1. Types of Adjectives

Here are the different types of adjectives : descriptive adjectives, adjectives of quantity, demonstrative adjectives, and possessive adjectives. Among them, descriptive adjectives are probably the most common.

Descriptive adjectives

Among the different types of adjectives, descriptive adjectives ( careless, black, small, long, fat, English, Mediterranean, three-cornered ) are the most numerous . Remember that adjectives modify or describe nouns only and not verbs. Adjectives describe nouns that refer to action ( kind act, hard work); state that comes after linking verbs (feel tired , was excited ), or quality ( strong wind, sad story).

Descriptive adjectives describe nouns that refer to action, state, or quality ( careless, dangerous, excited, sad, black, white, big, small, long, fat, English, Mediterranean, three-cornered ) .

Examples:

dangerous chemicals
green vegetables
a square box
a big nose
a tall tree
a cold morning
a powerful motorbike
English language
Mediterranean countries

Adjectives of quantity

An adjective of quantity tells us the� number ( how many ) or� amount ( how much ) of a� noun. But it doesn't say exactly how many or how much.

Examples:

He has eaten three apples.
I don't have enough girlfriends.
They brought along a few sandwiches.
There is only one little book on the bookshelf.
There are some birds in that tree.
We have much wine for the guests. .
Why does a centipede has many legs? .

Demonstrative adjective

A demonstrative adjective comes before a noun to specifically state the noun is being referred to. For example, “ this house is not occupied” refers to this house and not the house next to it or another house which necessitates the use of the other demonstrative adjective that . Similarly, “ this ball with colorful polka dots is not the ball with colorful patches.

There are four words that are commonly used as demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those. We use this and that with nouns to show the nouns are singular (this/that computer = one computer) and these and those with nouns to show they are plural (these/those ants = more than one ant.)

A singular noun that is nearby, for example, would be referred to using “this.” A singular noun that is far away is “that.” A plural noun close at hand is “these,” and a plural noun in the distance is “those.” The following might be helpful to students who are learning their demonstratives:

This

it indicates a singular noun that is nearby.
That : it indicates a singular noun that is far away.
These : it indicates a plural noun that is nearby.
Those : it indicates a plural noun that is in the distance.

Examples:

This dog has no tail.
That piece of the jigsaw is still missing.
These slippers are worn indoors.
Those smelly socks are not mine.

There are other demonstrative adjectives that are expressed in more than a word: the former, the latter, the one, the other.

Examples:

His former girlfriend has returned to him.
We will move to a new house in the latter half of the year.
On the one hand he wants to start his own business, but on the other hand he likes his well-paid job managing a business at present.

� Demonstrative adjectives should not be confused with demonstrative pronouns. Whether they are demonstrative adjectives or demonstrative pronouns depends on how they are used in a sentence. One way to distinguish between them is that demonstrative pronouns are not used before a noun. Instead, they are used by themselves in place of a noun.

Possessive adjectives

A possessive adjective, also called a possessive determiner, expresses possession of a noun by someone or something by modifying the noun. Possessive adjectives are the same as possessive pronouns. All the possessive adjectives are listed in the following table:

Possessive adjectives
Singular	Plural
my	our
your	your
his	their
her	their
its	their

Examples of possessive adjectives

Examples:

I spent my afternoon painting the toilet.
This must be your missing pencil.
His arms have a few tattoos.
Our grandmothers were classmates.