adjective

> adjective
A word that describes or gives information about a noun or pronoun. It is said to qualify a noun or pronoun since it limits the word it describes in some way, by making it more specific. Thus, adding the adjective "red" to "book" limits "book", since it means we can forget about books of any other colour. Similarly, adding "large" to "book" limits it, since it means we can forget about books of any other size.
Adjectives tell us something about the colour, size, number, quality or classification of a noun or pronoun, as in "purple curtains", "jet-black hair", "bluish eyes"; "tiny baby", "large houses", "biggish gardens", "massive estates"; five children", "twenty questions", "seventy-five books"; "sad people", "joyful occasions", "delicious food", "civil engineering", "nuclear physics", "modern languages", "Elizabethan drama".
Several adjectives may modify one noun or pronoun, as in "the small, black cat", "an enormous, red-brick, Victorian house". The order in which they appear is flexible and can vary according to the emphasis one wishes to place on the various adjectives. However, a common sequence is size, quality, colour and classification, as in "a small, beautiful, pink wild rose" and "a large, ugly, grey office building".
Adjectives do not change their form. They remain the same whether the noun to which they refer is singular or plural, or masculine or feminine.
All the above examples of adjectives come before the noun, but not all adjectives do so. For information on the position of adjectives see PREDICATIVE ADJECTIVE, POST-MODIFIER.
Many adjectives are formed from either the past participles of verbs, and so end in -ed, or from the present participles and so end in -ing. Examples of adjectives ending in -ed include "annoyed", "blackened", "coloured", "damaged", "escaped", "fallen", "guarded", "heated", "identified", "jailed", "knotted", "labelled", "mixed", "numbered", "opened", "pleated", "recorded", "satisfied", "taped", "used", "varied", "walled", "zoned". Examples of adjectives ending in -ing include "amusing", "boring", "captivating", "demanding", "enchanting", "fading", "grating", "horrifying", "identifying", "jarring", "kneeling", "labouring", "manufacturing", "nursing", "operating", "parting", "quivering", "racing", "satisfying", "telling", "undermining", "worrying", "yielding".
Several adjectives end in -ical and are formed by adding -al to certain nouns ending in -ic. Examples include "arithmetical", "comical", "critical", "cynical", "fanatical", "logical", "magical", "musical", "mystical" and "sceptical". Sometimes the adjectives ending in -ical are formed from nouns that end in -ics. These include "acoustical", "ethical", "hysterical", "statistical" and "tropical". Several adjectives end in -ic and are formed from nouns ending in -ics. These include "acoustic", "acrobatic", "aerobic", "athletic", "economic", "electronic", "genetic", "gymnastic", "histrionic" and "linguistic".
Other common adjectival endings include -ful, as in "beautiful", "dreadful", "eventful", "graceful", "hateful", "tearful" and "youthful". They also include -less, as in "clueless", "graceless", "hatless", "meaningless" and "sunless".
Many adjectives end in -able and many end in -ible. There are often spelling problems with such adjectives. The following adjectives are likely to be misspelt:
Some adjectives ending in -able:
abominable, acceptable, adaptable, adorable, advisable, agreeable, amiable, approachable, available.
bearable, bearable, beatable, believable, blameable.
calculable, capable, changeable, comfortable, commendable, conceivable.
definable, delectable, demonstrable, dependable, desirable, discreditable, disreputable, durable, durable.
enviable, excitable, excusable, expendable.
foreseeable, forgettable, forgivable, healable, hearable.
immovable, impassable, impeccable, implacable, impracticable, impressionable, indescribable, indispensable, inimitable, insufferable.
lamentable, manageable, measurable, memorable, nameable, non-flammable, objectionable, operable.
palpable, pleasurable, preferable, readable, recognizable, regrettable, renewable, reputable.
sizeable, stoppable, tenable, tolerable, transferable, understandable, unmistakable, usable.
variable, viable, washable, wearable, winnable, workable.
Some adjectives ending in -ible:
accessible, admissible, audible, collapsible, combustible, compatible, comprehensible, contemptible, credible, defensible, destructible, digestible, discernible, divisible, edible, exhaustible, expressible, fallible, feasible, flexible, forcible, gullible, indelible, intelligible, irascible, negligible, perceptible, permissible, possible, repressible, reproducible, resistible, responsible, reversible, risible, sensible, susceptible, tangible, visible.
See also COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES, COMPOUNDS, DEMONSTRATIVE DETERMINERS, DETERMINER, FIRST PERSON, INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVE, SECOND PERSON and THIRD PERSON.