Adjectives
- an adjective describes a person, place, thing, or idea.
- an adjective provides information about the size, shape, color, texture, feeling, sound, smell, number, or condition of a noun or pronoun

- Most adjectives come before the noun they modify.
Ex: Some architects draw blueprints.
- Modify means “to describe the word or to make its meaning more clear/definite.”
Ex: the ferocious dog chased the rabbit.

Predicate Adjectives
- adjectives that follow linking verbs and modify/describe the subject of the sentence
Ex: Some architects are skillful and creative

Adjectives answer the questions:
What kind?
Ex. The hairy dog ran the fastest.
Which one?
Ex. The tall girl is riding her bicycle down the road.

How many? / How much?
Ex. Several people attended the meeting.
Ex. Did you want some cereal?

Nouns Functioning as Adjectives
When used to describe. . . .
- common nouns become common adjectives
Ex. Light bulb
- proper nouns become proper adjectives
Ex. Spanish rice

- possessive nouns become possessive adjectives
Ex. Mr. Gullion’s class
- compound nouns become compound adjectives
Ex. newspaper reporter
Ex. four-foot table

Pronouns Functioning as Adjectives
When used to describe. . . .
Possessive pronouns become possessive adjectives
Ex: My house
Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, & those) become demonstrative adjectives
Ex: That shoe
Indefinite pronouns become indefinite adjective
Ex: Many students

Pronouns Functioning as
Adjectives Cont’d
Interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, whose) become interrogative adjectives
Ex: Which game?

Coordinate Adjectives
Coordinate adjectives are simply two or more adjectives that describe the same noun.
Ex: It was a beautiful, sunny day last Saturday.
Ex: The ghosts came out on a dark and stormy night.

Deciding when a comma is necessary
If two or more adjectives are coordinate, a comma is used to separate them to provide clarity. If you can replace the comma with the word “and” and reverse the order of the adjectives, the comma is necessary. Check out the below examples:
Example 1 (CORRECT):
Slippery, treacherous roads are common after a big snowfall.
Slippery and treacherous roads are common after a big snowfall.
Treacherous, slippery roads are common after a big snowfall.

Rules to Remember
If you cannot reverse the order of the adjectives, then you do not need a comma.
Ex: the white police car sped down the highway.
In the sentence above, you could not say: “the police white car. . .,” so no comma is needed between the adjectives.
Ex: the yellow yield sign was broken.
In the sentence above, you could not say: “the yield yellow sign. . .,” so no comma is needed between the adjectives.