Search results for “adjectives”

If you write and speak in English, you surely use possessive adjectives even if you're not always aware that you are. Further understanding verbal components gives you even greater insight and command in using them. In this discussion, we'll review what possessive adjectives are and look at several proper examples of them. What Are Possessive …

Understanding superlative adjectives begins with recognizing the three forms (degrees) that most adjectives have: positive, comparative, and superlative. These different forms are likely familiar to many of you. Positive Comparative Superlative cold colder coldest tall taller tallest soft softer softest As shown, shorter adjectives often form the comparative degree with -er and the superlative degree …

As we often like to remind our readers, once you get further into the finer aspects of English grammar, the underlying concepts are often very accessible. Which brings us to the topic of today’s post: what are possessive adjectives? Possessive Adjectives: What They Are and How to Use Them Possessive adjectives are words that come …

Most adjectives have three forms or degrees: the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. In this discussion, we'll take a closer look at comparative adjectives. A comparative adjective compares two items by modifying the adjective with -er, more, or less. Base adjective: fast Comparative adjective between two items: faster Comparative adjective applied: David is a …

A common error in using adjectives and adverbs arises from using the wrong form for comparison. Incorrect:  She is the poorest of the two women. Correct: She is poor. (positive form) She is the poorer of the two women. (comparative form/two items) She is the poorest of them all. (superlative form/more than two) Many one- …

Those who study English grammar will eventually review the adverbial ending -ly. GrammarBook last wrote about Adjectives and Adverbs: When to use -ly in October 2007; the post has remained on our website since then to offer guidance on using the suffix. More than eleven years later, however, we—and you too, perhaps—still often encounter misuse of the ending. For …

We know an adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun. We also know that in English adjectives almost always precede their noun, unlike languages such as Spanish and French, in which adjectives more commonly can be placed either before or after a noun depending on their function or emphasis. Understanding adjectives' position …

In this lesson, we'll examine a more advanced concept for using the comma. Rule: Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the adjectives are interchangeable. Examples: He is a strong, healthy man. We could also say a healthy, strong man. We stayed at an expensive summer resort. We would not say summer expensive resort, …

The demonstrative adjectives this/that/these/those, which may also be pronouns, tell us where an object is located and how many objects there are. This and that are used to point to one object. This points to something nearby, while that points to something "over there." Examples: This dog is mine. This is mine. That dog is …

A subscriber recently wrote in with a question that's a good followup to last week's Tip of the Week, Writing Numbers: "When are hyphens used with numbers? Is it 13 feet or 13-feet; 12 hours or 12-hours?" Rule: Generally, hyphenate between two or more adjectives when they come before a noun and act as a …