Adjectives and Descriptive Writing

BLUE

TWO

SANDY

CLEAR

BREEZY

SUNNY

TROPICAL

Imagery• Using figurative language to represent objects, actions,

and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.

• It needs the aid of figures of speech, like similes, metaphors, onomatopoeias, in order to appeal to the bodily senses.

• Examples:

“The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric.”

“I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and

spare grass.”

MAGIC Night Activity• Locate an example of imagery or immense descriptive

language in the novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.• Write it down on loose leaf along with the chapter and page

number.• Below, scribble the scene that would closely represent this

description.• Get teacher approval.• Mark off an inch from the bottom and write the description

again. Go over it with fine sharpie pen.• Create this scene formally on media paper using pencil first.

Paint. Name on back!• You only get one shot at this---if you mess up, figure out how

to fix it.• This will be a contest on who has the best art work!

What are adjectives?• Adjectives answer the following

questions:– What kind? (blue, square, rough)– Which one? (this, that, those)– How many? (a couple, a dozen, a pair, one)– How much? (plenty, few, some, many)• Adjectives describe or modify a noun to provide detail and increase interest in a topic.

Example: We went to the beach. It was hot.OR We went to the beautiful, sunny beach.

Predicate Adjective

• A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and describes the subject.

• EXAMPLE: The music is excellent.

• EXAMPLE: The beach towel looks old.

Capitalizing Proper Adjectives

• A proper adjective is an adjective formed from a proper noun. It begins with a capital letter.

Example of Proper Adjectives:JapaneseAmericanEgyptian

ItalianEnglish

GUIDED PRACTICEIdentify the adjectives in each sentence. Make

punctuation and grammar corrections as needed.Double check your answers with your shoulder

buddy.

1.The large old house is victorian.2.Most of the furniture in this room is asian.3.On the mantel is a small chinese vase.4.Are those beads korean?

HOMEWORK CHALLENGE

Imagine a place you dream to go or have been to. Describe this place in one paragraph using vivid adjectives. Include adjectives that answer all 4 questions, a predicate adjective, and an adjective that needs to be capitalized.

Types of Adjectives

• Comparative: these types of adjectives compare ONLY two things together.

Example: Malik is taller than Ms. Kelley.

**All you do is add –ER!

Try the following with a partner.

1. Which state is ____, Idaho or Wyoming?(bigger, biggest)

2. Is Yellowstone ____ than Yosemite?(better, best)

3. Is it ____ today than it was yesterday?(warmer, warmest)

Another Type of Adjective

• Superlative: this type of adjective compares one against all the rest—like best!

For example: Ms. Kelley is the shortest teacher in the whole school.

**All you do is add –EST!

Try it with a partner!1. Yellowstone is the nation’s ____ national

park.(larger, largest)

2. Its ____ mountain is Electric Peak.(higher, highest)

3. Yellowstone has the ____ number of hot springs of any park in the world.

(greater, greatest)

Adjectives with MORE and MOST

*For most adjectives that have two or more syllables, add the words more and most to form the comparative and superlative form.ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

DIFFICULT MORE DIFFICULT MOST DIFFICULT

COLORFUL MORE COLORFUL MOST COLORFUL

What NOT to do:

*Do NOT combine MORE and MOST with adjectives ending in –er and –est.

CORRECT: Herons are larger than sea gulls.

INCORRECT: Herons are more larger than sea gulls.

YIKES!

IRREGULAR COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE

ADJECTIVESADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE

SUPERLATIVE

GOOD BETTER BESTBAD WORSE WORSTMUCH, MANY

MORE MOST

LITTLE LESS LEAST

Guided Practice

Tell the comparative and superlative form of each adjective.

1.Exciting2.Little3.Rewarding4.Bad5.Good

Articles and Demonstratives

• Articles: special adjectives using before nouns such as a, as, and the . A is used before words beginning with a consonant. An is used before words that begin with a vowel.

For example: The telescope was mounted on a large tripod.

• Demonstratives: adjectives that tell which one.

For example: This planet is nearer to the sun than that star.

Guided Practice

Tell which word correctly completes each sentence.

1.The astronomers are observing (a, the) sky.2.This observatory has (a, an) enormous telescope.3.We made a visit to (a, an) observatory.4.The sky was very clear (that, those) evening.5.(This, These) chart shows the constellation Pisces.