Adjectives are those words that are used to describe or modify nouns or pronouns. An adjective can specify your writing by giving more information and more meaning to nouns or pronouns.

Learn about Adjectives

Some common examples of adjectives are listed below:

1. The red dress.

2. The beautiful dress.

3. The ugly dress.

4. The shiny dress.

5. The see-through dress.

6. The wet dress.

In the above examples, ‘red’, ‘beautiful’, ‘ugly’, ‘shiny’, ‘see-through’, and ‘wet’ are all adjectives because these words are modifying ‘the dress’ i.e. they are giving more information about ‘the dress’.

Furthermore, not all the adjectives come just before the nouns or pronouns.

For example,

1. That dress looks beautiful on you. 

2. The dress is ugly; please, don’t buy it.

In the above examples, you can see that the adjectives ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’ come after the link verbs i.e. ‘looks’ and ‘is’.

Types of Adjectives

Adjectives can be categorized into different types based on their function in a sentence:

• Descriptive Adjectives: These describe the qualities or characteristics of a noun. For example, beautiful in “a beautiful flower” or tall in “a tall building.”
• Quantitative Adjectives: These specify the quantity or amount of a noun, answering the question “how much” or “how many.” Examples include few, several, and many, as in “few students” or “many opportunities.”
• Demonstrative Adjectives: These point out specific nouns, showing which one(s) you’re referring to. Examples include this, that, these, and those. For example, “I like this car” or “Please bring those books.”
• Possessive Adjectives: These indicate ownership or possession. Common possessive adjectives include my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Example: “That’s my laptop.”
• Interrogative Adjectives: Used in questions, these modify nouns to ask about them. Examples include which, what, and whose, as in “Whose car is this?” or “Which color do you prefer?”
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: These are used to compare nouns. The comparative form compares two things (e.g., bigger, more beautiful), while the superlative form compares three or more things (e.g., biggest, most beautiful). Example: “John is taller than Mike” (comparative) and “Anna is the tallest in the class” (superlative).

Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause, also known as a relative clause, is a group of words that functions like an adjective, giving more information about a noun. These clauses usually begin with relative pronouns like who, that, or which.

For example:

• The man who is wearing a blue shirt is my uncle.
  In this sentence, the adjective clause “who is wearing a blue shirt” gives additional information about the noun “man.” The clause modifies the noun by specifying which man is being referred to.

Some Other Important Points

 If you will find any difficulties in identifying, there is trick for you. Most of the adjectives can be identified by their suffixes. Take a look at a few suffixes below,

1. –ar > spectacular
2. –al > manual
3. –ous > hazardous, dangerous
4. –ful > painful, beautiful
5. –ile > juvenile
6. –en > spoken, broken
7. –able > comfortable, loveable
8. –ish > freakish
9. –ive > objective
10. –less > careless
11. –ic > energetic
12. –some > awesome

•  Sometimes, you can also find out some adjectives that come after the noun. For example, ‘he customized his profile public.’

In the above example, ‘public’ is used as an adjective, which is modifying a ‘profile’ (which is a noun).

• Words like someone, something, etc are indefinite pronouns. These indefinite pronouns can also be modified but you have to remember one thing. In such cases, the adjectives should come after these pronouns. For example, ‘one day, you will find someone good in your life.’

What Did You Learn?

Adjectives are essential tools in language, adding depth, clarity, and richness to our communication. By modifying nouns and pronouns, they allow us to describe, compare, and specify with precision.

Understanding the types and how they function, whether on their own or in the form of adjective clauses, empowers us to express ourselves more vividly and accurately.

Alliteration is a literary device in which there is a repetition of the same sounds that occur within a series or within a sentence. The same sounds should be the initial sounds occur close together in a sentence.

For example,

1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

2. Luke Luck likes lakes.

3. Bobby Bippy bought a bat.

In the above examples, the initial sound of the letter ‘p’ in the first example, the initial sound of the letter ‘l’ in the second example, and the initial sound of the letter ‘b’ in the third example are creating the alliteration effect.

