English Adjectives Tutorial: Classes, Mechanics & Comparison

Welcome to your comprehensive tutorial on Adjectives. Whether you are preparing for school examinations, competitive tests like JAMB/WAEC, or simply looking to polish your mastery of English grammar, this guide breaks down everything you need to know about adjectives, complete with structural rules and practical exercises. Remember to use the comments sections if you have questions, and don’t forget to join our Free Online Tutorial Classes on YouTube. (Subscribe to the Channel)

What is an Adjective?

An adjective is a structural part of speech that modifies, describes, or provides more information about a noun or a pronoun. In linguistic terms, we say adjectives qualify nouns by adding descriptive layers, specifying quantities, or narrowing down identity.

Consider how advertisements leverage adjectives to make products more enticing:

• Safe tyres
• Tough shoes
• Waterproof coats
• Reliable watches
• Fresh fruit

Without these modifiers, sentences become stark, generic, and far less informative. Adjectives breathe precision into your writing and speech.

The 6 Core Classes of Adjectives

To master adjectives, you must understand how they are classified based on their grammatical functions.

1. Adjectives of Quality (Descriptive Adjectives)

These adjectives describe the nature, state, sort, or kind of a noun. They answer the question: What kind?

• Our school is a square building. (Describes shape)
• Help me to carry this heavy box. (Describes weight)
• The dry weather is causing problems for farmers. (Describes climatic condition)
• The young children stayed at home with their mothers. (Describes age)

2. Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives point out which specific person, place, or thing is being referred to. The primary demonstratives are this, that, these, and those.

• That woman has five children.
• Those books are falling to pieces.

⚠️ Grammar Alert: Adjective vs. Pronoun
A demonstrative word is an adjective only if it is directly followed by a noun. If it stands alone as the subject or object, it functions as a pronoun.

• This chair is for sale. ➔ Demonstrative Adjective (Modifies “chair”)
• This is for sale. ➔ Demonstrative Pronoun (Stands alone)

3. Distributive Adjectives

Distributive adjectives refer to specific, individual members of a group or class. The most common are each, every, either, and neither.

• Either day will suit me.
• Every teacher wants his pupils to succeed.

📌 Note: Just like demonstratives, these words become pronouns if they are used without an accompanying noun. The exception is “every,” which can never function as a pronoun on its own (it must turn into “everyone” or “everything”).

• Each boy carried a bag. ➔ Distributive Adjective
• Each carried his own bag. ➔ Distributive Pronoun

4. Adjectives of Quantity or Number

These modifiers tell us how many (countable nouns) or how much (uncountable nouns) of something exists.

• There were three glasses. (Definite Number)
• He drank some water. (Indefinite Quantity)
• Few people were present. (Indefinite Number)

All cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3…) and ordinal numbers (first, second, third) act as adjectives of quantity when paired with a noun, as do words indicating indefinite quantities like some, few, several, and enough.

5. Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are used alongside nouns to ask questions. The primary interrogative adjectives are which, what, and whose.

• Which way did he go?
• What book shall we choose?
• Whose clothes are these?

6. Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives modify nouns by indicating ownership or direct relationship. They must always be followed immediately by the noun they possess: my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.

• His house; your friend; their village; her father; its name; our family.

4 Critical Points to Remember (Grammar Mechanics)

Rule 1: Singular vs. Plural Agreement with Determiners

You must match the structural number of a demonstrative adjective with the singular or plural noun phrase that follows it.

• Incorrect: those kind of people / these sort of vegetables
• Correct: that kind of people OR those kinds of people
• Correct: this sort of vegetable OR these sorts of vegetable

(Note: Informally, “these sorts of vegetables” is widely accepted in conversational English, but stick to strict agreement in standard writing).

Rule 2: The Coordinate Adjective Test (Comma Usage)

When multiple adjectives of quality modify the same noun, separate them with a comma only if they are coordinate adjectives (i.e., they share equal grammatical weight and contrast sharply).

The Test: Try inserting the word “and” between them or reversing their order. If the sentence still makes sense, use a comma.

• The sudden, untimely death… ➔ (The sudden and untimely death works ➔ Comma needed)
• A big black car… ➔ (A big and black car sounds unnatural ➔ No comma)

Rule 3: Hyphenating Compound Adjectives

A compound adjective is formed when two or more words join forces to modify a single noun. If the compound adjective comes before the noun it modifies, link the words with a hyphen to prevent reader confusion.

Examples: purpose-built facilities, a well-intentioned remark, an air-conditioned classroom, a single-minded student.

Rule 4: Participial Adjectives: -ing vs. -ed

Adjectives derived from verbs can cause serious confusion:

• -ing Adjectives: Describe the characteristic of a thing or person causing an effect (Active).
• -ed Adjectives: Describe a feeling or psychological state experienced by the subject (Passive).
• The principal’s speech was most entertaining. (The speech caused entertainment)
• The entertained audience laughed aloud. (The audience felt entertainment)

Comparison of Adjectives

When adjectives are used to weigh attributes or compare entities, they shift across three distinct degrees: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative.

