#15. English Grammar Web: The Adjective and its all Forms and Functions in Language

Lesson No:15 

An Adjective and its types, forms and functions

An adjective is a word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun in a sentence. Adjectives can add information about size, shape, color, age, personality, and many other qualities of the noun they modify.

Adjectives have three forms in English: Positive, Comparative and Superlative.

1. Positive Form: The basic form of the adjective, used to describe a noun. For example, "The big dog."

2. Comparative Form: Used to compare two things and indicate a difference between them. The comparative form is usually formed by adding "-er" to the end of the adjective or by using the word "more" before the adjective. For example, "The dog is bigger than the cat." or "The dog is more energetic than the cat."

3. Superlative Form: Used to describe the highest degree of comparison between three or more things. The superlative form is usually formed by adding "-est" to the end of the adjective or by using the word "most" before the adjective. For example, "The dog is the biggest of all." or "The dog is the most energetic of all."

The main function of adjectives is to modify or describe nouns or pronouns in a sentence. Adjectives can provide additional information about the noun they modify, allowing for more precise and vivid description. They can also create comparisons and provide a sense of degree.

For example, "The small, brown dog barked loudly." In this sentence, the adjectives "small" and "brown" modify the noun "dog" and provide additional information about its size and color. The adjective "loudly" modifies the verb "barked" and provides a sense of degree.

The Present and Past Participle Adjectives:

A participle is a form of a verb that can be used as an adjective in a sentence. There are two main types of participles in English: present participles and past participles.

1. Present Participle: The present participle is formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of a verb. It can be used as an adjective to describe the noun it modifies and to show ongoing or incomplete action. For example, "The singing bird" where "singing" is a present participle that modifies the noun "bird" and describes its action.

2. Past Participle: The past participle is formed by adding "-ed" to regular verbs and by using various forms for irregular verbs. It can be used as an adjective to describe the noun it modifies and to show completed action. For example, "The broken vase" where "broken" is a past participle that modifies the noun "vase" and describes its state.

Both present and past participles can be used to modify nouns or pronouns in a sentence, and they can provide additional information about the noun they modify. They can also be used in perfect tenses to show the relationship between the verb and the noun in a sentence.

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