Basic Details
Word: Adjectival
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Relating to an adjective, or doing the job of an adjective by describing a noun.
How to Spell Adjectival
Syllables: ad - jec - ti - val
Tricky part: The final e of adjective disappears before al: adjectival, not adjectiveal. The d before the j is silent and often forgotten.
Watch out for: ajectival, adjectivel, adjectiveal
Memory tip: Write adjective, rub out its e, then add al. Keep the d: adjective, adjust and adjacent all begin with adj, and so does adjectival.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In the house on the hill, the words on the hill form an adjectival phrase.
Example 2: Our grammar book has a whole chapter on adjectival clauses.
Example 3: Ms Rao circled every adjectival phrase in my essay in green ink.
Fun Fact
Nouns can be adjectival too. In a cricket bat, cricket is a noun, but here it does an adjective's work by telling you what kind of bat it is.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. dictionery 2. adjectival 3. synonim 4. vocabulery
a) a word that means the same as another word
b) working as or relating to an adjective
c) a book that lists words and their meanings
d) all the words a person knows or uses
Show answer
b) working as or relating to an adjective. Vocabulary and dictionary end in -ary and synonym has a y, so adjectival is the only correct one.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
a_jecti_al
a) g, v
b) d, v
c) d, f
d) b, v
Show answer
b) d, v. It keeps the silent d of adjective and the v that ended adjective before its e was dropped.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
In The tall girl smiled, the word tall has an iaeclajdtv role.
a) adjectives
b) adjustable
c) adjective
d) adjectival
Show answer
d) adjectival. The letters include an l and two a's but no s, which only adjectival uses.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In the phrase the girl with long hair, the words with long hair are adjectival because they ____.
a) describe the girl
b) join two sentences
c) tell us when
d) show an action
Show answer
a) describe the girl
2. Adjectival is to adjective as ____ is to adverb.
a) adverbial
b) adverbal
c) adverbs
d) advertise
Show answer
a) adverbial
