Descriptive Adjectives

Definition of Descriptive Adjectives

Before we leap into what a descriptive adjective is, let's first ensure we have a clear definition of adjectives.

Adjectives can be split into many different categories depending on their specific use or purpose. Some of the types of adjectives are:

• Descriptive adjectives (e.g., the pink flower, the film was interesting)
• Proper adjectives (e.g., Edwardian times, Chinese takeaway)
• Demonstrative adjectives (e.g., this gate, that mouse, those papers)
• Numeral adjectives (e.g., there were three elephants, he was the second in line)

Descriptive adjectives form one of the main groups of adjectives and have a specific definition.

Types of Descriptive Adjectives

There are three different categories that descriptive adjectives may fall into: comparative, superlative, or positive. We'll now have a look at each of these types in turn.

Comparative Descriptive Adjectives

Comparative descriptive adjectives are used to describe a noun or pronoun in relation to another noun or pronoun (it compares the two!). Comparisons use adjectives in the comparative degree, which usually involves adding the suffix -er to the end of a descriptive adjective.

Fig. 1. The girl on the left has darker hair than the girl on the right. - Can you identify the comparative descriptive adjective in this sentence?

Here's an example of a comparative descriptive adjective in a sentence:

Superlative Descriptive Adjectives

Superlative descriptive adjectives are similar to comparative descriptive adjectives as they are also used to describe nouns or pronouns by comparing them against others. There is a difference between these two types of adjectives, though.

You can usually identify a superlative by its suffix, as superlatives typically end with -st, -est, or -ist.

Here are some examples of superlative descriptive adjectives:

Fig. 2. Out of the possible holiday lets, the lake house had the nicest views. - Can you spot the superlative descriptive adjective in this sentence?

Positive Descriptive Adjectives

Positive descriptive adjectives differ from the two types of descriptive adjectives we've already discussed because they aren't used to make comparisons. These are purely descriptive words used to add detail to nouns and pronouns.

Here are some examples of positive descriptive adjectives:

Fig. 3. The ogre had green skin, a large hump, and pointy fangs. - Can you spot the positive descriptive adjectives in this sentence?

All positive descriptive adjectives can be turned into their comparative or superlative forms.

Examples of Descriptive Adjectives

Now that we've looked at the three types of descriptive adjectives, let's have a look at some examples of each being used in sentences.

Comparative Descriptive Adjectives

Superlative Descriptive Adjectives

Positive Descriptive Adjectives

Difference Between Adjectives and Descriptive Adjectives

The amount of different types of adjectives is disputed among different linguists. Some linguists (such as Bernardez, 2005) categorize adjectives into two types: descriptive and limiting.¹ Other linguists have come up with a much wider range of adjective categories, with Khamying (2007) stating that there are 11 different adjective classifications.²

Let's have a look at the differences between descriptive adjectives and the other possible types.

Descriptive vs. Limiting Adjectives

A descriptive adjective is an adjective that describes the features or a condition of something. Comparative, superlative, and positive descriptive adjectives all come under the category of descriptive adjectives.

Limiting adjectives are used to describe a limiting factor of a noun or pronoun. A limiting factor may be quantity, number, or another type of classification, such as belonging or nationality.

Some examples of limiting adjectives in sentences are:

Khamying's 11 Types of Adjectives

Unlike Bernardez, Kahmying² stated there are 11 different types of adjectives. Let's look at the 11 different categories and how they are defined.

• Descriptive adjectives

  • Used to describe qualities or attributes of nouns or pronouns (e.g., The garden flowers were pretty).

• Demonstrative adjectives

  • Used to describe a noun's position and plural vs. singular status (e.g., Jeni liked those flowers when she was last here).

• Proper adjectives

  • Used to describe the nationality of a noun or pronoun. These come from proper nouns and have the initial letter capitalized (e.g., A British man ordered Chinese food).

Fig. 4. Adjectives used to describe where food has come from (such as Chinese for Chinese food) can be defined as proper adjectives.

• Distributive adjectives

  • Used to differentiate a noun into separate parts (e.g., Every flower is unique).

• Interrogative adjectives

  • Used to change a noun into an interrogative form (e.g., Which of these flowers is for sale?).

• Possessive adjectives

  • Used to show the possession of a noun or pronoun (e.g., Craig took his scooter back).

• Quantitative adjectives

  • Used to describe quantities of nouns or pronouns (e.g., There were many flowers in the garden).

• Numeral adjectives

  • Used to describe an exact numeral quantity of nouns or pronouns (e.g., He was parked in the seventh bay from the house).

• Emphasizing adjectives

  • Used to emphasize a noun (e.g., They took their own drinks to the party).

• Exclamatory adjectives

  • Uses exclamatory interjections to modify a noun (e.g., What a disaster!)

• Relative adjectives

  • Used to modify a noun or pronoun and to introduce a relative phrase (e.g., When we've paid, you can pick whichever flowers you want).

Descriptive Adjectives List

We've covered all of the different types of adjectives and descriptive adjectives, so let's now finish off by recapping the three types of descriptive adjectives with some examples.

^{1 E. Bernardez. English Communication Arts 1. (2005).}

^{2 S. Khamying. Advanced English Grammar for High Learner. (2007).}