Adjective for Class 9

What are Adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns (people, places, or things) by providing more information about their qualities, characteristics, or attributes. Adjectives help to make your writing more detailed and vivid by adding depth to your descriptions.

Example: The meticulous scientist conducted a series of innovative experiments to unravel the complexities of quantum mechanics.

In the above-mentioned sentence, “meticulous” is an adjective which is modifying the noun “scientist”.

Types of Adjectives

Adjectives can be classified into several types based on the kind of information they convey. Let’s understand them in detail:

1. Adjective of Quality

This type of adjective describes the inherent characteristics or qualities of a noun. They provide information about the specific features or attributes of the noun they modify. These adjectives help to answer the question "What kind?" or "What is it like?"

Examples:

→ The ancient, mysterious artefact held secrets that baffled even the most experienced archaeologists.
→ Despite facing numerous challenges, the resilient community emerged stronger than ever.
→ The night sky was adorned with countless luminous stars, creating a breathtaking celestial display.
→ As the Sun set, a melancholic melody played, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing.
→ The chef prepared an exquisite dish, combining rare ingredients to create a culinary masterpiece.
→ Her mellifluous voice captivated the entire audience, leaving them in awe.
→ The jeweller showcased a collection of pristine diamonds, each flawless and brilliant.

2. Proper Adjective

This type of adjective is derived from a proper noun. It provides more information about a noun by drawing on characteristics or qualities associated with a specific proper noun. Proper adjectives are always capitalised because they are derived from proper nouns, which are specific names of people, places, or things.

Examples:

→ The sophisticated cuisine and exquisite art of the French people are renowned worldwide.
→ The bustling streets of Tokyo are filled with the energy of the Tokyoite population.
→ Climbing Mount Everest is a dream for many adventurous souls seeking the ultimate Everestian challenge.
→ The rhythmic beats of Spanish music and the passionate dance of flamenco are integral parts of the culture.
→ The serene beaches and vibrant traditions make Hawaiian vacations truly unforgettable experiences.

3. Adjective of Number

This type of adjective indicates how many or in what order a noun appears in a sequence. It provides information about the quantity or order of a noun.

Examples:

→ The committee selected five candidates for the final interview.
→ The company plans to launch twelve new products next year.
→ The recipe requires adding sugar in double the quantity of flour.
→ The population of the city increased threefold in the last decade.
→ We have completed only one-fourth of the project so far.
→ The company experienced a 50% increase in sales this quarter.
→ Please turn to page eighty-seven in your textbooks.
→ The software comes with version 2.5 with several new features.

4. Demonstrative Adjective

These types of adjectives are words that modify nouns by indicating which one(s) the speaker is referring to. There are four demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, and those.

Examples:

→ This intricate piece of art, with its delicate brushstrokes and vibrant colours, is a testament to the artist's extraordinary talent.
→ That enigmatic smile on her face hinted at a secret only she knew, leaving everyone around her curious and intrigued.
→ These rare gems, with their flawless clarity and unique cuts, are highly sought after by collectors from around the world.
→ Those ancient ruins, standing stoically against the test of time, tell a compelling story of a civilisation long forgotten.

5. Distributive Adjective

This type of adjective refers to each item in a group or every member of a set individually, rather than the group as a whole. It helps in distributing or identifying individual elements within a larger collection.

Examples:

→ The curious children asked insightful questions during the science experiment.
→ The skilled musicians played their instruments flawlessly.
→ The enthusiastic employees participated actively in the team-building activities.
→ The adventurous travellers explored different cultures during their journey.
→ The enthusiastic fans cheered for their favourite team passionately.
→ The disciplined soldiers followed their orders precisely.
→ The creative artists showcased their individual styles in the exhibition.

6. Interrogative Adjective

This type of adjective modifies nouns and is used to ask questions about those nouns. The most common interrogative adjectives are "which," "what," and "whose."

Examples:

→ Which book do you think is the most challenging to read among the novels on the shelf?
→ Which movie did you watch last night that kept you up until the early hours of the morning?
→ The detective is trying to determine whose fingerprints were found at the crime scene.
→ Which route should we take to avoid heavy traffic during rush hour?
→ The teacher asked, "Can you identify what type of rock this is in our geology lesson today?"
→ What strategy did the military adopt to secure the victory in the complex battle?
→ Which countries have the highest rates of renewable energy consumption?

7. Adjective of Quantity

This type of adjective is used to indicate the extent or measure of a noun. It provides information about the quantity or number of the noun it modifies.

Examples:

→ I have attended several workshops on artificial intelligence.
→ We need more volunteers for the upcoming event.
→ The store has a limited stock of the latest smartphones.
→ I have made some progress on my research paper.
→ She owns several pieces of antique furniture.
→ She has all the necessary qualifications for the job.

8. Possessive Adjective

This type of adjective demonstrates ownership or possession. They are used to indicate to whom or to what something belongs. In English, the possessive adjectives are: "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their."

Examples:

→ His diplomatic skills were evident in the negotiation process.
→ Their innovative approach to problem-solving set a new standard in the industry.
→ My sister's exceptional talent in mathematics earned her a scholarship.
→ Your dedication to the project resulted in its success.
→ The company celebrated its employees' achievements with a grand ceremony.
→ Our team's collaborative efforts were key to the project's timely completion.
→ The professor appreciated Jack's insightful analysis of the literature.
→ The committee made its decision after careful consideration of all the evidence.

Order of Adjective

The order of adjectives refers to the specific sequence in which adjectives are placed when describing a noun.

Important Rules on Adjectives

→ Adjectives of quantity like much, little, enough, sufficient, whole, must be used with uncountable nouns only as they express quantity and not number.
→ Few, a few and the few are used with countable nouns whereas little, a little and the little are used with uncountable nouns.
→ Adjectives of number should be used with countable nouns only and not with uncountable nouns because they indicate number rather than quantity.
→ Some words like superior, senior, junior, inferior, prior, anterior, exterior, posterior, are followed by “to” and not by “than”.
→ Double comparatives are not used in a sentence.
→ When comparing two things, the comparative degree must be used, and the superlative degree must be used when comparing more than two things.
→ When comparing two qualities of the same person or thing, the comparative ending in “er” is not used. In that case, we would put “more” before the adjective.
→ ‘Less’ denotes quantity and “fewer” denotes number.
→ We do not use comparative or superlative degrees with some adjectives such as unique, complete, round, perfect, ideal, full, chief, extreme, infinite, entire, etc.
→ When two things of the same class are compared using ‘any’, then one thing is excluded from the other using “other”.
→ “Some” is used in affirmative sentences and “any” is used in negative and interrogative sentences.