I. Difference Between Determiners and Adjectives

Determiners and adjectives are related in such a way that they both modify a noun or a noun phrase. However, the main difference between the two is that determiners are placed before nouns and introduce them to the audience, while adjectives modify nouns by providing further details about them. Another difference between the two is that determiners cannot be graded unlike adjectives, which can be expressed in different intensities. For instance, an object may be big, bigger, or biggest. However, it cannot be “that-est” or “the-est.” Furthermore, adjectives are only optional parts of a sentence, while determiners are necessary and indispensable.

II. The Uses of Determiners

Determiners can serve a variety of purposes in sentences and can have different meanings. However, in  general, all determiners are used to clarify a noun or a noun phrase. One of the most common functions of determiners is to define or demonstrate an object or a person. For instance, it can show whether the noun that is mentioned in the sentence is something specific or unspecific. Another common purpose of this grammatical form, is that it can also indicate the differences between nouns.

Although there are also other functions of determiners such as for expressing quantity, possession, and questions, most of these purposes are related to the two key areas mentioned earlier. It is not that difficult to understand determiners because they are commonly used in written and verbal English. In order to fully grasp the concept, it is also advisable to study about the different types of determiners which are presented in the next section.

III. Different Kinds of Determiners

There are different kinds of determiners and each one serves a different function. These types include articles, quantifiers, demonstratives, possessives, and interrogatives.

1. Articles

There are only three examples of articles, and these are: the, a, and an. The article “the” is considered as a definite article because it refers to a particular noun that is mentioned in the text, while the articles “a” and “an” are called indefinite articles because they point out to a class of noun mentioned in the sentence.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an” have the same function, but they are not interchangeable. The former is used if it precedes a noun that starts with a consonant (e.g., a bike; a gadget; a television), while the latter is used if the noun after it starts with a vowel (e.g., an eggplant; an architect; an umbrella).

Sample Sentences:

• The Eiffel Tower is a romantic destination.
• Johnny is an Englishman.
• Ethan is studying to be an engineer.

2. Quantifiers

As the name suggests, quantifiers are used to express the quantity. It can answer the questions, “How much?” or “How many?” Some examples of quantifiers include: a few, enough, many, a little, most, some, any, and much.

Sample Sentences:

• I have enough money.
• We have much time.
• She has few friends.

3. Demonstratives

This kind of determiners demonstrates and functions as pointers of a particular noun. Basically, demonstratives indicate the position or location of a noun from the point of view of the speaker. Some examples of demonstratives include: this, these, that, and those.

The demonstrative “this” is used for singular nouns that are near the speaker, while “these” is for plural nouns that are also close by. On the other hand, the demonstrative “that” is for a singular noun that is further away, and “those” is for plural nouns that are also far from the speaker.

Sample Sentences:

• This laptop is mine.
• That car is my uncle’s.
• These cookies taste great.

4. Possessives

This type of determiners is used to express possession or ownership of a noun. Possessive determiners are different from possessive pronouns, because possessive pronouns can be independent or can stand alone. Some examples of possessives include: my, his, mine, our, their, and her.

Sample Sentences:

• This is my car.
• Is this his house?
• Her mom is very pretty.

5. Interrogatives

As the term implies, the interrogative determiners are used for asking questions. The three examples of interrogatives are: what, whose, and which.

Sample Sentences:

• What toppings do you want for your frozen yogurt?
• Which school do you prefer?
• Whose baby are you watching?

What are the Definition and Functions of Possessive Adjectives?

As mentioned earlier, possessive adjectives are the words used to show a form of possession/ ownership or are used to express a close relationship with someone or something. Moreover, just like the article “the,” a possessive adjective also implies definiteness. Some of the most basic possessive adjectives that are commonly used in the English language are: my, your, our, its, her, his, their, and whose (interrogative).

Examples:

• Whose bag is this?

In this interrogative sentence, the italicized word “whose” is used to express ownership for the noun “bag.”

• That is his baseball cap.

In the sentence above, the possessive adjective “his” shows who owns the noun “baseball cap.”