1. Regular Comparisons

• One-Syllable Adjectives: Form the comparative by adding -er and the superlative by adding -est.
  • Fast ➔ Faster ➔ Fastest
  • This car is faster than that one.
  • Ekpa was the fastest of the six runners.
• Three-or-More Syllable Adjectives: Do not alter their base endings. Instead, prepend the structural modifiers more and most.
  • Interesting ➔ More interesting ➔ Most interesting

2. Two-Syllable Adjectives (The Split Rules)

Two-syllable adjectives follow two primary patterns depending on their word endings:

• Those ending in -ful or -re take more and most:
  • Careful ➔ More careful ➔ Most careful
  • Obscure ➔ More obscure ➔ Most obscure
• Those ending in -er, -y, or -ly typically add -er and -est (change a terminal y to i):
  • Lazy ➔ Lazier ➔ Laziest
  • Clever ➔ Cleverer ➔ Cleverest
  • Silly ➔ Sillier ➔ Silliest

3. Irregular Comparisons

Several high-frequency adjectives use completely irregular forms that must be memorized:

*Note: Use “elder” and “eldest” exclusively when discussing family relationships and human connections, never for inanimate objects.

4. Advanced Logical Boundaries in Comparisons

• Don’t misapply degrees: Use the comparative degree strictly for exactly two people/things. Use the superlative degree strictly for three or more.
  • Incorrect: Which language do you find more difficult — Ibo, Hausa or Yoruba? (Three options require a superlative)
  • Correct: Which language do you find most difficult…?
  • Incorrect: Who is slowest, Rufus or John? (Two options require a comparative)
  • Correct: Who is slower, Rufus or John?
• Avoid Double Comparatives/Superlatives: Never combine structural endings with modifiers. Phrases like more taller or *most tallest* are grammatically redundant and unacceptable.
• Absolute Adjectives: Certain adjectives represent a state that cannot logically be amplified or decreased. These are known as absolute or ungradable adjectives. Examples include unique, perfect, circular, golden, and dead. Something cannot be “more unique” or “very perfect”—it either is, or it is not.

Detailed Answer Key & Explanations to Exercises

Part 1: Adjective Extraction

(a)

• great (qualifies “estuary”)
• wide (qualifies “waters”)
• many (adjective of number qualifying “islands”)
• steep (qualifies “hill”)
• its (possessive adjective qualifying “people”)
• well-mannered (compound adjective qualifying “people”)
• old-fashioned (compound adjective qualifying “way”)
• Victorian (proper descriptive adjective qualifying “people”)

(b)

• Oba’s (possessive noun acting adjectivally modifying “authority”)
• supreme (qualifies “authority”)
• advisory (qualifies “functions”)
• traditional (qualifies “matters”)
• His (possessive adjective qualifying “reign”)
• many (adjective of number qualifying “changes”)
• huge (qualifies “complex”)
• industrial (qualifies “complex”)

Part 2: Classifying Italicized Words

• (a) Which ➔ Interrogative Adjective
• (b) this ➔ Demonstrative Adjective
• (c) three ➔ Adjective of Quantity / Definite Numeral Adjective
• (d) new ➔ Adjective of Quality
• (e) His ➔ Possessive Adjective
• (f) Each ➔ Distributive Adjective

Part 3: Interrogative Adjectives vs. Interrogative Pronouns

• (a) Which is… ➔ Interrogative Pronoun (Stands alone without a noun)
• (b) Which way… ➔ Interrogative Adjective (Modifies the noun “way”)
• (c) Whose is… ➔ Interrogative Pronoun (Stands alone)
• (d) Whose car… ➔ Interrogative Adjective (Modifies the noun “car”)
• (e) What plane… ➔ Interrogative Adjective (Modifies the noun “plane”)
• (f) What can… ➔ Interrogative Pronoun (Stands alone before an auxiliary verb)

Part 4: Matching Adjectives to Nouns

• urgent message
• obsolete engine
• critical illness
• audacious attack
• shallow stream
• glamorous film star
• fundamental principle
• tranquil sleep

Part 5: Filling the Spaces Correctly

• (a) confusing
• (b) confused
• (c) inspiring
• (d) inspired
• (e) satisfying
• (f) satisfied
• (g) frightened
• (h) frightening
• (i) pleasing
• (j) pleased
• (k) astonished
• (l) astonishing
• (m) surprised
• (n) surprising
• (o) amusing
• (p) amused
• (q) exciting
• (r) excited
• (s) thrilling
• (t) thrilled

Part 6: Positive vs. Negative Traits

Comparison Section — Exercise 1: Completing Sentences

• (a) taller
• (b) more expensive
• (c) most glorious
• (d) thinnest
• (e) wider
• (f) most valuable
• (g) least
• (h) more attractive

Comparison Section — Exercise 2: Degrees of Comparison Matrix

Comparison Section — Exercise 3: Error Corrections

• (a) Incorrect: Musa took the biggest of the two mangoes.
  Correct: Musa took the bigger of the two mangoes.
• (b) Incorrect: Abdouli is more thin than his brother.
  Correct: Abdouli is thinner than his brother.
• (c) Incorrect: Tie the thickest end of the rope to the post.
  Correct: Tie the thicker end of the rope to the post.
• (d) Incorrect: This is the beautifullest picture I have ever seen.
  Correct: This is the most beautiful picture I have ever seen.
• (e) Incorrect: Children are usually more noisier than adults.
  Correct: Children are usually noisier than adults.
• (f) Incorrect: This essay is worst than the one you wrote yesterday.
  Correct: This essay is worse than the one you wrote yesterday.
• (g) Incorrect: Which footballer is the most interesting to watch — Masi or Usman?
  Correct: Which footballer is more interesting to watch — Masi or Usman?