Free Grammar Help—Words—Adjectives

By Peter J. Francis, HGPublishing Editor

Definition: Adjectives are words that modify nouns. Click here to see types of adjectives.

Like adverbs, adjectives can be single words or phrases. I could say “I live in a brown house.” The adjective is “brown.” I could add an adjectival phrase which adds more information about the house: “I live in a brown house on a curving street across from the sea.” The whole phrase “…on a curving street across from the sea” is an adjectival phrase providing more information about the house.

Now here’s a question I get a lot: “I am good” or “I am well.” It’s confusing because the word “well” has two meanings. One is as an adjective, describing how an action is performed. “He writes well.” It also is a state of health. The rule is that you should use an adjective to modify the subject after a linking verb. That means use “well.” But you could also say “My health is good.” On the other hand, if you are six years old and you want to tell about your behavior to Grandma, you can say “I am good.”

Examples: the adjectives are in red. The nouns they modify are in blue.

I am attending an online college.

I write long term papers.

I would like to travel to a hot climate.

I want to buy a fast computer.

My sister just bought a new car.

I want to vote for the best candidate.

Learning English online is a challenging task.

I'm glad I came to HGPublishing.com for free grammar help.

There are actually several types of adjectives. Click here to see other types of adjectives.