An emphasizing adjective is a word that we use to make something sound more important, stronger, or more impressive. It helps us emphasize or draw attention to the qualities or characteristics of a person, thing, or idea.
For example, instead of saying “He did well in the race,” you can use an emphasizing adjective like “He did amazingly well in the race.” The word “amazingly” makes the achievement sound even more impressive and remarkable.
Emphasizing adjectives are like tools that writers or speakers use to make their descriptions more powerful, vivid, or intense. They help create a stronger impact and can be useful in storytelling, persuasive writing, or when you want to make something stand out.
Some common examples of emphasizing adjectives are words like “amazing,” “incredible,” “unforgettable,” or “outstanding.” These words add a special quality to the noun they describe, making it more memorable or extraordinary.
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Purpose of using the emphasizing adjective
Let’s explore the purpose of using emphasizing adjectives:
1. Grab Attention: Emphasizing adjectives are like attention-grabbers. They make your writing or speech more interesting and catch people’s attention. By using words like “amazing,” “incredible,” or “unforgettable,” you can make your descriptions more exciting and engaging.
2. Create Impact: When you want to make something stand out or leave a strong impression, emphasizing adjectives comes in handy. They add extra power or intensity to the qualities of a person, thing, or idea. For example, saying “a beautiful sunset” is nice, but saying “a breathtaking sunset” makes it sound even more awe-inspiring.
3. Express Importance: Emphasizing adjectives helps you show that something is really important or significant. By using words like “essential,” “crucial,” or “vital,” you highlight the importance of a particular quality or aspect. This can be useful when discussing important ideas, events, or characteristics.
4. Enhance Descriptions: Emphasizing adjectives makes your descriptions more vivid and memorable. They paint a clearer picture in the reader’s or listener’s mind by intensifying the qualities you’re describing. For example, instead of saying “a strong wind,” you can say “a powerful gust of wind” to give a more detailed and impactful description.
5. Persuade or Convince: Emphasizing adjectives are often used in persuasive writing or speeches to convince or influence others. By using words like “unbeatable,” “unparalleled,” or “outstanding,” you make your arguments or claims more convincing. These adjectives create a sense of superiority or excellence, making your point more persuasive.
Usage of Emphasizing Adjectives
Let’s talk about the usage of emphasizing adjectives:
1. Making Things More Exciting: Emphasizing adjectives are used to make things more exciting or interesting in your writing or speech. When you want to describe something in a way that captures people’s attention, you can use words like “amazing,” “awesome,” or “incredible.” These words add a sense of enthusiasm and make your descriptions more engaging.
2. Adding Stronger Descriptions: Emphasizing adjectives help you create stronger and more vivid descriptions. Instead of using plain or ordinary words, you can use words like “stunning,” “unforgettable,” or “mind-blowing” to make your descriptions more powerful. These adjectives bring out the qualities of a person, place, or thing in a way that leaves a lasting impression.
3. Expressing Intensity or Importance: Emphasizing adjectives are used to express intensity or highlight the importance of something. When you want to emphasize that quality or characteristic is very significant, you can use words like “essential,” “crucial,” or “paramount.” These adjectives show that something is extremely important and should be given special attention.
4. Making Persuasive Arguments: Emphasizing adjectives can be helpful when you want to persuade or convince someone. In persuasive writing or speeches, using words like “unbeatable,” “unparalleled,” or “outstanding” adds strength to your arguments. These adjectives create a sense of superiority or excellence, making your point more convincing.
5. Creating Impactful Stories: Emphasizing adjectives is often used in storytelling to make the events or characters more compelling. By using words like “remarkable,” “extraordinary,” or “unbelievable,” you make the story more dramatic and captivating. These adjectives heighten the impact of the narrative and keep the reader or listener engaged.
Examples of emphasizing adjectives
1. Amazing: The fireworks display was amazing.
2. Incredible: She achieved incredible success in her career.
3. Unforgettable: It was an unforgettable experience.
4. Remarkable: The team made a remarkable comeback in the game.
5. Outstanding: He received an outstanding achievement award.
6. Extraordinary: The view from the mountaintop was extraordinary.
7. Spectacular: The sunset over the ocean was truly spectacular.
8. Intense: The athletes competed in an intense match.
9. Unparalleled: Their customer service is unparalleled in the industry.
10. Exceptional: The student’s performance was exceptional.
11. Unbelievable: The magician performed an unbelievable trick.
12. Impressive: The artwork displayed in the gallery was truly impressive.
13. Astonishing: The final score was astonishing, with a 10-point difference.
14. Sensational: The concert was a sensational experience with incredible performances.
15. Monumental: The construction of the skyscraper was a monumental achievement.
16. Magnificent: The palace was a magnificent sight to behold.
17. Mind-blowing: The special effects in the movie were mind-blowing.
Placement of Emphasizing adjectives
Let’s talk about the placement of emphasizing adjectives in simpler terms:
1. Emphasizing adjectives are typically placed before the noun they modify. Placing them before the noun helps to draw attention to and emphasize the qualities or characteristics being described. Here are a few examples to illustrate the placement:
“The amazing performance”: In this phrase, “amazing” is the emphasizing adjective, and it comes before the noun “performance.” It emphasizes that the performance was extraordinary or impressive.
