
Adjectives or kata sifat (in Indonesian) are words used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun. Adjectives function to describe, explain, limit, or assess the quality of an object, place, person, or other things. In other words, adjectives add extra detail to a noun, making its meaning clearer.
1. Function of Adjectives
Adjectives serve to:
- Describe characteristics or qualities (size, color, shape, age, feeling, etc.)
- Indicate quantity or amount
- Determine the type or category
- Compare two or more objects
2. Types of Adjectives
a. Descriptive Adjectives
These adjectives describe the characteristics or qualities of a person or thing.
Examples:
- Big → He has a big house.
- Happy → She is a happy child.
- Blue → The sky is blue.
b. Quantitative Adjectives
These adjectives indicate the quantity or how much of something.
Examples:
- Some → I need some money.
- Few → There are only a few apples left.
- Many → He has many books.
c. Demonstrative Adjectives
These adjectives are used to point out specific items. They include this, that, these, and those.
Examples:
- This → This book is mine.
- That → That car is fast.
- These → These flowers are beautiful.
- Those → Those shoes are expensive.
d. Possessive Adjectives
These adjectives indicate ownership or relation to an object.
Examples:
- My → My bag is on the table.
- Her → Her house is beautiful.
- Their → Their car is new.
e. Interrogative Adjectives
Used to ask questions and placed before nouns. Common interrogative adjectives are which, what, and whose.
Examples:
- Which → Which dress do you like?
- What → What time is it?
- Whose → Whose book is this?
f. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives are used to show the most among three or more things.
Examples of Comparative Adjectives:
- Bigger → This house is bigger than that one.
- Happier → She is happier today.
Examples of Superlative Adjectives:
- Biggest → This is the biggest house in the neighborhood.
- Happiest → She is the happiest person I know.
3. Position of Adjectives in a Sentence
Adjectives are usually placed before the noun they describe. However, in some cases, adjectives can appear after linking verbs, such as be, seem, or feel.
Adjectives Before Nouns (Attributive Adjectives):
- A beautiful flower
- A tall man
Adjectives After Linking Verbs (Predicative Adjectives):
- The flower is beautiful.
- The man seems tall.
4. Degree of Comparison
Adjectives can be used to compare objects or people. There are three degrees of comparison:
a. Positive Degree
The basic level, without comparison.
Example:
- She is tall.
b. Comparative Degree
Used to compare two things.
Example:
- She is taller than her brother.
c. Superlative Degree
Used to show something is the most among three or more.
Example:
- She is the tallest in her class.
5. Sentence Examples Using Adjectives
Descriptive Adjectives
- The old man lives in a small house.
Quantitative Adjectives
- We have enough food for the trip.
Demonstrative Adjectives
- These apples are fresh, but those oranges are not.
Possessive Adjectives
- Her dog is very friendly.
Comparative Adjectives
- This test is harder than the last one.
Superlative Adjectives
- Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
6. Adjective Exercises
Practice 1: Choose the Correct Adjective
- I have a (big / bigger) house than my friend.
- This is the (most beautiful / more beautiful) painting in the gallery.
- She seems (happy / happier) today than yesterday.
Practice 2: Complete with the Correct Adjective
- The cake tastes ________ (delicious).
- He has a ________ (new) car.
- That building is ________ (tall).
Practice 3: Make Sentences with Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
- Comparative: ________________
- Superlative: ________________
Answers
Practice 1: Choose the Correct Adjective
- I have a bigger house than my friend.
- This is the most beautiful painting in the gallery.
- She seems happier today than yesterday.
Practice 2: Complete with the Correct Adjective
- The cake tastes delicious.
- He has a new car.
- That building is tall.
Practice 3: Make Sentences with Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
- Comparative: My car is faster than yours.
- Superlative: This is the biggest house in the neighborhood.
Adjective Multiple-Choice Exercise
- The flowers in the garden are…
a. Bright
b. Smelly
c. Dirty
d. Old - Her voice sounds…
a. Loud
b. Sharp
c. Beautiful
d. Rough - The house near the lake is very…
a. Small
b. Cozy
c. Dark
d. Smelly - This book is quite…
a. Thick
b. Light
c. Boring
d. Short - The air in the mountain is…
a. Dirty
b. Fresh
c. Hot
d. Dry - My friend’s new car looks…
a. Elegant
b. Noisy
c. Slow
d. Old - The coffee from that café tastes…
a. Sweet
b. Bitter
c. Sour
d. Spicy - The sky today is…
a. Cloudy
b. Rainy
c. Clear
d. Dark - Her explanation was very…
a. Confusing
b. Clear
c. Complicated
d. Useless - The blanket feels…
a. Rough
b. Soft
c. Hard
d. Cold - This movie is really…
a. Long
b. Boring
c. Exciting
d. Loud - The food at the restaurant is…
a. Expensive
b. Cheap
c. Spicy
d. Delicious - Their dog is very…
a. Aggressive
b. Friendly
c. Lazy
d. Energetic - The streets in the city are usually…
a. Empty
b. Crowded
c. Quiet
d. Clean - The shirt I bought is…
a. Expensive
b. Beautiful
c. Fashionable
d. Old - The water in the pool is…
a. Cold
b. Hot
c. Clear
d. Shallow - My teacher is very…
a. Kind
b. Strict
c. Funny
d. Boring - The hotel room was…
a. Dirty
b. Spacious
c. Small
d. Cheap - The cake you made is…
a. Sweet
b. Sour
c. Salty
d. Spicy - The music at the concert was…
a. Loud
b. Soft
c. Clear
d. Distorted - The dress she wore was…
a. Colorful
b. Plain
c. Elegant
d. Simple - The weather today is…
a. Hot
b. Chilly
c. Warm
d. Cold - His performance was…
a. Impressive
b. Awful
c. Mediocre
d. Fantastic - The soup tastes…
a. Bland
b. Spicy
c. Salty
d. Delicious - The mountains in the distance are…
a. Small
b. Tall
c. Majestic
d. Low - My bedroom is…
a. Messy
b. Tidy
c. Spacious
d. Cozy - The exam was…
a. Easy
b. Difficult
c. Fair
d. Hard - The flowers in the vase look…
a. Fresh
b. Wilted
c. Dead
d. Vibrant - The story in that book is…
a. Interesting
b. Boring
c. Confusing
d. Simple - The coffee is…
a. Hot
b. Cold
c. Bitter
d. Sweet
Answers:
- a. Bright
- c. Beautiful
- b. Cozy
- c. Boring
- b. Fresh
- a. Elegant
- b. Bitter
- c. Clear
- b. Clear
- b. Soft
- c. Exciting
- d. Delicious
- b. Friendly
- b. Crowded
- c. Fashionable
- a. Cold
- a. Kind
- b. Spacious
- a. Sweet
- a. Loud
- c. Elegant
- d. Cold
- a. Impressive
- d. Delicious
- c. Majestic
- a. Messy
- b. Difficult
- a. Fresh
- a. Interesting
- a. Hot
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Conclusion
Adjectives are an essential component in sentences as they provide additional information about nouns and pronouns. By using adjectives, we can make descriptions more specific and clear. Adjectives can be used in various forms and degrees to compare or evaluate objects, as well as to describe the quality and quantity of something.
Follow other English tutorials as well: What are Nouns and their Types, Understanding Regular and Irregular Verbs, Understanding Adverbs, Understanding Prepositions, Understanding Conjunctions, Understanding Interjections, Definition and Use of Subject, Predicate, Object, Simple Sentences, Complex Sentences, Compound Sentences, Simple Present Tense, Simple Past Tense, Understanding Pronouns