Agreement of adjectives refers to the way adjectives change or match the nouns they describe in a sentence. In English, this means that adjectives need to “agree” with the nouns they modify in terms of number and sometimes gender.
Here’s what it means in practical terms:
Number Agreement:
- If a noun is singular (referring to one thing), the adjective that describes it must also be in the singular form. For example: “a happy cat” (singular noun) needs “a happy cat” (singular adjective).
- If a noun is plural (referring to more than one thing), the adjective should be in the plural form. For example: “two happy cats” (plural noun) requires “two happy cats” (plural adjective).
Gender Agreement:
- In English, most adjectives are gender-neutral, meaning they don’t change based on the gender of the noun they modify. For example: “a smart student” and “a smart teacher” both use the same adjective “smart” for different genders.
- In some cases, there are gender-specific adjectives that change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine. For example: “a handsome boy” and “a beautiful girl” use different gender-specific adjectives.
Number Agreement of Adjectives
Number agreement of adjectives is a simple grammar rule that makes sure adjectives match the number of the nouns they describe. In other words, it’s about using the right form of the adjective (singular or plural) to match whether the noun is talking about one thing (singular) or more than one thing (plural).
Let’s break it down:
1. Singular Nouns:
- When a noun refers to only one thing, we say it is singular. For example, “a cat” or “a book” are singular nouns.
- To describe a singular noun, the adjective that goes with it should also be in the singular form. For instance, “a happy cat” or “an old book.”
2. Plural Nouns:
- When a noun refers to more than one thing, we say it is plural. For example, “cats” or “books” are plural nouns.
- To describe a plural noun, the adjective should be in the plural form. For instance, “happy cats” or “old books.”
In short, you match the number of the adjective with the number of the noun it’s describing. If the noun is singular, use a singular adjective, and if the noun is plural, use a plural adjective.
Examples:
- Singular noun with singular adjective: “a big house” (one house)
- Plural noun with plural adjective: “three small dogs” (multiple dogs)
So, when you’re writing or speaking in English, pay attention to whether the noun you are describing is singular or plural, and then choose the appropriate form of the adjective to match it.
Examples list of Adjectives with singular nouns
Here are some examples of adjectives that go with singular nouns:
A happy child
An interesting book
A beautiful flower
A tall building
A clever student
A delicious meal
An expensive watch
A blue sky
A new car
A friendly dog
Here are some examples of adjectives with singular nouns in a table:
| Singular Noun | Adjective | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| cat | playful | The playful cat chased a ball. |
| dog | loyal | A loyal dog is a great companion. |
| book | interesting | I read an interesting book last night. |
| car | fast | He drives a fast car. |
| house | cozy | Their house is cozy and welcoming. |
| child | curious | The curious child asked many questions. |
| bouquet | beautiful | She received a beautiful bouquet. |
| tree | tall | The tall tree provided shade. |
| student | diligent | A diligent student always studies hard. |
| dinner | delicious | We had a delicious dinner. |
| watch | expensive | His expensive watch was a gift. |
| sky | blue | The blue sky was clear and sunny. |
| car | new | They bought a new car. |
| dog | friendly | Their friendly dog loves to play. |
| cat | small | The small cat fit in my hand. |
| building | modern | The modern building has sleek designs. |
| baby | adorable | The adorable baby giggled. |
| mountain | majestic | The majestic mountain stood tall. |
| movie | entertaining | It was an entertaining movie. |
| laptop | portable | She carries a portable laptop. |
Examples list of Adjectives with plural nouns
happy children
playful puppies
tall buildings
green trees
delicious pizzas
beautiful flowers
busy streets
old books
friendly neighbors
funny jokes
Here’s a table with some adjectives paired with plural nouns:
| Plural Noun | Adjective | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| children | happy | The happy children played in the park. |
| puppies | playful | The playful puppies chased their tails. |
| buildings | tall | The city has tall buildings. |
| trees | green | The forest is full of green trees. |
| pizzas | delicious | We ordered delicious pizzas for dinner. |
| flowers | beautiful | The garden bloomed with beautiful flowers. |
| streets | busy | The city’s busy streets bustled with activity. |
| books | old | The library has a collection of old books. |
| neighbors | friendly | Our friendly neighbors helped us move in. |
| jokes | funny | He always tells funny jokes at parties. |
| friends | helpful | Helpful friends assisted with the project. |
| families | happy | The park was filled with happy families. |
| students | clever | The school has clever students. |
| firefighters | brave | Brave firefighters rescued the trapped people. |
| phones | smart | The latest smart phones have advanced features. |
| cars | fast | Some fast cars participated in the race. |
| rooms | spacious | The hotel has spacious rooms for guests. |
| dogs | friendly | Friendly dogs wag their tails when happy. |
| beds | comfortable | The hotel had comfortable beds for guests. |
Gender Agreement of adjectives
Gender agreement of adjectives refers to the way adjectives change or match the gender of the nouns they describe in a sentence. In English, most adjectives are gender-neutral, which means they do not change based on the gender of the noun they modify.