“An unforgettable experience”: Here, “unforgettable” is the emphasizing adjective, and it comes before the noun “experience.” It emphasizes that the experience was incredibly memorable or significant.
“The outstanding achievement”: In this case, “outstanding” is the emphasizing adjective, and it precedes the noun “achievement.” It emphasizes that the achievement was exceptional or noteworthy.
By placing the emphasizing adjective before the noun, you make it clear which quality you are emphasizing or intensifying. It helps to create a stronger impact and provides a clearer understanding of the description.
However, it’s important to note that in some cases, emphasizing adjectives can be placed after a linking verb like “be.” For example: “The performance was amazing.” Here, “amazing” still serves as an emphasizing adjective, but it follows the linking verb “was.”
Degrees of Emphasis
Let’s discuss the degrees of emphasis when it comes to using emphasizing adjectives:
Emphasizing adjectives can vary in the degree of intensity or emphasis they convey. Some adjectives provide a moderate level of emphasis, while others offer a stronger or more extreme emphasis. Let’s explore three degrees of emphasis:
1. Moderate Emphasis: Adjectives that provide moderate emphasis intensify the quality or characteristic being described without going to extreme levels. For example:
- “Good” vs. “Great”
- “Beautiful” vs. “Stunning”
- “Tired” vs. “Exhausted”
In these cases, the second adjective in each pair adds a stronger emphasis, but it doesn’t reach the highest level of intensity.
2. Strong Emphasis: Adjectives that offer strong emphasis intensify the quality or characteristic to a higher degree. They make the description more powerful and impactful. For example:
- “Interesting” vs. “Fascinating”
- “Happy” vs. “Delighted”
- “Big” vs. “Enormous”
In these examples, the second adjective in each pair adds a stronger emphasis, making the description more intense or remarkable.
3. Extreme Emphasis: Adjectives that provide extreme emphasis take the quality or characteristic to the highest level of intensity. They create a sense of extremity or exaggeration. For example:
- “Hot” vs. “Scorching”
- “Angry” vs. “Furious”
- “Busy” vs. “Hectic”
In these cases, the second adjective in each pair adds an extreme emphasis, emphasizing the extreme nature of the quality or characteristic.
The choice of an adjective can significantly influence the overall impact and emphasis of your description. It’s important to select the appropriate degree of emphasis based on the context, purpose, and desired effect of your writing or speech.
Exercises to practice emphasizing adjectives
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following sentences by choosing an appropriate emphasizing adjective from the provided options:
1. The ________________ movie I watched last night left me in awe.
Options: incredible/good/ordinary
2. Her ________________ voice filled the concert hall with joy.
Options: beautiful/average/unpleasant
3. We had an ________________ time exploring the ancient ruins.
Options: unforgettable/forgettable/ordinary
4. The team’s ________________ performance secured them a well-deserved victory.
Options: outstanding/mediocre/average
5. The ________________ view from the mountaintop took my breath away.
Options: spectacular/unremarkable/decent
Exercise 2: Rewrite with Emphasizing Adjectives
Rewrite the following sentences by incorporating an emphasizing adjective to add impact and emphasis:
1. The concert was good.
Rewrite: The concert was ________________.
2. She received an award for her achievements.
Rewrite: She received an award for her ________________ achievements.
3. The food at the restaurant was delicious.
Rewrite: The food at the restaurant was ________________.
4. The performance was impressive.
Rewrite: The performance was ________________.
5. He had a successful career in the entertainment industry.
Rewrite: He had a ________________ career in the entertainment industry.
Answers
Exercise 1:
- The incredible movie I watched last night left me in awe.
- Her beautiful voice filled the concert hall with joy.
- We had an unforgettable time exploring the ancient ruins.
- The team’s outstanding performance secured them a well-deserved victory.
- The spectacular view from the mountaintop took my breath away.
Exercise 2: Rewrite with Emphasizing Adjectives
- The concert was amazing.
- She received an award for her exceptional achievements.
- The food at the restaurant was delicious.
- The performance was impressive.
- He had a successful career in the entertainment industry.
FAQs on Emphasizing Adjective
An emphasizing adjective is used to intensify or emphasize the qualities of a noun, while a regular adjective simply describes a noun without adding extra emphasis or intensity.
Yes, you can use multiple emphasizing adjectives together to further emphasize or intensify the qualities being described. However, be mindful of maintaining a balanced and credible tone.
Generally, emphasizing adjectives are placed before the noun they modify. However, in some cases, they can also be placed after a linking verb like “be.” For example, “The sunset was stunning.” Remember to choose the placement that best suits your intended emphasis.
Yes, emphasizing adjectives can be used in formal writing, but it’s important to use them judiciously and maintain an appropriate tone. Choose adjectives that align with the formality of the writing and support the intended emphasis without sounding overly casual or exaggerated.
To avoid overuse, vary your descriptive techniques. Instead of relying solely on emphasizing adjectives, incorporate other techniques such as vivid imagery, precise details, and engaging storytelling to create impact. Use emphasizing adjectives selectively when they add significant value to your descriptions.
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