Grammar 101: Adjectives, Adverbs and Interjections
With examples from Tin Man, Harry Potter and Bones.
Nouns and verbs are the heavyweights of language. They're the VIP's and the movers and shakers of communication, and they really like the spotlight. But they don't do all the legwork themselves! On their own, nouns and verbs would be hopelessly stark, drab and vague. They need modifiers to define them, shine them and showcase them. Here's how you can use adjectives and adverbs to provide context and colour to your nouns and verbs.
Adjectives
Adjectives are modifiers of nouns. They tell us all the things we're dying to know about our nouns, and many things we're not. They modify nouns by way of description or limitation.
Descriptive adjectives provide qualitative information about their nouns and come in three syntactic flavours. Attributive adjectives tag along with the nouns they modify, appearing directly in front of them:
Glitch's tangled hair
Harry's livid scar
Brennan's literal interpretation
Predicative adjectives are joined to their nouns by a copula or linking verb, and the three together can form complete clauses:
Hogsmeade was dull this time of year. But then, it always seemed dull to Harry these days.
Appositive adjectives modify the noun nearest to them. They are offset by commas and can appear before or after the noun they modify.
Glitch tromped in, pink and beaming, tracking wet snow all over the foyer and singing Lurlinemas carols.
Limiting adjectives provide information that specifies their noun and distinguishes it from other nouns of its ilk. There are several types of adjective in this category, but they can be grouped loosely into uber-categories based on their functions.
Possessive, demonstrative and interrogative adjectives are all based on pronouns, and they all serve to identify which noun is being discussed.
Demonstrative: "Can I have this apple?" asked Glitch eagerly.
Possessive: "That's your apple, Glitch," sighed Cain.
Interrogative: "Which apple do you mean?" asked DG.
Numerical adjectives (cardinal and ordinal) specify the amount or rank of the noun.
Cardinal: Brennan managed to retrieve seven bone fragments from the crime scene.
Ordinal: It wouldn't be the first time she had to reconstruct a murder with impartial remains.
Indefinite adjectives de-specify their nouns. Instead of identifying which noun is meant, they indicate when many or any nouns will do.
"We'll stand by you, Harry," said Hermione, "whatever decision you make."
"Any mission would be better than this," said DG, slumping down in her damask dining chair.
"If either of you have any ideas, feel free to share them," said Dr. Saroyan, immediately regretting her words.
Articles are adjectives to use when demonstrative adjectives are too decisive or indefinite adjectives are too expansive. The definite article is the. It's used when a specific noun is intended but not pointed out in the text because the noun in question has already been specified, or because the identity of the noun is self exlplanatory.
"We've decided to hide the Emerald again," said Azkadellia.
"Which emerald?" asked Glitch curiously.
"There's only one Emerald, Glitch."
The indefinite article (a when the noun it modifies starts with a consonant and an when it starts with a vowel) modifies a single noun without specifying which noun it is. Unlike the indefinite adjective, it doesn't indicate that the noun is not specific, it just neglects to note that it is.
"Pass me a syringe, Zach," said Hodgens.
"Which syringe?" said Zach, frowning.
"Any syringe! It doesn't matter which syringe."
"Well, how would I know that if you didn't say so!"
Adverbs
Just as adjectives modify nouns, adverbs modify verbs.
Leona smiled winningly as she whomped Ambrose soundly on the head.
Or adjectives.
"You're awfully mean," he snuffed.
Or whole clauses.
"Obviously, you're a bad judge of character," she retorted.
Or other adverbs!
"I can judge characters very well!" wailed Ambrose, stamping his feet.
As the above examples illustrate, most adjectives can be transformed into adverbs by the addition of -ly to their backsides. Other adverbs, such as very, often or soon are adverbs in their own right. Some adverbs, such as "well" can be both adjective and adverb, while others do double duty as other parts of speech. Many a preposition might misplace its object only to find itself adverbially inclined.
"Put me down!" he howled desperately.
They're promiscuous little scamps, adverbs are. The key to identifying adverbs is, if it answers the question how, when, where or to what degree and it modifies anything but a noun, it's probably an adverb.
Most Bestest Ever: A Question of Degree
Adjectives and adverbs describing states that can exist in varying degrees are known as gradable modifiers. They can exist in the positive, comparative or superlative degree, and are formed as follows:
Modifiers that have two or fewer syllables (excluding adverbs that end in -ly and a few exceptions) get tacked with an -er to become comparative and an -est to become superlative:
happy, happier, happiest
soon, sooner soonest
Modifiers with more than two syllables (and -ly adverbs) are constructed with "more" or "most"... which are also adverbs!
happily, more happily, most happily
beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
Occasionally, you will come across an irregular modifier that doesn't follow any template or rule of thumb.
good, better, best
well, better best
Interjections
Interjections are little bits of language stuck into sentences willy-nilly in order to convey feeling. They stand apart from the rest of the sentence, barricaded by punctuation, and convey fully formed, if primitive ideas all on their own. In this odd little linguistic backwater, you might find any or all of the following phrases:
Oh no!
Aha!
Dear me.
Indeed!
Well!
Eureka!
Ye gods and little fishes!
Oooh!
Ow!
Whee!
Yikes!
Ha!
Ho!
Huh.
Ho-hum.
My stars and garters!
So when you set out to make your sentences sparkly and snazzy, remember: adjectives are for nouns, adverbs are for everything else, and interjections are every phenome for itself.
