ADJECTIVES Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns only They

ADJECTIVES Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns only! They answer one of four questions about the noun/pronoun it is modifying (describing): *What kind? (new car) *Which one? (this song) *How many? (one hamburger) *How much? (little rain) They usually come directly before the noun they are modifying. Occasionally they may come after.

Examples: Name the adjectives in the following sentences: 1. We heard a loud, high-pitched scream come from the haunted house. 2. The small children are happy and talkative. 3. The sleek, red convertible raced down the long, winding road. Practice pg. 337 ex. 1 (end)

ARTICLES The, a, & an ---Articles are adjectives!! * They answer the question Which one? about the noun * They always come before the noun * There are two types of articles: 1. Definite = (the) a specific person, place, or thing example: the puppy, the birthday cake 2. Indefinite = (a, an) points out a type of noun but not a specific one example: a bird, an old sweatshirt o Use a before consonant sounds, not letters! example: a yellow hat, a unicorn o Use an before vowel sounds, not letters! example: an old shoe, an honest person Practice pg. 339 ex. 2 (end)

USING NOUNS AS ADJECTIVES Nouns can sometimes be used as adjectives. o o They come directly before the noun they modify. They answer the question What kind? or Which one? Shoe (noun) -- a shoe salesperson (used as an adjective) Team (noun) -- the team room (used as an adjective) Duck (noun) -- the duck population (used as an adjective) Examples: 1. The dog hair was stuck to my coat. 2. The deer population is increasing. Practice pg. 340 ex. 3

PROPER ADJECTIVES * They begin with a capital letter * There are two types: 1. A proper noun used as an adjective (does NOT change its form) examples: Florida wetland, December weather 2. An adjective is formed from a proper noun (the noun DOES change its form) examples: American history (from America), Italian bread (from Italy) Example: The German cake my mother baked was delicious! Practice pg. 341 (end)

USING COMPOUND ADJECTIVES * Compound adjectives are made up of more than 1 word * Most are written as hyphenated words examples: a well-known actress, a full-time job * Some are written as combined words examples: a heavyweight boxer, a freshwater lake ** If you are unsure, look in dictionary!** Example: After the accident, the oil-covered highway slowed traffic for hours. (end)

USING POSSESSIVE NOUNS AND PRONOUNS AS ADJECTIVES Possessive nouns: function as adjectives when they modify a noun. Be sure to use an apostrophe! *Mr. Smith’s property (singular) *The students’ lockers (plural ending in s) *The children’s books (plural not ending in s) Personal pronouns can also act as possessive adjectives. NO apostrophe! *My, your, his, her, its, our, and their are adjectives because they are used before nouns and answer the question “Which one? ” *They are also pronouns because they have antecedents. Make sure they agree in gender and number! (singular vs. plural)

Examples: 1. The unknown student forgot his or her book in the classroom. 2. The students forgot their books in the classroom. 3. Theresa forgot her book in the classroom. Practice pg. 344 (end)

DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES The only demonstrative adjectives are: this, that, these, those *They point out nouns and come directly before the noun they are modifying. examples: That author writes excellent books. These flowers are beautiful! *Do not get confused with demonstrative pronouns! Pronouns replace nouns; adjectives describe nouns. examples: We saw that. (pronoun) We saw that show. (adjective) What are these? (pronoun) What are these flowers? (adjective)

Examples: Find the demonstrative word AND decide if it is being used as an adjective or pronoun. 1. I learned that last year. 2. I did well on this test. 3. Those flowers are called tulips. 4. These are mine. Practice pg. 345

INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES The only interrogative adjectives are: which, what, and whose *They must come directly before the noun they are modifying. examples: Which book are you going to read? Whose jacket was left in our car? *Again, be careful not to get confused with pronouns that actually take the place of the noun. examples: Which do you think he will choose? Whose can that be?

Examples: Find the interrogative word AND decide if it is being used as an adjective or pronoun. 1. What do you want? 2. What pages do we have to read for homework? 3. Whose dog is that running in the park? 4. Which is yours? Practice pg. 346