Adjectives

Function: The function of an adjective is to modify a noun or noun phrase.

Activity 10.2: Forms of Adjectives

Exercise 2: Select each adjective in the sentences below. Thinking in terms of morphology and syntax; how would you describe their forms.

Forms of Adjectives

There are several morphological features you may have noticed in looking at the sentences above. First, adjectives can take inflectional suffixes comparative –er (as in muddier) or the superlative –est (as in muddiest). Some adjectives take more for the comparative and most for the superlative, however, a feature that will warrant further study! Some adjectives can be identified by their derivational suffixes, like –y, -ous, -less, -able, etc. Others can be identified by adding –ly onto them. Without –ly, the words are adjectives, with –ly the words become adverbs.

Sentence structure can help us identify adjectives, too. Some adjectives can take a degree adverb in front, e.g. very, but this doesn’t work for every adjective, another interesting feature that warrants further study. Adjectives can be found in two locations in regard to the nouns they modify. They can be located in front of the noun within the same noun phrase as the noun they are modifying. This is called the attributive position. Adjectives can also be located in the predicate as a subject complement or as an object complement.

Activity 10.3: Subcategories of Adjectives

Look at the list of adjectives that you found in both exercise 1 and exercise 2 above. Group them here according to which can have –er and –est and which ones can have more and most.

Drag each adjective below the correct label.

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