Sources:
The Basic Elements of English, University of Calgary
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed, Karen Elizabeth Gordon
The English Language Centre, University of Victoria
Nouns and verbs are the heavyweights of language. They're the VIP's and the movers and shakers of communication, and they really like the spotlight. But they don't do all the legwork themselves! On their own, nouns and verbs would be hopelessly stark, drab and vague. They need modifiers to define them, shine them and showcase them. Here's how you can use adjectives and adverbs to provide context and colour to your nouns and verbs.
Adjectives
Adjectives are modifiers of nouns. They tell us all the things we're dying to know about our nouns, and many things we're not. They modify nouns by way of description or limitation.
Descriptive adjectives provide qualitative information about their nouns and come in three syntactic flavours. Attributive adjectives tag along with the nouns they modify, appearing directly in front of them:
Glitch's tangled hair
Harry's livid scar
Brennan's literal interpretation
Predicative adjectives are joined to their nouns by a copula or linking verb, and the three together can form complete clauses:
Hogsmeade was dull this time of year. But then, it always seemed dull to Harry these days.
Appositive adjectives modify the noun nearest to them. They are offset by commas and can appear before or after the noun they modify.
Glitch tromped in, pink and beaming, tracking wet snow all over the foyer and singing Lurlinemas carols.
Limiting adjectives provide information that specifies their noun and distinguishes it from other nouns of its ilk. There are several types of adjective in this category, but they can be grouped loosely into uber-categories based on their functions.
Possessive, demonstrative and interrogative adjectives are all based on pronouns, and they all serve to identify which noun is being discussed.
Demonstrative: "Can I have this apple?" asked Glitch eagerly.
Possessive: "That's your apple, Glitch," sighed Cain.
Interrogative: "Which apple do you mean?" asked DG.
Numerical adjectives (cardinal and ordinal) specify the amount or rank of the noun.
Cardinal: Brennan managed to retrieve seven bone fragments from the crime scene.
Ordinal: It wouldn't be the first time she had to reconstruct a murder with impartial remains.
Indefinite adjectives de-specify their nouns. Instead of identifying which noun is meant, they indicate when many or any nouns will do.
"We'll stand by you, Harry," said Hermione, "whatever decision you make."
"Any mission would be better than this," said DG, slumping down in her damask dining chair.
"If either of you have any ideas, feel free to share them," said Dr. Saroyan, immediately regretting her words.
Articles are adjectives to use when demonstrative adjectives are too decisive or indefinite adjectives are too expansive. The definite article is the. It's used when a specific noun is intended but not pointed out in the text because the noun in question has already been specified, or because the identity of the noun is self exlplanatory.
"We've decided to hide the Emerald again," said Azkadellia.
"Which emerald?" asked Glitch curiously.
"There's only one Emerald, Glitch."
The indefinite article (a when the noun it modifies starts with a consonant and an when it starts with a vowel) modifies a single noun without specifying which noun it is. Unlike the indefinite adjective, it doesn't indicate that the noun is not specific, it just neglects to note that it is.
"Pass me a syringe, Zach," said Hodgens.
"Which syringe?" said Zach, frowning.
"Any syringe! It doesn't matter which syringe."
"Well, how would I know that if you didn't say so!"
Adverbs
Just as adjectives modify nouns, adverbs modify verbs.
Leona smiled winningly as she whomped Ambrose soundly on the head.
Or adjectives.
"You're awfully mean," he snuffed.
Or whole clauses.
"Obviously, you're a bad judge of character," she retorted.
Or other adverbs!
"I can judge characters very well!" wailed Ambrose, stamping his feet.
As the above examples illustrate, most adjectives can be transformed into adverbs by the addition of -ly to their backsides. Other adverbs, such as very, often or soon are adverbs in their own right. Some adverbs, such as "well" can be both adjective and adverb, while others do double duty as other parts of speech. Many a preposition might misplace its object only to find itself adverbially inclined.
"Put me down!" he howled desperately.
They're promiscuous little scamps, adverbs are. The key to identifying adverbs is, if it answers the question how, when, where or to what degree and it modifies anything but a noun, it's probably an adverb.
Most Bestest Ever: A Question of Degree
Adjectives and adverbs describing states that can exist in varying degrees are known as gradable modifiers. They can exist in the positive, comparative or superlative degree, and are formed as follows:
Modifiers that have two or fewer syllables (excluding adverbs that end in -ly and a few exceptions) get tacked with an -er to become comparative and an -est to become superlative:
happy, happier, happiest
soon, sooner soonest
Modifiers with more than two syllables (and -ly adverbs) are constructed with "more" or "most"... which are also adverbs!
happily, more happily, most happily
beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
Occasionally, you will come across an irregular modifier that doesn't follow any template or rule of thumb.
good, better, best
well, better best
Interjections
Interjections are little bits of language stuck into sentences willy-nilly in order to convey feeling. They stand apart from the rest of the sentence, barricaded by punctuation, and convey fully formed, if primitive ideas all on their own. In this odd little linguistic backwater, you might find any or all of the following phrases:
Oh no!
Aha!
Dear me.
Indeed!
Well!
Eureka!
Ye gods and little fishes!
Oooh!
Ow!
Whee!
Yikes!
Ha!
Ho!
Huh.
Ho-hum.
My stars and garters!
So when you set out to make your sentences sparkly and snazzy, remember: adjectives are for nouns, adverbs are for everything else, and interjections are every phenome for itself.
Sources:
The Basic Elements of English, University of Calgary
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed, Karen Elizabeth Gordon
The English Language Centre, University of Victoria