• I think Lea will miss her

Although the possessive adjective “her” is used in the sample sentence above, it does not necessarily mean that Lea owns the “flight.” The phrase “her flight” just refers to the flight that Lea will take and travel on.

• My mother is here.

Obviously, one cannot own a specific person. So in this example, the possessive adjective “my” indicates a close personal relationship with the noun “mother.”

• I really like your

In the sentence above, the possessive adjective “your” shows who owns the noun “jacket.”

Other Examples:

• His name is Kevin.
• Her name is Michaela.
• Our cat is always licking its
• We sold our dune buggy yesterday.
• The children thanked their

What is the Difference Between Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns?

Although the possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns are closely related and can sometimes be confusing, it is actually very easy to differentiate one from the other. Basically, you just have to remember that possessive pronouns are used in place of a noun. Take a look at the example below:

Gian’s jacket is black. Hers is brown.

In the sentence above, instead of mentioning another name (noun), the possessive pronoun “hers” is used as a replacement.

On the other hand, possessive adjectives are used to modify a noun and just like ordinary adjectives, they are located before the word that it describes. For example:

My dirt bike is faster than his moped.

What are the Different Forms of Possessive Adjectives?

Below are the different forms of possessive adjectives:

The 1^st person possessive adjectives “my” and “our” can be used for both male and female owners. However, the possessive adjective “my” is for singular owners, while the possessive adjective “our” is for plural ones.

Example:

• We sold our dune buggy yesterday.

This means that the dune buggy does not solely belong to the speaker. It can be a family vehicle, for instance.

The 2nd person possessive adjective “your” can be used for both male and female owners, and also for both singular and plural owners.

Examples:

• Jack doesn’t have your phone number, Karen.In this sentence, the possessive adjective “your” is used for the singular owner of the phone number which is “Karen.”

• Kids, don’t forget to drink your

The possessive adjective “your” is used to show ownership for the noun “milk.” Take note that in this sentence, the milk belongs to the plural noun “kids.”

The 3^rd person possessive adjectives “her,” “his,” and “its” are all used if the owner is singular, while the 3^rd person possessive adjective “their” is used only if the owner is in its plural form. Moreover, the possessive adjective “her” is obviously used if the owner is a female and the possessive adjective “his” is for male owners.

Examples:

• His name is Kevin. (Kevin is a name for a male person)
• Her name is Michaela. (Michaela is obviously a name for a female person.)
• The children thanked their (The word “children” is the plural form of “child.” Therefore the 3^rd person possessive adjective “their” is appropriate to use.)

Additional Tips

The words “its” and “it’s” are almost the same except for the presence of an apostrophe in the second word. Although the apostrophe may seem trivial, it actually makes a big difference. Always remember that “it’s” is the contracted form of “it is” or “it has,” so basically if you want to use a possessive adjective in your sentence, you must use the one without an apostrophe.

Final Thoughts

Although possessive adjectives can be confusing at first, especially because they are closely related to possessive pronouns, do not get too intimidated by these. Just by studying the contents of this article and practicing constantly on the application of this kind of words, you will surely be able to fully understand the concept. Anyway, you probably already have been using possessive adjectives for a long time and you’re just not aware of it.

Definition of Descriptive Adjectives

The descriptive adjectives can be simply defined as the type of adjectives that are used to express the size, color, or shape of a person, a thing, an animal, or a place. They are used to provide more information to a noun by describing or modifying it.

Explanation of Descriptive Adjectives

From the definition above, it can be said that a descriptive adjective adds meaning to the noun that it modifies. This kind of adjective describes a noun in detail by giving an attribute to that particular word. You should kow that descriptive adjectives usually express things that are observable through the five senses (touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound).

If you find it hard to spot the descriptive adjectives in the sentence, you can ask the question:

“Which one?” or more appropriately, “What does it look like?” in reference to a noun.

Examples of Descriptive Adjectives

Fast

Muscular

Pink

The underlined words in the sample sentences below are some examples of descriptive adjectives.