The above example sentences can also be named as ‘tongue twisters’ because tongue twisters are those sentences that are difficult to pronounce correctly. They are difficult because of their alliterative nature.

Check Out: What Is Analogy?

Examples of Tongue Twisters or Alliteration

1. She sells seashells on the sea shore.

2. The shells she sells are seashells for sure.

3. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

4. Red lorry, yellow lorry.

5. The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.

In alliteration, it is not necessary to have the same initial letter. In fact, the initial sound should be the same. For example,

• The cat’s kite cut down.

In the above example, the initial sounds of ‘c’ and ‘k’ are same, that is why this particular series can be alliterative.

Alliteration = Same Initial Sounds

Why Writers Use Tongue Twisters?

The first and foremost importance of alliteration is that it can create a great mood and rhythm within a text. Readers usually got attentive when this kind of alliteration occurs within a particular text.

When a writer wants to emphasize on something or wants to give a special effect on something, he/she can cleverly use this literary device. You can find out the use of alliteration in various poems. For instance, if a writer wants to give an effect of calmness, he/she can use an ‘H’ sound which is similar to hush.
Not only in poems, but writers do use this literary device in prose as well. For example,

• “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.”

The above example is taken from William Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’. You can see that the writer used alliteration with the initial sounds ‘f’ and ‘I’.

What Did You Learn?

It is concluded that alliteration is a literary device in which, mostly, there is a repetition of the same consonant sounds within a sentence. Writers use alliteration as a helpful tool to give emphasis or to give an effect on something. In poems, it is usually use for mood and rhythm.

In English grammar, an affix can be an additional word or an element that is attached to the beginning or to the end of a word. It is attached to the words in order to make a new word, or to modify the meaning of that word. There are two main types of affixes:

Let’s Learn All About An Affix

1. Prefixes
2. Suffixes

What is a Prefix?

A prefix is that kind of affix that is placed at the beginning of a word to change the meaning or to modify that word. Check out a few prefixes that are listed below;

• Non- (meaning ‘not’)
• Dis- (meaning ‘not’)
• Tri- (meaning ‘three’)
• Mis- (meaning ‘wrong’)
• Co- (meaning ‘with)
• Homo- (meaning ‘same’)
• Inter- (meaning ‘between’)
• Pre- (meaning ‘before’)
• Post- (meaning ‘after’)
• Super- (meaning ‘above’)
• Un- (meaning ‘not’)
• In- (meaning ‘into’)

What is a Suffix?

It is opposite of prefix. A suffix is that type of affix that is placed at the end of a word to change the meaning; to modify that word; or to make a new word. Check out a few suffixes that are listed below;

• -less (meaning ‘without’)
• -ful (meaning ‘full of’)
• -able (meaning ‘able to be’)
• -ation (meaning ‘process or action’)
• -ism (meaning ‘quality’)
• -ly (shows manner i.e. adverb ending)
• -ize (meaning ‘cause or become’)
• -er (meaning ‘a person who’)
• -ous (meaning ‘full of’)
• -ship (meaning ‘state of’)
• -ty (meaning ‘quality or state’)
• -wise (meaning ‘in what direction’)

Note: –ed, –ing, –ly, and –es are the four most common suffixes in English grammar.

Affixes in Example Sentences

1. She told me that she was used to be a misguided human being. (mis- is a prefix)

2. Please, don’t be so careless about your certificates. (-less is a suffix)

3. I am unable to reach there on time. (un- is a prefix)

4. She beautifully painted the whole scenery. (-ly is a suffix)

Affix in Famous Quotes

1. Professionalism is not sportsmanship. If you don’t succeed, you won’t be in your profession for long. In our society, it’s not about good or bad. It’s about who’s on top. (Chili Davis)

2. The port, the artist, the sleuth, whoever sharpens our perception tends to anti-social; rarely ‘well adjusted,’ he cannot go along with currents and trends. (Marshall McLuhan)

Note: Hyphenate those prefixes and suffixes when they do not give a proper meaning or when they do not make a proper word when attached to a particular word. For example, Neo-Stalinists, Afro-American, mayor-elect, etc.

