Chapter 5Adjectives and

Adverbs

Dear Alice,We hiked and camped. We saw flowers and climbed trails.--Gomez

What would you think if you received the postcard message? It’s kind of boring, isn’t it? To give a better sense of what it was like to be there, the writer could add words describing what he saw and did.

We hiked endlessly and camped late. We saw mountain flowers and carefully climbed steep trails.

We hiked endlessly and camped late. We saw mountain flowers and carefully climbed steep trails.

The words writers use to describe people, places, and things are adjectives. The words they use to describe actions are adverbs. What adjectives and adverbs would you use to describe the picture on the postcard above?

Write Away: Wish You Were Here!

• Create a postcard of one of your favorite outdoor places.

• On one side, describe the place and what you did there.

• Illustrate the other side with a picture of what you have described.

• Save your postcard in your Working Portfolio.

An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or a pronoun.

MODIFIES

A heavy rainstorm soaked the campsite.ADJECTIVE NOUN ( What kind of rain? )

Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell all the experiences you read about.

Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell all the experiences you read about.

Notice how adjectives make the second sentence in this pair more descriptive. Coyotes startled the campers.  Noisy coyotes startled the sleepy campers.

Adjectives answer the questions:

what kind, which one, how many, and how much.

Adjectives

What kind?green backpack

sturdy tent

spicy stew

Which oneor ones?

last hamburger

third hikeevery lantern

How many orhow much?

two flashlights

many insects

little moonlight

What kind?

round roofwaterproof floor

Which one or ones?

only dooreach window

How many? Several tent stakestwo people

Articles

The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the.

Articles

The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the.

A and an are used with singular nouns.

ArticlesThe most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the. A and an are used with singular nouns.

Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound. a tent a candle a lamp

ArticlesThe most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the.

A and an are used with singular nouns.

Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound.

a tent a candle a lamp

Use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound.

an axe an elephant an unusual night

Articles

The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea.

Articles

The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea. You can use the with singular or plural nouns.

Articles

The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea. You can use the with singular or plural nouns.

The hiker tripped on the trail and dropped the cameras.

Articles

Use the when you want to refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

Use a and an when you want to be less specific.

Did the team leader bring a first-aid kit?

Articles

Use the when you want to refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

Use a and an when you want to be less specific.

Did the team leader bring a first-aid kit?

ONE SPECIFIC LEADER ANY FIRST-AID KIT

Proper Adjectives

Many adjectives are formed from common nouns.

Proper Adjectives

Many adjectives are formed from common nouns.

Nouns and AdjectivesNoun Adjective

rain rainy

scene scenic

beauty beautiful

Proper AdjectivesA proper adjective is formed from a proper noun.Proper adjectives are always capitalized.

Proper Nouns and Proper AdjectivesProper Nouns Proper Adjectives

China Chinese

Ireland Irish

Mars Martian

Why It Matters in Writing

Adjectives provide important details about the nouns they describe.

Why It Matters in WritingImagine this description without adjectives.

Literary Model: Max came last. He was lugging a new knapsack that contained a cast-iron frying pan, a packet of hot dogs, and a box of saltine crackers—plus two bottles. One bottle was mustard, the other, celery soda. He also had a bag of Tootsie Rolls and a shiny hatchet. “To build a lean-to,” he explained.

Why It Matters in Writing

Imagine this description without adjectives.

Literary Model: Max came last. He was lugging a knapsack that contained a frying pan, a packet of hot dogs, and a box of crackers—plus bottles. One bottle was mustard, the other, soda. He also had a bag of Tootsie Rolls and a hatchet. “To build a lean-to,” he explained.