is German
  • Our house is Victorian

Tell more about a thing's characteristics:

Examples

  • A wooden table.
  • The knife is sharp.

Tell us about material/what something is made of:

Examples

  • It was a wooden table
  • She wore a cotton dress

 Adjectives Answer Questions

Adjectives serve another important role: they answer questions like, "Which one?" "How many?" and "What kind?"
You can see how they do this job in the following examples:

Examples

  • Which cat did you see? It was the grey cat.
  • What kind of potatoes did you buy? I bought red potatoes.
  • How many cars were in the parking lot? There were few cars.
  • How many people like ice cream? Most people like ice cream.
  • Which spoon did you use to stir the soup? I used the wooden spoon.
  • What kind of coffee do you like? I like black coffee.