Check Out: What Is An Allegory?

What Did You Learn?

An affix is used to refer such letters that are attached at the beginning or the end of a word in order to modify or to change the meaning of that word. Prefixes and suffixes are the two main types of an affix.

An adjective clause is a dependent clause. It means that these clauses do not stand alone. These clauses act just like simple adjectives i.e. they also tell us some information about the nouns.

As, you know that a clause does not have a single word. It means that an adjective clause consists of a few words that together tell us something about a noun.

You have to remember some points to identify adjective clauses.

• These clauses always start with a relative pronoun or a relative adverb. Relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, that, or which. Relative adverbs are when, where, or why.

• These clauses have a subject and a verb.

• Last but not the least, these clauses (like adjectives) tell us something about nouns.

For example,

1. The handmade bangles, which you like the most, are about to come in the upcoming event.

In the above example, the adjective clause is ‘…which you like the most…’

• This adjective clause is describing ‘the handmade bangles’, which is a noun.

• This clause starts with a relative pronoun ‘which’.

• It consists of a subject and a verb, ‘you like’.

Check Out: What Is a Clause?

Advantages of Adjective Clauses

The main advantage of such clauses is that they make your writing more descriptive. If you want to be briefer but comprehensive or you want to add further information related to noun, you can easily take advantage of such clauses.

For example,

1. Are you presenting the operation that my friend planned?

2. This is the studio where I had spent my most time.

Note the above examples. ‘…that my friend planned’ and ‘…where I had spent the most time’ are the clauses that are used to give more information about the nouns i.e. ‘the operation’ and ‘the studio’. The writers use such clauses to give a lot of information about nouns but in a few words. These few words can sum up the whole idea.

An Important Point

As you know that an adjective clause is a dependent clause so, it is very important to connect such a clause with an independent clause.

There are two types of adjective clauses.

1. Restrictive Adjective Clauses: These are such clauses that are used as to provide essential information. In this case, you do not need to set off commas around it.

2. Non-restrictive Adjective Clauses: These are such clauses that are used to provide additional information. If you remove such a clause from a sentence, you can easily get the idea. In this case, you have to set off commas around such clauses.

Examples,

1. The last dress in the cupboard, which is of blue colour, is not yours. (Non-restrictive clause)

2. The person who knows the situation will go with me. (Restrictive clause)

Comparison with Other Types of Clauses

Understanding how adjective clauses fit within the broader context of dependent clauses can enhance your grasp of sentence structure. Here’s a brief comparison with two other types of dependent clauses: adverbial clauses and noun clauses.

Adverbial Clauses

Adverbial clauses modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing information about how, when, where, why, or to what extent an action occurs. They often start with subordinating conjunctions like “because,” “although,” or “if.”

Example: “She left because it was late.” Here, the adverbial clause explains the reason for her departure.

Noun Clauses

Noun clauses function as subjects, objects, or complements in a sentence. They can replace a noun or a noun phrase and often begin with words like “that,” “what,” or “whether.”

Example: “What you said is true.” In this sentence, the noun clause acts as the subject, indicating that the statement made is true.

Adjective Clauses

In contrast, adjective clauses modify nouns and provide additional details about them. They begin with relative pronouns or adverbs, such as “who,” “that,” or “which.”

Example: “The book that you lent me is fascinating.” Here, the adjective clause describes “the book,” giving more information about it.

What Did You Learn?

Adjective clauses are dependent clauses that provide more information about nouns. It always starts with a relative pronoun or a relative adverb and it always consists of a subject and a verb.