In simple terms:
Gender-Neutral Adjectives:
- In English, most adjectives are gender-neutral, meaning they stay the same regardless of whether the noun they describe is masculine or feminine.
- Example: “She is a smart student” (feminine noun) and “He is a smart teacher” (masculine noun) use the same adjective “smart” for both genders.
Exceptions:
There are a few gender-specific adjectives in English that have different forms for masculine and feminine nouns. However, these exceptions are less common in everyday language.
Example: “He is a handsome man” (masculine noun) and “She is a beautiful woman” (feminine noun) use different gender-specific adjectives.
List of some Adjectives with gender-neutral nouns
Here’s a list of adjectives paired with gender-neutral nouns:
happy person
friendly neighbor
tall building
beautiful landscape
smart student
brave individual
kind gesture
creative idea
hardworking employee
delicious meal
interesting book
colorful painting
peaceful atmosphere
helpful volunteer
modern design
Some Gender-specific adjectives
In English, gender-specific adjectives are relatively limited compared to some other languages. However, there are a few gender-specific adjectives that are used to describe people based on their gender. Here are some examples:
Masculine Adjectives:
- Handsome: used to describe good-looking or attractive men.
- Charming: used to describe men who have a pleasing and charismatic personality.
- Strong: used to describe men who have physical or emotional strength.
- Courageous: used to describe brave and fearless men.
- Gentlemanly: used to describe men who behave in a polite, considerate, and respectful manner.
Examples:
handsome man
brave soldier
strong athlete
charming prince
clever boy
wise grandfather
gentlemanly behavior
determined leader
heroic firefighter
talented musician
Feminine Adjectives:
- Beautiful: used to describe good-looking or attractive women.
- Graceful: used to describe women who move with elegance and poise.
- Elegant: used to describe women who have a refined and sophisticated appearance or manner.
- Graceful: used to describe women who possess charm, beauty, and poise.
- Lovely: used to describe women who have a pleasant and appealing appearance.
Examples:
beautiful woman
graceful dancer
elegant lady
caring mother
kind girl
intelligent woman
sophisticated actress
nurturing teacher
heroine in the story
creative artist
Adjective Agreement with Articles
Adjective agreement with articles is an essential aspect of grammar in many languages, including English. It involves ensuring that the adjectives used in a sentence match the gender, number, and definiteness (whether the noun is specific or general) of the nouns they describe when combined with articles.
Here’s a breakdown of adjective agreement with different types of articles:
1. Definite Article “The”:
- When using the definite article “the” with a noun, the adjective does not change based on gender, but it must agree in number (singular or plural) with the noun it modifies.
- Example: “The happy cat” (singular noun) and “The happy cats” (plural noun) both use the same adjective “happy.”
2. Indefinite Articles “A” and “An”:
- When using the indefinite articles “a” or “an” with a singular noun, the adjective does not change based on gender or number.
- Example: “A small dog” (singular noun) and “An interesting book” (singular noun) use the same adjectives “small” and “interesting” respectively.
3. Gender-specific Adjectives:
- In some languages, there are gender-specific adjectives that change based on the gender of the noun they describe. However, in English, most adjectives are gender-neutral and do not change based on the gender of the noun.
- Example: “The handsome man” (masculine noun) and “The beautiful woman” (feminine noun) use gender-neutral adjectives “handsome” and “beautiful.”
In summary, when using adjectives with articles in English:
- The adjective must agree in number with the noun (singular or plural) when used with the definite article “the.”
- Adjectives do not change based on gender when used with articles in English.
- Most adjectives in English are gender-neutral and remain the same regardless of the gender of the noun they describe.
The rules of the “agreement of adjectives”
Here’s a table summarizing the rules of the agreement of adjectives in English:
| Rule | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Number Agreement with Singular Nouns | Adjectives must agree in number with singular nouns. | A big house / The happy child |
| Number Agreement with Plural Nouns | Adjectives must agree in number with plural nouns. | Tall buildings / Beautiful flowers |
| Gender Agreement with Proper Nouns | Adjectives used with proper nouns are gender-neutral. | Smart student / Talented musician |
| Gender-Neutral Adjectives | Most adjectives in English are gender-neutral. | The happy person / The friendly dog |
| No Agreement with Indefinite Articles | Adjectives do not change with indefinite articles (a/an). | A green tree / An exciting adventure |
| Agreement with Definite Article “The” | Adjectives agree in number (not gender) with “the” + noun. | The tall building / The happy cats |
| Gender-Specific Adjectives (Few Cases) | Some adjectives may change based on gender in specific cases. | Mr. Smith is handsome / Mrs. Johnson is graceful |
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the agreement of adjectives:
The agreement of adjectives in English refers to the relationship between adjectives and the nouns they describe. Adjectives must match the gender, number, and definiteness of the nouns they modify to create grammatically correct sentences.
Yes, in most cases, the same adjectives can be used with both definite (“the”) and indefinite (“a” or “an”) articles. The adjectives agree with the number of the noun, not the type of article used.
Yes, the majority of adjectives in English are gender-neutral and can be used to describe both males and females, as well as gender-neutral nouns.
Read also:
