Effective English
for Colleges
11th Edition
Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5
ADJECTIVES
© 2006 SOUTH-WESTERN EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING
Learning Objectives
1
To recognize adjectives
2
To distinguish limiting adjectives from
descriptive adjectives
3
To use adjectives effectively
4
To place adjectives appropriately
5
To use adjectives to make accurate
comparisons
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 2
Adjective Basics
 Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.
 The two kinds of adjectives are
 limiting
adjectives.
 descriptive adjectives.
 Limiting adjectives indicate how many or
which persons, places, things, or concepts
are involved.
Refer to CHECKPOINT 1.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 3
Limiting Adjectives
 Proper use of a and an
 Some words can be used both as limiting
adjectives and as pronouns.
When they modify nouns or pronouns, they
function as adjectives.
 When they serve as subjects or objects, they
function as pronouns.

Refer to CHECKPOINTS 2 and 3.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 4
Limiting Adjectives
(continued)
 Agreement between limiting adjectives and
nouns
 Two limiting adjectives—which and what—are
also called interrogative adjectives and are
used in direct questions.
 used in indirect questions in which someone
else’s question is restated.

Refer to CHECKPOINTS 4 and 5.
Refer to APPLICATIONS 5-1 through 5-3.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 5
Descriptive Adjectives
 Descriptive adjectives modify nouns and describe
their characteristics and qualities

Limiting adjectives always precede descriptive adjectives.

If two or more descriptive adjectives independently modify
the same noun and the order of the adjectives can be
reversed, insert a comma between the two adjectives.
 Many descriptive adjectives can be recognized by
characteristic endings.
Refer to CHECKPOINTS 6 and 7
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 6
Proper & Compound Adjectives
 Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns
and are usually capitalized.
 Compound adjectives are formed by combining two
or more words into a single modifier expressing a
single characteristic.


When compound adjectives precede the modified noun,
they are usually hyphenated.
When they follow the modified noun, they are usually not
hyphenated.
Refer to CHECKPOINTS 8 and 9.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 7
Placement of
Descriptive Adjectives
1
Before the noun
2
After a linking verb
3
After the noun
4
At the beginning of the sentence
Refer to CHECKPOINT 10.
Refer to APPLICATIONS 5-4 and 5-5.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 8
Descriptive Adjectives
in Comparisons
POSITIVE
DEGREE
COMPARATIVE
DEGREE
Used to modify
nouns without
making a
comparison or to
make a
comparison
indicating equality
Used to compare
two items, one of
which is inferior or
superior to the
other in some
respect
SUPERLATIVE
DEGREE
Used to compare
three or more
items, one of
which is the best
or worst of all in
some respect
Refer to CHECKPOINT 11.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 9
More About Comparisons
 Logical phrasing in the comparative degree
 Comparison of similar things in the
comparative degree
 Double comparisons using as and than
Refer to CHECKPOINTS 12 through 14.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 10
More About Comparisons
(continued)
 Use of the descriptive adjectives preferable,
superior, and inferior in comparisons
 Special distinctions in the forms and uses of
farther/further, later/latter, latest/last, fewer/less
Refer to CHECKPOINTS 15 and 16.
Refer to APPLICATIONS 5-6 and 5-7.
Refer to CHAPTER 5 REVIEW.
Refer to APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
Effective English for Colleges, 11e, by Hulbert & Miller
Chapter 5, Slide 11