Types of adjectives are explained along with different categories and examples. All types are captured with basic explanations and sentences so that the entire content can be easily understood.
Let’s learn the types of adjectives! There are various adjective types in English grammar. We will learn the description, examples, sentence examples, etc. of each type of adjective.
Normally adjectives are categorized into a few types and these are as follows,
Fig. 1 Types of adjectives
Proper Adjective
Quantitative Adjective
Descriptive Adjective
Indefinite Adjective
Possessive Adjective
Demonstrative Adjective
Interrogative Adjective
Distributive Adjective
Cardinal Adjective
Ordinal Adjective
Compound Adjective
Articles as adjective
Description of Adjective Types
Let’s explore all types of adjectives along with a basic description, examples!
Proper Adjective Type
Description
We have already learned proper nouns and it means specific rather than common. In the same way, proper adjectives mean the adjective which comes in the form of proper nouns. Basically, proper adjectives describe specific nouns or specific pronouns or specific other adjectives.
Fig. 2 Proper adjective type
A proper adjective implies the specific name of a country or brand or things etc.
For example, Indian people. Here, Indian implies a specific country and it is a proper adjective.
Quantitive implies the quantity or the numbers. Hence, quantitative adjective means the adjective which refers to the quantity or the numbers of nouns or pronouns.
Information of numbers/quantity is given by quantitive adjective.
For example, they have 10 books. here, 10 implies the number of nooks and it is a quantitative adjective
Quantitative adjective type
Adjective Examples
1, 2, 12, etc. any numbers
two
first
sufficient
whole
single
enough
four
Adjective Sentence Examples
Sheela has bought 10 cakes.
Our team consists of 11 players.
Mita has 2 friends in school.
I have two ball pens.
Mrinmoy was our first boy in the class.
She has many cats.
I have finished the whole assignment.
Six boys in my class have completed the project.
He is 28 years old.
Not a single person can swim in the sea.
Rahul has sufficient knowledge for appearing in the examination.
There were 20,000 people in the auditorium.
Descriptive Adjective Type
Description
Descriptive adjective, as the name suggests, describes or adds information of nouns or pronouns. In our daily life, we use these adjectives all the time.
It describes things, quality, etc. normally.
It is also known as a qualitative adjective.
For example, smart lady. Here, smart adds the description of the lady and it is a descriptive adjective
Descriptive adjective type
Adjective Examples
delicious
nice
clever
efficient
smart
diamond
self-independent
beautiful
shooting
golden
Adjective Sentence Examples
Shelly loves to have delicious food.
Look at the nice bird.
Rehan is an efficient engineer.
Minu has a beautiful voice.
Only smart people can do it.
Golden temple is in India.
Clever cat steals the meat.
I want to give her a golden ring.
Meera is a nice girl.
Rahul is a self-independent person.
The diamond ring is costly.
Shooting animals is a punishable offense.
Indefinite Adjective Type
Description
Indefinite means not specific or unspecific, you can say. Hence, the indefinite adjective implies the adjective which refers to unspecific nouns or pronouns.
It is an unspecific adjective.
Any person. Here, ‘any’ is unspecific which means not a particular person. So, ‘any’ is an indefinite adjective
Adjective Examples
Some
Any
Many
Most
No
Any
Few
Several
Each
Adjective Sentence Examples
Ratan didn’t have any concept.
There are no bottles in the kitchen.
Simi loves most of her doll.
Many people are settled in the USA.
I want to have some tea.
Each boy is trying hard.
There are several steps of admission.
Rita doesn’t have any problems.
I have read few books written by him.
Riya has some books.
She had no clue about the accident.
Possessive Adjectives Type
Description
Possessive means ownership. The adjective which refers to ownership or something that belongs to someone or something is called a possessive adjective.
It implies ownership.
For example, his car. Here, the car belongs to the person that is ‘his’. Hence, ‘his’ means possessive adjective.
Adjective Examples
my
we
our
his
her
Adjective Sentence Examples
Urmi is impressed to see her attitude.
Her concern is valid.
Binu takes her attention easily.
My focus is on the study.
Your blessing is precious.
Tina respects his hard work.
We are connected to each other.
Mitul is really happy about her success.
My father gave me a book.
Your concentration should be on study.
Our parents are really precious to us.
Our teacher taught a lot of lessons to life.
Demonstrative Adjectives Type
Description
The demonstrative adjective means the adjective which demonstrates or refers to someone or something.
It always comes before nouns or pronouns.