• She brushed her long brown hair.
• The slender man appeared out of nowhere.
• You should always eat green leafy vegetables.
• The fat boy teased the small kids in the park.
• The spider has hairy legs.
• The old man asked the pretty girl for food.
• The extremely bright light almost blinded me.
• That thin girl is my best friend.
• The attractive guy fell off his black horse.
• I think he’s pretty short for his age.

Examples of Descriptive Adjectives in Literature

The underlined words in the sentences below are all examples of descriptive adjectives used in literary pieces.

• “This isn’t a romance. You’re not a damsel in distress and I’m not the handsome prince come to save you.” – C.J Roberts, Captive in the Dark
• “A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded.” – Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid
• “I learned a long time ago not to judge people by what they look like, sound like, or by the clothes they wear. Just because a house is nice and shiny out front doesn’t mean it’s not rotting on the inside.” – Sherrilyn Kenyon, Infinity
• “O Never give the heart outright,
  For they, for all smooth lips can say,
  Have given their hearts up to the play.”

– W.B Yeats, In the Seven Woods: Being Poems Chiefly of the Irish Heroic Age

• “His dark hair was swept to one side, like he’d just come from a walk on the beach. He looked even better than he had six months ago – tanner and taller, leaner and more muscular.” – Rick Riordan, The Mark of Athena
• “My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish white. My eyes are greyish blueish green, but I’m told they look orange in the night. My hair is reddish blondish brown, but it’s silver when it’s wet, and all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet.” – Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends
• “A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen.” – J.K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• “I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun.” – Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
• “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked.” – Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
• “Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.” – Dan Brown, Angels and Demons

Functions of Descriptive Adjectives

As the name suggests, the descriptive adjective is a kind of adjectives which is used to describe a noun. It does not only add meaning or provide additional information to a noun, but adds color to the entire text in general. Since there are a lot of nouns in the English language, there is also a very long list of descriptive adjectives available that can modify them.

Definition of Personality Adjectives

In its simplest sense, the personality adjective can be defined as the type of verb which is used to describe the character of a specific person. It does not focus on the physical appearance, but instead, on the personality traits of an individual.

Explanation of Personality Adjectives

As stated in the definition provided above, a personality adjective indicates the personality of an individual. Just to make sure that everyone’s on the same page, the word personality refers to the combination of various traits and qualities that form a person’s inner character. It does not express what a person looks like, but rather describes the attitude of that individual.

If you are having a hard time in identifying the personality adjective in a sentence, you can just ask the question:

“What is she/he like?” pertaining to the person in the sentence.

Examples of Personality Adjectives

The underlined words in the sample sentences below can be classified as personality adjectives.

• I was surprised to know that Carrie is actually a polite child.
• The people in our neighborhood are all friendly.
• He was such an irresponsible student!
• Despite of his achievements, Nico stays a humble person.
• As a child, she was very curious and observant.
• Celina is a moody self-conscious teenager.
• Dario is so selfish and egotistical! I hate him!
• My neighbor is a grouchy man.
• The lady next door is so generous. She always gives me homemade cookies.
• I think Walter is too self-confident and arrogant.

Examples of Personality Adjectives in Literature

The sentences below which are excerpted from famous literary pieces, contain some examples of personality adjectives (underlined words).

• “I am selfish. I am brave.” – Veronica Roth, Divergent
• “Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” – Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
• “If you’ve never been charged by an enthusiastic Cyclops wearing a flowered apron and rubber cleaning gloves, I’m telling you, it’ll wake you up quick.” – Rick Riordan, The Battle of the Labyrinth
• “Be compassionate,” Morrie whispered. And take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place.” – Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie
• “Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is it perennial as the grass.” – Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
• “No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious & charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.” – Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country
• “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” – Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear
• “You think that I am stubborn, but you are even more stubborn than me. You had a wonderful chance on your drive back to see one of the greatest sights on earth, the Grand Canyon, something every American should see at least once in his life.” – Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild
•  “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,…Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.” – C.S Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
• “I’m impulsive, and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then need me the next.” – Jamie McGuire, Beautiful Disaster

Functions of Personality Adjectives

As the name suggests, the main function of this type of adjective is to describe or express the character or personality of an individual. Instead of focusing on the outward appearance (e.g., fat; slim; ugly; gorgeous; tall; petite; neat; dirty), personality adjectives are more concerned with describing the inner character traits of a person. It can be used to describe both the positive personality traits and negative personality traits of an individual. Furthermore, since everyone has a different personality, the list of personality adjectives can seem endless.

