2.
However, if the adjectives cannot be reversed or if and cannot be used, a comma cannot be used.
Example: The clowns arrived in two colorful cars.
The clowns arrived in colorful two cars. (Reversing two and colorful changes the meaning.)
The clowns arrived in two and colorful cars. (Adding and between two and colorful changes the
meaning.)
Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives consist of two or more words that function as a unit. Depending on its position within the
sentence, the compound adjective is punctuated with or without a hyphen. When a compound adjective comes before
the noun it modifies, use a hyphen to join the adjectives. When a compound adjective follows the noun it modifies, do
not use a hyphen to join the adjectives.
Example: She is taking a class on nineteenth-century literature. (The adjective nineteenth-century precedes
the noun literature so a hyphen is used.)
She is studying literature from the nineteenth century. (The adjective nineteenth century comes
after the noun literature so no hyphen is used.)
Determiners as Adjectives
Determiners, such as articles, pronouns, and numbers, can function as adjectives. When a determiner is used as an
adjective, it restricts the noun it modifies, like a limiting adjective. Determiners functioning as adjectives tell Which
one?, How many?, and Whose?
Articles (a, an, the)
Possessive pronouns (my, our, your, his, her, its, their)
Relative pronouns (whose, which, whichever, what, whatever)
Demonstratives (this, these, that, those)
Indefinite pronouns (any, each, other, some, etc.)
Cardinal Numbers (one, two, three, etc.)
Ordinal Numbers (last, first, second, etc.)
Possessive proper nouns (Bob’s, Sarah’s)
Example: Bob’s house is only three blocks from that house. (Bob’s answers the question: Whose house? Three
answers the question: How many blocks? That answers the question: Which house is three blocks from
Bob’s house?)
Placement and Order of Adjectives
A single noun can be described as a list of adjectives. When more then one adjective is used to modify a noun, it is important to
consider the order in which the adjectives appear. Generally, the adjectives most important in completing the meaning of the noun
are placed closest to the noun. Following is the usual order of adjectives in a series:
1. Determiners: articles (a, the), demonstratives (this, those), and possessives (his, our, Mary’s, everybody’s), amounts
(one, five, many, few), order (first, next last)
2. Coordinate adjectives (subjective evaluations or personal opinions): nice, nasty, packed, pitiful
3. Adjectives describing size: big, huge, little, tiny
4. Adjectives describing shape: long, short, round, square
5. Adjectives describing age: young, old, modern, ancient
6. Adjectives describing color: blue, green, red, white
7. Adjectives describing nationality: Italian, French, Japanese
8. Adjectives describing architectural style or religion: Greek, Gothic, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim
9. Adjectives describing material: cardboard, plastic, silver, gold
10. Nouns functioning as adjectives: soccer ball, cardboard box, history class
Example: a big brick house (article, size, and material)
these old brown cardboard boxes (demonstrative, age, color, material)
a beautiful young Italian woman (article, personal opinion, age, nationality)
3.
Using Adjectives
Adjectives as Subject Complements
The subject complement is a word that follows a linking verb and modifies the sentence’s subject, not its verb. Linking
verbs: appear, become, believe, feel, grow, smell, seem, sound, remain, turn, prove, look, taste, and the forms of the verb to
be.
Example: The crowd appeared calm. (The linking verb appeared links the noun the subject crowd with the adjective
calm)
Adjectives as Object Complements
The object complement is a word that follows a sentence’s direct object and modifies that object and not the verb. An object
complement answers the question what? after the direct object.
Example: Bob considered the experiment a success. (Success is the object compliment that modifies the sentences
direct object experiment.)
Adjectives with Past and Present Participle Verbs
Adjectives are frequently formed by using the past participle (-ed, -t, or -en) and the present participle (-ing) verb forms.
Example: The group of children scared the sleeping dog. (Sleeping describes the baby.)
The students refused to eat the dried fruit. (Dried describes the cookies.)
+1-315-636-4485
+91 98151-74050 
