Download Adjectives Rules/Vocabulary

Unit 4: Adjectives
Rules/Vocabulary:
An adjective is a word that describes a noun.
* An adjective can tell what kind or how many.
* Adjectives help make your writing more descriptive.
Without an Adjective
With an Adjective
I live in a house.
I live in a large brick house.
My house has windows.
My house has ten windows.
Expand the Idea:
Some adjectives can be formed form nouns. Irish, for example, is formed from the noun Ireland.
Guided Practice:
Explain that adjectives add interesting details by telling what kind or how many. Model adjectives with
example sentences by asking what kind or how many.
Article Adjectives
Rules/Vocabulary:
The words a, an, and the are special adjectives called articles.
* Use a and an before singular nouns.
* Use a if the next word begins with a consonant sound.
* Use an if the next word begins with a vowel sound.
*Use the before plural nouns and before singular nouns that name a particular person, place, or thing.
* Notice how the article a is used to refer to any trip in general.
* The article the is used to refer to a particular trip.
Adjectives after Linking Verbs
Rules/Vocabulary:
Sometimes an adjective follows the noun it describes.
When an adjective comes after the noun it describes, the noun and the adjective are connected by a
linking verb.
The linking verb is usually a form of the verb be.
Proper Adjectives
Rules/Vocabulary:
A proper adjective is an adjective formed from a proper noun.
The suffix –an, -ish, or –ese may be added to proper nouns to form proper adjectives.
Notice that a proper noun is always capitalized.
Proper Noun
Proper Adjective
Proper Noun
Proper Adjective
Africa
African
Japan
Japanese
America
American
Korea
Korean
Canada
Canadian
Mexico
Mexican
China
Chinese
Poland
Polish
Egypt
Egyptian
Russia
Russian
England
English
Spain
Spanish
Hawaii
Hawaiian
Sweden
Swedish
Italy
Italian
Turkey
Turkish
Adjectives that Compare
Rules/Vocabulary:
Adjectives can be used to compare two or more things.
* Add –er to most adjectives to compare two people, places, or things.
* Add –est to most adjectives to compare more than two people, places, or things.
* Adjectives that compare are used to tell how things are alike and different.
Comparing More and Most
Rules/Vocabulary:
For long adjectives, use more and most to compare, people, places, and things.
Use more to compare two people, places, or things.
Use most to compare more than two.
* Some two-syllable adjectives and longer adjectives use more and most to form comparisons. When
you use more or most, do not use the ending –er or –est.
Comparing with Good and Bad
Rules/Vocabulary:
The adjectives good and bad have special forms when used to compare.
Use better and worse when comparing two people, places, or things.
Use best and worse when comparing more than two.
Adjective
Compare Two
Compare More Than Two
good
better
best
bad
worse
worst
Review
Rules / Vocabulary:
An adjective is a word that describes a noun.
Adjectives can tell what kind or how many.
A, an, and the are special adjectives called articles.
Use a before a singular noun that begins with a consonant sound.
Use an before singular nouns that begin with a vowel sound.
Use the article the before singular nouns that name a particular person, place, or thing and before all
plural nouns.
When an adjective comes after the noun it describes, the two are connected by a linking verb.
A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun.
Proper adjectives are always capitalized.
Rules / Vocabulary:
Add –er to most adjectives to compare two people, places, or things.
Use more with longer adjectives.
Add –est to most adjectives to compare more than two.
Use most with longer adjectives.
Before adding –er or –est, change a y to an I, drop a final e, or double the final consonant.
Use better or worse to compare two people, places, or things.
Use best or worst to compare more than two.