KINDS OF ADJECTIVES

  Adjectives may be divided into the following classes:

Adjectives of quality ( or Descriptive Adjective)  show the kind or quality of a person or thing ; as,

   Kolkata is a large city.

He is an honest man.

The foolish old crow tried to sing.

This is a Grammar of the English * language.

[* Adjectives formed from Proper Nouns (e.g., French wines, Turkish tobacco, Indian tea, etc,) are sometimes called Proper Adjectives. They are generally classed with Adjectives of quality.]

   

Adjectives of Quality answer the question: Of what kind?

 Adjective of Quantity show how much of thing is meant; as,

     I ate some rice.

   He showed much patience.

   He has little intelligence.

  We have had enough exercise.

 He has lost all his wealth.

  You have no sense.

  He did not eat any rice.

  Take great care of your health.

  He claimed his half share of the booty.

  There has not been sufficient rain this year.

  The whole sum was expended.

Adjectives of Quantity answer the question: How much?

Adjectives of Number ( or numeral adjectives ) show show many persons or things are meant, or in what order a person or thing stands; as,

THE ADJECTIVE

THE ADJECTIVE

Read the following sentences “

1. Sita is clever girl. ( Girl of what kind ?)

2. I don’t like that boy. (Which boy?)

3. He gave me five mangoes. (How many mangoes?)

 4. there is little time for preparation. (How much time?)

In sentence 2, ‘that’ points out which boy is meant.

In sentence 3, ‘five’ shows how many mangoes he gave me.

In sentence 4, ‘little’ shows how much time there is for preparation.

A word used with a noun a describe or point out, the person, animal, place or thing which the noun names, or tell the number or quantity, is called an Adjective.

So we may define an Adjective as a word used with a noun to add something for its meaning.

[Adjective means added to.]

68. Look at the following sentences:

1. the lazy boy was punished.

NOUNS IN APPOSITION

Read the following sentence:

            Rama, our captain, made fifty run.

 We see that Rama and our captain are one and the same person. The noun captain follows the noun Rama simply to explain which Rama referred to.

When one noun follows another to describe it, the noun which follows is said to be in apposition to the noun which comes before it.

[ Apposition means placing near.]

A noun in apposition is in the same case as the noun which it explain.

In the above sentence the noun captain in apposition to the noun Rama, and is in the Nominative Case (because Rama is in the Nominative Case).

Further examples:

1.      Kabir, the great reformer, was a weaver.

2.      Yesterday I met your uncle, the doctor.

3.      Have you seen Ganguli, the artist’s drawings?

In sentence 1, the noun in apposition is  in the Nominative Case.

In sentence 2, the noun in apposition is in the Accusative Case. [Why?]

In sentence 3, the noun in apposition is in the Genitive Case. [Why?]

USE OF THE POSSESSIVE CASE

The  Possessive Case is now used chiefly with names of living thing; as,

The governor’s bodyground; the lion’s mane.

So we must say :

The leg of the table [not, the table’s leg].

                    The cover of the book [ not , the book’s cover].

                    The roof of the house [not, the house’s roof].

But Possessive is used with the names of personified* objects; as,

     

India’s heroes; Nature’s laws; fortune’s favourite; at duty’s call; at death’s door.

The Possessive is also  used with nouns denoting time, space or weight; as,

A day’s  march; a week’s holiday; in a year’s time; a stone’s throw; a foot’s length; a pounds’ weight.

The following phrases are also in common use:

FORMATION OF THE POSSESSIVE CASE

(1) When the noun is singular, the Possessive Case is formed by adding‘s to the noun; as,

The boy’s book; the king’s crown.

Note- the letter  s is omitted in a few words too many hissing sounds would come together; as,

 For conscience’ sake; for goodness’ sake;

For justice’ sake; for Jesus’ sake; Moses’ laws.

(2))When the noun is Plural, and ends in s, the Possessive Case is formed by adding only an apostrophe; as,

Boys’ school; girl’s school; horses’ tails..

(3)When noun is Plural but does not end in s, the Possessive sign is formed by adding’s as

  Men’s club; children’s books.

 When a noun or a title consists of several words , the Possessive sign is attached only to the last word; as,

 The King of Bhutan’s visit.

The Prime Mister of Mauritius’s  speech.

When two nouns are in apposition the possessive sign is put to the latter only; as,

    That is Tagore the poet’s house.

also when two nouns are closely connected, the possessive is put to the latter; as,

 Karim and Salim’s bakery.

William and Mary’s reign.

Each of two or more connected nouns implying separate possession must take the possessive sign; as,

  Raja Rao’s and R.K. Narayan’s novels.

Goldsmith’s and Cowper’s poems.