GCSE
English Language
1.1.3 Adjectives
In this lesson, we will explore what an adjective is, the types of adjectives there are, and some examples of each. There are many types of adjectives, as will be shown later, and it is important to learn the many variations, as you will need to be able to identify and use them to achieve the higher grades in your GCSEs and even A-Level! An adjective can belong to multiple categories at the same time.
Adjective
An adjective is a word used to describe or modify a noun or pronoun, giving more detail about size, colour, shape, condition, emotion, or other qualities. There are numerous types of adjectives, such as descriptive adjectives, comparative adjectives, superlative adjectives, demonstrative adjectives, and many more. Adjectives appear in sentences very frequently, as they help add detail and clarity.
A complete sentence usually contains a subject (a person or thing) and a verb, but adjectives help enhance meaning by providing extra description. This makes adjectives essential to understand and master when improving your writing and analytical skillsThe ability to break down complex concepts and ideas into their component parts..
Comparative Adjective
A comparative adjective is an adjective that is used to compare two people, places, things, or ideas. It shows a difference in degree by indicating that one thing has more or less of a certain quality than another.
Most comparative adjectives are formed by adding “-er” to short adjectives or by using “more” or “less” before longer adjectives.
Common examples include: For example, in “This book is easier than that one,” the comparative adjective “easier” shows that one book has a greater degree of ease compared to the other.Example
That book is longer than the one I read last week. “Longer” is a comparative adjective. It compares the length of two books.Example
Students sometimes add more and -er together — for example, more faster or more smarter — which is grammatically incorrect. Use either -er or more, not both.Common Mistake
Superlative Adjective
A superlative adjective shows the highest or lowest degree of a quality, indicating that one thing has the most or least of a particular characteristic.
Most superlative adjectives are formed by adding “-est” to short adjectives or by using “most” or “least” before longer adjectives.
Common examples include: For example, in “This is the easiest test I’ve ever taken,” the superlative adjective “easiest” shows that this test has the highest level of ease compared to all others.Example
That was the fastest runner in the entire race. “Fastest” is a superlative adjective. It compares all runners and identifies the one with the greatest speed.Example
Students often confuse superlatives with comparatives. Remember: use comparatives when comparing two things, and superlatives when comparing three or more. Also, avoid double forms like most tallest — use one method, not both.Common Mistake
Proper Adjective
A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun (the name of a specific person, place, or thing). Proper adjectives describe something by linking it to a particular nationality, culture, religion, or historical period. Like proper nouns, they always begin with a capital letter.
Common examples include: For example, in “We love Italian cuisine,” the adjective “Italian” describes cuisine from Italy.Example
She enjoys Victorian literature. “Victorian” is a proper adjective referring to literature from the Victorian era.Example
Students sometimes write proper adjectives without capitalising them. For example, french food is incorrect — it should be French food, because French is derived from the proper noun France, therefore it needs a capital letter.Common Mistake
Compound Adjective
A compound adjective is an adjective formed by combining two or more words, often hyphenated. These typically come before a noun and act as one unit to describe it.
For example: I am a part-time teacher, full-time father, and well-known writer. In this sentence, “part-time,” “full-time,” and “well-known” are all compound adjectives describing the nouns teacher, father, and writer respectively.Example
She gave a well-written speech. “Well-written” is a compound adjective made up of two words (well + written), connected by a hyphen, and used to describe the noun “speech.”Example
Students sometimes forget the hyphen in compound adjectives, which can lead to confusion or change the meaning of a sentence. For example, “a man eating shark” (without hyphen) implies a shark that eats men, whereas “a man-eating shark” (with hyphen) clearly identifies the shark as the subject.Common Mistake
Adjective
- An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, giving detail about qualities such as size, colour, shape, condition, or emotion.
- They add clarity and detail to sentences, improving writing and analysis.
- Types include descriptive, comparative, superlative, demonstrative, and more.
- An adjective can belong to multiple categories at the same time.
Comparative Adjective
- Used to compare two people, places, things, or ideas.
- Shows a difference in degree of a quality between the two.
- Usually formed by adding “-er” to short adjectives or using “more” or “less” with longer adjectives.
Superlative Adjective
- Shows the highest or lowest degree of a quality among three or more things.
- Usually formed by adding “-est” to short adjectives or using “most” or “least” with longer adjectives.
Proper Adjective
- Formed from a proper noun, linking something to a nationality, culture, religion, or historical period.
- Always begins with a capital letter.
Compound Adjective
- Formed by combining two or more words, often hyphenated.
- Usually placed before a noun and acts as a single descriptive unit.