In English grammar, there exist several parts of speech. The parts of speech are sets of different words that we use to give meaning and beauty to our sentences. Adjectives are one such part of speech.
Adjectives are words that we use to describe or give meaning to a noun. They identify and modify a noun to provide a clear understanding of what we are referring to. Adjectives have broad classifications. One such classification is an adjective of quantity, and the other is adjective of quality.
Today we will focus on adjectives of qualities and understand their actual purpose and how and where they are used. Let us get right into it.
What is an adjective of quality?
Adjective of quality is also known as qualitative adjective or descriptive adjective. It is a type of adjective that indicates the kind or quality of something. In simple language, the adjective of quality defines the color, shape, and size of a noun. It can be anything, a person, animal, place, or thing.
These types of adjectives provide additional information about the noun or the subject of a sentence to provide a precise and clear understanding of the noun or the subject. It adds attributes and specialty to the nouns, giving the readers a better idea of the noun.
Let us try to understand with some examples;
The cat is lying on the floor.
This sentence seems incomplete and pretty dull because there is no proper information about the noun.
The naughty cat is lying on the floor.
This sentence looks clearer as the noun has a description.
Usage of the adjective of quality
Adjectives of quality should always be used in the right position in a sentence. Placing them anywhere can alter the meaning of the sentence and convey a wrong message. They must provide information and description of something and therefore should be placed in the right place.
There are different types of descriptive adjectives that have different purposes and usage. Let us briefly discuss them.
General adjectives of quality: these are used to provide general attributes to the noun, such as angry, dusty, hairy, etc.
Adjectives for color: they describe the color or complexion of a noun. Such as blue, white, black, dark, etc.
Adjectives of quality for shape and size: these describe the shapes and sizes such as long, tall, big, circle, flat, etc.
Adjectives of quality for feelings: it describes the emotions of the noun, such as sad, calm, happy, annoyed, cheerful, etc.
Adjectives of quality for personality: ambitious, courageous, hesitant, jealous, etc.
These are some basic types. There are many more to add, such as adjectives of appearance, adjectives of time, adjectives of sound, etc.
Some general examples of the above types;
- That dark blue lagoon is staring at you.
- I saw a tall, pretty girl waiting by the bus stop.
- That monstrous monkey chased the visitors.
It is also to note that two descriptive adjectives can be used together as long as they stand grammatically correct.
These are the basic points that one needs to keep in mind while using adjectives of quality. They are easy to learn once these points are clear.