Grammar

Adjectives and Adverbs:The Basics

Adjective - Definition

•An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun by limiting its meaning.

Adjectives: Function• A word is functioning as an adjective if it tells

What kind Which one How many How much

Nouns and pronouns can function as adjectives!

Adjectives: Practice

• Apple– What kind?– Which one?– How many?

• Water– What kind?– Which one?– How much?

• Which one:– Possessive pronouns

(my, yours, hers, etc.)– Possessive nouns (Lucy’s,

students’, America’s)– Demonstrative adjective

(that, those, this, these)

• Countable nouns are how many

• Uncountable nouns are how much

Adjective or noun?

Nouns can function as adjectives:

– I want to paint the kitchen red this time..– I opened the can of red paint and saw that it was

the wrong shade

• Pronouns can function as adjectives:– That book, this school, these students, those

shoes

Adverbs

• An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb by making its meaning more specific.• Adverbs almost always end in

“ly” – but not all the time.

Adverbs: Function• A word is functioning as an adverb if it tells

WhenWhereHow

To what degree

Negative words are adverbs!

Adverbs: Examples

• Modify verbs:– Never swim alone.

• Modify adjectives:– The movie was very scary and too long.

• Modify adverbs:– She almost always waited quite patiently.

Adverbs: a short list

To what degree?• Very• Quite• Almost• Somewhat• A little• Too• Really

When?• Yesterday• Now• Later• Early• Again• Often• Already

Where?• here• there• nowhere• anywhere• somewhere

Write each adjective OR adverb.Identify it and the word it modifies.

1. The wolverine is a large, ferocious animal.

2. The book looks really interesting, but it is too long for me to read in just one week.

3. The flowers are amazingly beautiful in Aunt Chelsea’s vase.

4. Yesterday, Marcus was not paying very close attention, and he fell sound asleep at his desk during math class.

5. I thought this sweater belonged to Toni, but now I think it’s really your sweater.