ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBIALS

ADJECTIVE

Adjective is a word or words used to modify, define, qualify or limit a noun.

For Example:

• They lived in a beautiful house.                                                                                                                (The word beautiful modifies the noun house  so it is the adjective in the sentence.)

• The biggest table in the room.                                                                                                                 (The word biggest is the adjective)

• Apples are tastier than orange.                                                                                                               (The word tastier is the adjective)

• Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt.                                                                                                           (The word sleeveless is the adjective)

• We enjoyed the drum's rhythmic sound.                                                                                          (The word rhythmic is the adjective)

Quantifiers can also be an adjective:

QUANTIFIERS AS AN ADJECTIVE

A quantifier is a word or phrase which is used before a noun to indicate the amount or quantity. Quantifiers as an adjective are adjective and adjectival phrases that give approximate answer to questions "how much and how many".

Below is the table showing the quantifiers used as adjectives:

There are three (3) different forms of adjective:

FORMS OF ADJECTIVE 

1. Positive- basic form of adjective

Example: big, small, pretty

2. Comparative adjective shows that someone or something has more of a quality than they previously had or more of it than someone or something else has. It usually uses suffix -er.

Example:  bigger, smaller, prettier

3. Superlative adjective shows that someone or something has most of a quality than they previously had or most of it than someone or something else has. It usually uses suffix -est.

Now, let's proceed to the position of the adjectives in sentences:

POSITION OF ADJECTIVES

Adjectives usually go before the nouns they modify.

Example: 

• He is a talented boy.

(Talented- positive form)

• (1) A large round table. 
• (2) A large,round table.

(Sentence 1 is WRONG! There should be a comma between the adjectives large, and round. Sentence 2 is the CORRECT one.)

• (1) Black white shirt.
• (2) Black and white shirt.

(Sentence 1 is WRONG! The word "and" should be placed between black, and white because they are colors. Sentence 2 is CORRECT.)

• (1) A tall fair handsome boy.
• (2) A tall, fair, handsome boy.

(Sentence 1 is WRONG! 'Comma' should be placed in between adjectives and cannot be "and" because they are not names of color. Sentence 2 is CORRECT.)

• The clouds looked white and fluffy.

(The above sentence is CORRECT even though  the word "fluffy" is not a color. It us possible when the adjective comes after the noun, instead of coning before the noun.)

• There lived an old man strong and wicked.

(The adjectives "strong and wicked" emphasized the old man.)

Remember:

* We put comma when two or more adjectives are put together in a senttence.

* We put the word "and" when the adjectives are names of color..

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

There are instances when there are more than two adjectives placed in a sentence. It is important that we know their proper arrangement so that we can avoid any ungrammaticality.

1. Quantity of number
2. Quantity or opinion
3. Size
4. Age
5. Shape
6. Color

Examples:

• Long, curly, black hair
• Modern, big, square, white house.

ADVERB PHRASE

This is the type of phrase that do the work of adverbs. It is composed of two or more words that modifies a verb, adverb or adjective and tell how, when, or why.

Adverb phrase is used in many ways:

Adverb phrase describing 'How'

• With great regrets
• In dismay

Adverb phrase describing 'Where'

• Over the rainbow 
• Under the sea

Adverb phrase describing 'When'

• After the sunset
• In two days ago

Adverb phrase describing 'Why'

• To understand better
• So that I won't get lost

There is also what we call ADVERBIALS.

Adverbial is a word (adverb) or a group or words (adverbial phrase or adverbial clause) that modifies or tell us something about a sentence or a verb. (The word "adverbial" itself is also used as an adjective, meaning having the same function as an adverb.)

There are four (4) types of Adverbials that form sentence elements

1. Adverbial Complement

Adverbial complements render a sentence ungrammatical and meaningless if removed.

For example:

John put the flowers in the water.
(If you remove the phrase "in the water", the sentence would be ungrammatical.)

2. Adjuncts

If removed, the sentence will remain meaningful.

For example:

John and Sophia helped me with my homework.

3. Conjuncts

Conjuncts link two sentences together.

For example:

It was raining. Therefore, we didn't go swimming.

4. Disjuncts

Disjuncts make comments the rest of the sentences.

For example:

I failed because I didn't review.


The above sentence can be diagrammed like this:

In English grammar, there is also what we call Adverbial clause. This is different from Adverb phrase such as that:

ADVERBIAL CLAUSE

Adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb.


There are four (4) types of Adverbial Clause

1. Time Clause

Example:

Her favorite dog died when she was young.

2. Conditional Clause

Example:

If they lose weight during an illness, they soon regain afterwards.

3. Purpose Clause

Example: 

They had to take some of his land so they can extend the mall.

4. Reason Clause

Example:

I couldn't feel anger about him because I like him so much.

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Author's Note:

It's kinda embarrassing but I guess it's an honor to include this on my article. I was nominated in #bloggys2015, Philippine Blogging Awards! It is a nationwide event recognizing Filipino blogs and bloggers.

I don't know who nominated me and how I was nominated in the first place but fortunately! :D And oh well, I know that I will never win in a prestigious awarding event such as this but as Awards Committee Head Sir R. Rivera said on his email:

"To be nominated is already an honor!"

                                         Thank you po! :D