Cohesive Devices - Exercise

Adjectives: Painting Pictures with Words

Adjectives are like the artists of the English language. They give color, shape, and detail to our nouns, making our sentences vivid and expressive. In this article, we'll explore the world of adjectives, understanding their different types and how they help us describe the world around us.

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives are the most common type. They paint a picture by providing details about a noun's characteristics. Here are some examples:

1. green - She has a green car. (Descriptive adjective "green" describes the color of the car.)
2. tall - He is a tall basketball player. (Descriptive adjective "tall" describes the height of the player.)
3. delicious - That was a delicious meal. (Descriptive adjective "delicious" describes the taste of the meal.)

Descriptive adjectives help us create clear mental images of the things we're talking about.

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives help us point out or identify specific nouns. There are four of them: this, that, these, and those. Examples:

1. this - This book is interesting. (Demonstrative adjective "this" points to a specific book.)
2. those - I like those shoes. (Demonstrative adjective "those" points to specific shoes.)
3. that - That dog is cute. (Demonstrative adjective "that" points to a specific dog.)

Demonstrative adjectives help us specify which particular thing or things we're talking about.

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show ownership or possession. They include my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Examples:

1. my - This is my bicycle. (Possessive adjective "my" shows ownership.)
2. your - Is this your phone? (Possessive adjective "your" shows ownership.)
3. their - Their house is big. (Possessive adjective "their" shows ownership.)

Possessive adjectives help us indicate who owns or possesses something.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives compare two or more things, while superlative adjectives indicate the highest degree. Examples:

1. bigger - This house is bigger than that one. (Comparative adjective "bigger" compares two houses.)
2. best - She is the best singer in the choir. (Superlative adjective "best" indicates the highest degree of singing skill.)

Comparative and superlative adjectives help us make comparisons and emphasize the most outstanding qualities.

Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about nouns. There are two: which and what. Examples:

1. which - Which book do you prefer? (Interrogative adjective "which" asks about a specific book choice.)
2. what - What movie are we watching? (Interrogative adjective "what" asks about a specific movie.)

Interrogative adjectives help us gather information by posing questions about nouns.

Articles

English has two articles: the and a/an.

"The" is used when referring to specific or previously mentioned nouns, emphasizing that the speaker and listener share knowledge or understanding about the particular noun in question. It indicates a sense of definiteness.

"A/an" is used when referring to non-specific or unspecified nouns, suggesting that the speaker is introducing or mentioning the noun for the first time in the conversation. It implies an absence of definiteness or specificity.