It demonstrates something or someone.
Adjective Examples
that
this
those
these
Adjective Sentence Examples
This radio is very old.
Rina can have those tickets.
She may answer that question.
This movie is famous.
Those people can be successful in life.
She likes those parrots.
Roni may have that book.
These dolphins help us to survive.
Nimi loves that place.
These curtains are beautiful.
Interrogative Adjectives Type
Description
Interrogative means asking a question. Hence, interrogative adjective means the adjective which refers to the question.
It comes always after nouns or pronouns.
For example, ‘which book’? Here, which is used to ask a question for the book. So, ‘which’ means interrogative adjective.
Examples
whose
which
what
Sentence Reference
What field would you like to choose?
Which land would you like to buy?
What poem would you like to recite?
Which area can be suitable for our game?
Which team makes the highest goals?
What game did you make?
What brand would you like to see?
Whose paper is this?
Which color allow you to cross the road?
Which car would you like to buy?
Which cup is this?
What paper do you prefer to draw?
Distributive Adjectives Type
Description
Distributive means each individual in some event or class or session. So, distributive adjective means the adjective which refers to each individual.
It normally comes with singular nouns.
This adjective refers to one individual or thing in a group normally.
For example, each student. Here, each student means every student in a class or group, or team. Hence, ‘each’ is a distributive adjective.
Adjective Examples
None
Every
Neither
One
Each
Both
Adjective Sentence Examples
None of my friends are in business.
Both of us are in Class ten.
Every people should be positive.
You can choose the one you prefer.
Binu likes any people she met.
Both of them were playing on the ground.
Neither of them wakes up at 6 am.
Each girl was singing on the program.
Every person has his own freedom.
Cardinal Adjective Type
Description
Cardinal number means ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘five’, etc. instead of ‘first’, second, ‘fifth’ respectively. Now, cardinal adjective means the adjective which refers to ‘one’, ‘two’, etc., and so on.
Cardinal numbers refer to numbers or quantities.
For example, one horse. Here, ‘one’ implies the number of horses. Hence, ‘one’ is a cardinal adjective.
Adjective Examples
one
three
five
two
seven
nine
forty-two etc.
Adjective Sentence Examples
Bijay has two computers.
There are seven students in a team.
Rohan has three cats.
They have one cycle.
Nita has hot seventy-three marks.
We have eighty-nine people in the office.
He has two sisters.
Ordinal Adjectives Type
Description
Ordinal number means ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’, etc. instead of ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’ respectively. Now, ordinal adjective means the adjective which refers to first’, ‘second’, ‘third’, etc., and so on.
Ir implies the position of something or someone.
It also implies the order of someone or something.
For example, the first girl. Here, first implies the position of the girl in her class or somewhere. Hence, fist is an ordinal adjective.
Adjective Examples
fifth
sixth
seventh,
nineteenth
twentieth etc.
Adjective Sentence Examples
Tina has secured the second position in the game.
Bihu is her first friend.
Bolt has achieved the first position in a 100m running race.
Mintu is the first person who wins the game.
The first reference will be taken care of.
Compound Adjectives
Description
Compound implies a combination of words. So, compound adjective means the adjective which is consisting of combined words and modifies nouns or pronouns.
In the compound adjective, words are normally separated by hyphen.
Normally, two or more than two words are formed compound adjective.
In case, adverb used in a sentence to modify adjective rather nouns, hyphen is omitted.
For example, Soft-minded people. Here, soft-minder is hyphenated and forms a compound adjective.
Adjective Examples
Soft-spoken
Five-meter
Decision-taking
Well-behave
5-years-old
6-storey etc.
Adjective Sentence Examples
We have a 5-years-old kid.
I have a two-storey building.
Rekha is a well-behave girl.
She is a well-known actress.
Our house is ten-meter height.
Canada has terribly cold weather.
Articles as Adjectives
Description
We have already learned that article modifies noun like adjective. Hence, Articles are also one type of adjective.
Articles adds information of nouns or pronouns.
There are three articles, a, an & the.
Adjective ‘A’ and ‘an’ are used when we use unspecific nouns or pronouns.
Adjective ‘the’ is used to refer to a specific nouns or pronouns.
Adjective Examples
a
an
the
Adjective Sentence Examples
A tiger was chasing us.
An umbrella should be taken.
The boy jumped into the water.
Conclusion
Hence, we have got a fair idea about the types of adjectives, along with various examples. I hope, the idea is clear, any doubt please let us know. Thank you