Common Adjectives

An adjective modifies a noun (a person, place, or thing) and tells "which one," "what kind," or "how many." Adjectives are italicized in this sentence:

That elderly woman caught six trout.

In the sentence above, the adjectives that and elderly modify the noun woman, and the adjective six modifies the noun trout. That tells "which one," elderly tells "what kind," and six tells "how many."

The most frequently used adjectives are the "articles" a, an, and the.

A boy eating an apple sat in the tree.

An adjective can be common or proper. Common adjectives are formed from common nouns and are not capitalized.

Adjectives are italicized in the sentences below:

1. Strong sentences contain precise words.
2. On rainy or windy days, we wear hooded jackets.
3. Do you like long, weekly meetings?
4. Sickly animals need healthful foods and protective care.
5. Do political speeches inform wise voters?
6. Following easy instructions, he assembles comfortable furniture.
7. I wish you peaceful slumber. 
8. Helpful friends gave valuable advice.
9. Dreadful nightmares can follow frightful movies.
10. Playful puppies make lovable pets.
    

Examples 1

Write each adjective from the following sentences:

1. Excessive pollen gives me watery eyes.
2. Do shadowy characters never live in attractive homes?
3. I might consider reasonable excuses for weak performance.
4. Brilliant sunshine pours over beautiful meadows.
5. Does she not give fiery speeches?
   

Solutions

We identify the adjectives:

1. Excessive pollen gives me watery eyes.
2. Do shadowy characters never live in attractive homes?
3. I might consider reasonable excuses for weak performance.
4. Brilliant sunshine pours over beautiful meadows.
5. Does she not give fiery speeches?
   

Overused Adjectives

Sometimes, we find ourselves using the same adjective over and over again. We try to choose vivid and accurate adjectives. Common adjectives that people use too often are the following:

While there is nothing wrong with the adjectives above, we should try to use more specific or interesting ones if we can. We can consult a dictionary or thesaurus for more choices.

• WEAK: It was a great story.
• BETTER: It was a thrilling (or moving, stimulating, breathtaking, exciting, hilarious, hair-raising) story.

• WEAK: He is a nice uncle.
• BETTER: He is a kind (or gracious, generous, warmhearted, loving, jovial, friendly) uncle.

• WEAK: Martha's mood was fine.
• BETTER: Martha was in an upbeat (or energetic, elated, fantastic, cheerful, happy, optimistic, hopeful) mood.