Skip to main content

Adjectives: Identifying Adjectives

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that modify nouns and pronouns by answering one of these three questions: What kind is it? How many are there? Which one is it? To modify means to make it more specific or change it slightly. An adjective can be a single word, a phrase, or a clause. Let’s look at some examples:

What kind is it?

Striped shirt

Blue earrings

New car

Hot weather

How many are there?

One turkey burger

One hundred beads

Several friends

Many insects

Which one is it?

Every page

Any piece

Framed picture

This elephant

Adjectives can appear before or after the nouns or pronouns that they modify.

Example:

The little girl saw a smiling face.

Little modifies girl and smiling modifies face. 

She was happy and talkative.

Happy and talkative modifies the pronoun "she."