This document discusses adjectives and adjective phrases. It defines what an adjective is and provides examples of how they are used to modify nouns. It also discusses the proper placement of adjectives and the order of adjectives when used in a series. Finally, it covers adjective phrases and common prepositions of location used to precisely describe where something is located.

1. Descriptive Paragraphs
Adjectives & prepositional phrases

2. What is an adjective?
• An adjective is a part of speech that
describes a noun.
• Usually answers one or more of the
following questions:
– Which one? this, that, these, those
– What kind? big, old, yellow, crumpled
– How many? some, few, many, two
– How much? enough, bountiful, less, more
• Adjectives may be formed from nouns/verbs:
– point [n]pointed [adj]; hope [n]  hopeful [adj]
– to run [v]running [adj]; to believe [v]
believable [adj]

3. Adjectives in descriptive
paragraphs
• Adjectives are important in descriptive
paragraphs.
– They are like spices
– They add flavor to your writing.
• Compare:
1. The bride walked down the aisle
to meet her groom.
2. The tall, graceful bride in her
white dress walked down the long
aisle to meet her proud groom.
Which sentence is more descriptive?

4. Using adjectives in the correct
place
• In English, an adjective never follows the
noun it describes.
• Before nouns:
Angry customers have complained about poor
service in the new restaurant.
• Adjectives that can be used only before nouns.
atomic north/south northern/southern
east/west eastern/western indoor/outdoor
supplementary maximum woolen
nationwide occasional
 An occasional rain kept the streets wet and slick.
 The rain today was only occasional.

5. Using adjectives in the correct
place
• After linking verbs (be/become/seem/sound/appear):
The teacher is intelligent and kind.
The soup tastes good.
Mr Cioffi feels ill.
The decorations at the dance looked horrid!
• Adjectives that can be used only after linking verbs.
afraid glad safe
alive ill sorry (meaning apologetic)
alone likely sure
apart ready unable aware
The boy was alone.
 The alone boy waited in the hall.

6. Using adjectives in a series
• When more than one adjective is used to
describe a noun, they are separated by
commas (,).
The sweet, cool apple tasted good on the
hot day.
The soft, sweet, loving kitten purred.
• Usually no more than three adjectives
preceding a noun.

7. Order of adjectives in a series
1. Opinion: silly, beautiful, horrible, difficult
2. Size: large, tiny, enormous, little
3. Age: ancient, new, young, old
4. Shape: square, round, flat, rectangular
5. Colour: blue, pink, reddish, grey
6. Origin: French, lunar, American, eastern,
Greek
7. Material: wooden, metal, cotton, paper
8. Purpose: sleeping (as in “sleeping bag”),
roasting (as in “roasting tin”)

8. Adjective phrases
• A phrase (usually starting with a
preposition) that modifies a noun/pronoun.
The plot of the story is simple.
Is the man in this picture your brother?
• An adjective phrase acts like an adjective.
It is of no use. (=It is useless.)
• Adjective phrases usually follow the noun
they describe.

9. Prepositions of location
• To be precise in description, writers often
need to indicate where something or
someone is.
The new bank is on Wilson Road near the park.
On the left, there is an old sofa. On the right,
there are two wooden chairs.
• Common prepositions of location:
above, before, across, behind, after, below, against,
beneath, from, in, on top, opposite, over, outside, inside,
around, near, under, next to, close to, between, on, at.
• Good descriptive writers, use many adjectives and
prepositional phrases to help readers visualize the
thing that is being described.