NAME _________________
DATE ___________
Adjectives and the Words They Modify
12c.
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun.
To modify means “to describe” or “to make the meaning of a noun or a pronoun
more specific” by telling what kind, which one, how many, or how much. The
most frequently used adjectives—a, an, and the—are usually called articles.
EXAMPLES A storm that is approaching the coast is very dangerous.
Every resident in that area should evacuate immediately.
[A and the are articles. Dangerous modifies storm and tells what
kind. Every modifies resident and tells how many. That modifies
area and tells which one.]
EXERCISE A Underline the adjectives in the following sentences. Be sure
to include all articles.
Example 1. How cloudy and dark the sky looks!
1. The little electric car chugged over the steep hill and into the valley.
2. A bitter wind was blowing off the ocean the night that Keith heard the eerie
howling.
3. The unpublished story revealed a new side of Faulkner to the scholar.
4. The clear view of the distant ocean was slowly obstructed by the new
skyscraper.
5. The gray cat stretched itself out in the warm sunshine pouring through the
window.
Underlying content Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the underlying content are the responsibility of the instructor.
1
EXERCISE B In the following sentences, underline each adjective. Then,
draw an arrow from the adjective to the word it modifies. Do not include
the articles a, an, and the.
6. I heard a lovely piece of music on the portable radio this morning.
7. The red telephone on the desk rang loudly, startling the maintenance worker.
8. The sky is often clear this time of the year.
9. The kitten playfully dug its sharp claws into the old dog, who snapped at the
kitten.
10. Tony can bring fifteen chairs to the graduation party, if you need them.
11. Hang the apron on the little hook inside the pantry door and put the oven mitt
back in the left-hand drawer.
12. Many people don’t understand that a snowstorm can be dangerous.
13. This recipe makes a delicious pie, but it does call for ten apples.
14. Out of the bedroom window, Nils could see a young deer.
15. Why does Mr. Ecklund always use a red pencil to mark homework
assignments?
Underlying content Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the underlying content are the responsibility of the instructor.
2
Adjectives and the Words They Modify, p.9
EXERCISE A
1. The little electric car chugged over the steep hill and into the valley.
2. A bitter wind was blowing off the ocean the night that Keith heard the eerie
howling.
3. The unpublished story revealed a new side of Faulkner to the scholar.
4. The clear view of the distant ocean was slowly obstructed by the new
skyscraper.
5. The gray cat stretched itself out in the warm sunshine pouring through the
window.
EXERCISE B
Underlying content Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to
the underlying content are the responsibility of the instructor.
3