IV. ADJECTIVES Adjectives. -Words that limit or modify the meaning of a noun, pronoun, or word used as an equivalent of a noun, are called adjectives. In the sentence, I have bought five yoke of oxen, five limits the word yoke. In the sentence, That is a beautiful scene, the adjective beautiful modifies the word scene. Limiting Adjectives. — Limiting adjectives either point out the object that is named; or indicate the number or quantity. Limiting adjectives may be (1) pronominal adjectives; (2) numeral adjectives; or (3) articles. Pronominal Adjectives. When pronouns are joined to a noun, as Whose book is that? What plan do you recommend? Which road shall I take? they are called adjective pronouns, or pronominal adjectives. Numerals. Words denoting number are numeral adjectives. They are cardinal, as one, two, three, four, five, one thousand, two millions; and ordinal, as first, second, third, fourth, fifth, thousandth, two-millionth. Articles. - A, an, and the are known as articles. A is used before consonants, as, a man; an is used before vowels, as, an egg; the is used before either vowels or con sonants. Descriptive Adjectives. Adjectives that modify the meaning of the words to which they belong are called descriptive adjectives. Bright, cool, clear, green, white, intelligent, etc., are descriptive adjectives. Comparison of Adjectives. — The modification of an adjective by inflection or otherwise, to indicate degrees of the quality expressed, is called comparison. There are three degrees of comparison, the positive, the comparative, and the superlative. Positive Degree. The positive degree is the simple form of the adjective; as, small, fine, sweet, happy, discreet, picturesque. Comparative Degree. The comparative degree indicates a higher or lower degree of the quality expressed in the positive degree; as, smaller, finer, sweeter, happier, less picturesque. The comparative degree considers but two objects. Superlative Degree. The superlative degree denotes the highest or lowest degree of the quality expressed by the positive degree. The superlative degree considers three or more objects. Methods of Comparison. - Adjectives are compared in three ways. 1. Adjectives of one syllable, and some adjectives of two syllables, are compared by adding r or er to the positive, for the comparative; and st or est for the superlative. As, POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE 2. Some adjectives of two syllables and all adjectives of three syllables are compared by prefixing more or less to the positive for the comparative; and most or least for the superlative. As, 4. Some adjectives lack the positive degree; as, further, outer, inner, upper. Some Adjectives Not Compared. On account of their meaning, some adjectives do not admit of comparison. Numbers, of course, come under this head. Some writers do not consider that adjectives denoting color can be compared. Pronominal and indefinite adjectives, and the articles a, an, and the, cannot be compared. Cautions Concerning the Use of Adjectives. 1. Do not use too many adjectives. Anything like the excessive use of adjectives tends to weaken the style. 2. Do not say "different than." correct. This expression is in 3. Be careful in your use of this and that, these and those, with the words kind and sort. If the noun modified is singular, the word modifying it must also be singular. I do not like this kind of flower. Can you tell the names of these kinds of apples? 4. Do not use a after kind of and sort of. What kind of man is he? Not, what kind of a man. 5. Watch your use of than after the comparative. I like this house better than any other house; not than any house, which would imply that this was not a house. Equivalents for Adjectives. 1. A noun used in apposition with another noun; as, George Eliot, the novelist, was a writer of marked ability. Here novelist, a noun, has the function of an adjective, as has also a noun in the possessive case, as, Eliot's novels. 2. A noun used as an adjective; as, They decided to build a brick sidewalk. There is a good example of a macadam road. They sang an old college song. That is for campaign purposes. 3. A prepositional phrase; Who could ever forget her labor of love? Com 4. Participles; as, A penny saved is a penny earned. ing events cast their shadows before. They fled in time from the burning building. 5. Participial phrases; as, Soldiers like the Hessians, hired to serve a foreign country, are seldom respected. 6. Relative clauses; The man that hath no music in his soul is fit for treasons. 7. Pronouns with an adjective use (pronominal adjectives); as, Whose book is that? Their home is pleasant. Constructions of Adjectives. — Adjectives that describe or limit are said to be attributive in construction. When the adjective describes or limits, and at the same time adds to the predicate, it is called a predicate adjective. Predicate adjectives may be attributive or objective complements, as in The ground is white with snow, where white is an attributive complement. I think I shall paint my boat white this year. Here, white is used as an objective (factitive) complement. The object boat receives the action of the transitive verb shall paint in such a way as to produce a change in the object. It becomes white. is called factitive. EXERCISE IN DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES This use Weaving in Words. Let one pupil tell orally the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Make in class a list of descriptive adjectives such as might well apply to the little girl, the pathway through the forest, her grandmother, the cottage in which she dwelt, the wolf, its appearance, and its voice. Then write the story, weaving in words of the list. EXERCISES BASED ON PICTURES A Nook in the Woods. When and where did you come upon such a spot as this? Were you out with your dog and gun, after rabbits; or hunting with the camera; or gathering ferns; or out with your school fellows for field daisies or marguerites; or just out for a stroll, alone or with a chum ? or is it a nook on the old farm where you used to live not so long ago? Is it north, east, south, or west? it. 1. Tell the class about 2. A Picnic. - Write or give orally an account of a day's outing, spent in some such spot as this. Photograph by Elmer L. Foote. A NOOK IN THE WOODS. There is a pleasure in the pathless woods. 3. In Camp. The brook doesn't show here. minds you of the camp you occupied one summer. V. VERBS Verbs. Of the parts of speech, the most important are the verbs. Verbs assert being, action, or state. are transitive or intransitive. They Transitive Verbs. A verb is said to be transitive if the action represented by it is not completed in the verb itself, but passes over from the subject to the object. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Here, the action is said to pass over from |