• What is an adjective?
• What are the functions of adjectives?
• What are the different kinds of adjectives?
• What are the degrees of adjectives?

Aside from answering the basic questions and defining the related terms, various examples will also be included in this short write-up.

What is an Adjective and its Functions?

An adjective is a part of speech which describes, identifies, or quantifies a noun or a pronoun. So basically, the main function of an adjective is to modify a noun or a pronoun so that it will become more specific and interesting. Instead of just one word, a group of words with a subject and a verb, can also function as an adjective. When this happens, the group of words is called an adjective clause.

For example:

• For example: My brother, who is much older than I am, is an astronaut.

In the example above, the underlined clause modifies the noun ”brother.” But what if the group of words doesn’t have a subject and a verb? What do you think the resulting group of words will be called?

If you think it’s called an adjective phrase, you are right. As you might recall, phrases and clauses are both groups of words and the main difference is that clauses have subjects and verbs, while phrases don’t.

• For example: She is prettier than you.

What are the Different Kinds of Adjectives?

Now that you already know the answer to the question, “What is an adjective?” you should know that not all adjectives are the same. They modify nouns and pronouns differently, and just like the other parts of speech, there are different kinds of adjectives. These are:

1. Descriptive Adjectives

Among the different kinds of adjectives, descriptive adjectives are probably the most common ones. They simply say something about the quality or the kind of the noun or pronoun they’re referring to.

Examples:

• Erika is witty.
• She is tired.
• Adrian’s reflexes are amazing.

2. Adjectives of Number or Adjectives of Quantity

As the name suggests, this kind of adjective answers the question, “How many?” or “How much?”

Examples:

• Twenty-one students failed the exam.
• The plants need more water.

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives point out pronouns and nouns, and always come before the words they are referring to.

Examples:

• I used to buy this kind of shirts.
• When the old man tripped over that wire, he dropped a whole bag of groceries.

4. Possessive Adjectives

Obviously, this kind of adjectives shows ownership or possession. Aside from that, possessive adjectives always come before the noun.

Examples: 

• I can’t answer my seatwork because I don’t have a calculator.
• Trisha sold his dog.

5. Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives ask questions and are always followed by a noun.

Examples:

• What movie are you watching?
• Which plants should be placed over here?

What are the Degrees of Adjectives?

There are only three degrees or levels of adjectives (also known as degrees of comparison) namely, positive, comparative, and superlative. When you talk about or describe only a single person, place, or thing, you should use the positive degree.

Examples:

• She is a beautiful lady.
• It was a memorable trip.

If on the other hand, you are comparing two persons, places, or things, it is appropriate to use the comparative degree of the word. Normally, you will need to add “-er” to transform the word into its comparative form or add the word “more.” Also, the word “than” should be added after the adjective in the comparative degree.

Examples:

• This swimming pool is bigger than that one.
• Ashley is more intelligent than Aldrin.

*Note: For words ending in “y,” you should first change the “y” into “i,” and then add “-er” (e.g., lovely-lovelier; pretty- prettier; tasty- tastier)

Lastly, if you are comparing more than two things, the superlative form of the adjectives should be used and the word “the” should be added before the adjective. In order to transform the adjective into its superlative form, you just have to add the suffix “-est” or the word “most.”

Examples:

• That is by far, the tallest tree I have ever seen in my entire life.
• This is the most crucial match of the season.

*Note: For words ending in “y,” you should first change the “y” into “i,” and then add “-est” (e.g., lovely-loveliest; pretty- prettiest; tasty- tastiest)

Final Thoughts

This article entitled “Basic Grammar: What is an Adjective?” can be very helpful for beginners who want to improve their grammar skills and ace the English subject. If you really have a deep understanding of what is an adjective, you will surely be able to apply this concept to your compositions properly. Just remember that although adjectives seem a little trivial, an effective use of this part of speech can actually strengthen your writing.