I'm Jake, and I modify nouns and pronouns. I tell what kind, which one, how many, or how much. Stick with me, and the whole world gets more colorful. Watch.
Parts of Speech · Today with Jake
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Section 1 · Meet the Adjectives
Sections 2–4
Meet the Adjectives!
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. It answers one of four questions: what kind, which one, how many, or how much.
What kind
Tells what kind.
I only wear purple shoes on Tuesdays.
Which one
Tells which one.
My dad always sits in the front row.
How many
Tells how many.
I would like seven chocolate bars.
How much
Tells how much.
Please give me more chocolate.
Identifying Adjectives
Every adjective answers one of Jake's four questions: what kind, which one, how many, or how much. Find the word doing the answering. When you are stuck, borrow a sense: tell what a thing looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels like.
In a sentence
Each marked word describes something. Ask yourself which sense the writer borrowed.
Julia and the older students waited together in the crowded lobby.
I wandered into the quiet woods.
That pear is sweet!
Library
Now you try
What kind of fur is it? You could try soft, or fuzzy, or warm. Pick a word you can feel.
Files it under done
Where the Adjective Sits
Adjectives can come before a noun (the playful children) or after a linking verb (the children seem playful). When multiple adjectives describe one noun, separate them with commas (the big, red barn).
In a sentence
One adjective sits before the noun it describes, and three sit after.
The clear water twinkled in the morning sunlight.
Kyle was so nervous before the game.
The mirror is magic!
Nina looked really tired yesterday.
Now you try
Describe how the class feels. You could try sleepy, or quiet, or happy. Any describing word works.
Files it under done
Articles: Jake's Little Ones
In a sentence
Each of these three little words sits right out front of a noun.
Jake painted a red square.
Izzy ate an orange.
The door swung open.
Now you try
Try an or the. (Apple starts with a vowel sound, so a stays home.)
Files it under done
And that's every color on the palette. Get out your brushes, people! The Big Adjective Quiz is eight questions down the hall, and I'll be cheering for every single one.
Or skip ahead to the quiz without checking in.