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An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.

 

In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:

 

<dl style="font: 10px/normal Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #353535; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><dd>The truck-shaped balloon floated over the treetops.</dd><dd>Mrs. Morrison papered her kitchen walls with hideous wall paper.</dd><dd>The small boat foundered on the wine dark sea.</dd><dd>The coal mines are dark and dank.</dd><dd>Many stores have already begun to play irritating Christmasmusic.</dd><dd>A battered  box sat on the mahogany sideboard.</dd><dd>The back room was filled with large, yellow rain boots.</dd></dl>

 

An adjective can be modified by an adverb, or by a phrase or clausefunctioning as an adverb. In the sentence

 

<dl style="font: 10px/normal Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #353535; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><dd>My husband knits intricately patterned mittens.</dd></dl>

 

for example, the adverb "intricately" modifies the adjective "patterned."

 

Some nouns, many pronouns, and many participle phrases can also act as adjectives. In the sentence

 

<dl style="font: 10px/normal Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #353535; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><dd>Eleanor listened to the muffled sounds of the radio hiddenunder her pillow.</dd></dl>

 

for example, both highlighted adjectives are past participles.

 

Grammarians also consider articles ("the," "a," "an") to be adjectives.

 

 

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