lesson 6: adjectives - cloud object storage | store ... are words that describe (or modify) nouns...

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LESSON 6: ADJECTIVES Relevant Review

• Words can be separated into eight groups called the parts of speech.

• Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas.

• Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns.

• Nouns and pronouns can be subjects.

Lesson

Language would be boring if sentences were only made of subjects and verbs. It's time to learn about adjectives and add some spice to our sentences!

Adjectives are words that describe (or modify) nouns and pronouns.

Examples: cute cat, yummy cookie, four dogs

Adjectives are one of the parts of speech.

The Parts of Speech

1. Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas. Nouns can be subjects. 2. Pronouns take the place of nouns. Pronouns can be subjects. 3. Verbs tell us what the subject is or does. 4. Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. 5. Adverbs 6. Prepositions 7. Conjunctions 8. Interjections

Adjectives give us information about nouns and pronouns. They tell us more about a person, place, thing, or idea: Which person, place, thing, or idea? What kind of person, place, thing, or idea? How many people places, things, or ideas? Whose person, place, thing or idea? Words that answer these questions about nouns and pronouns are adjectives.

We call these questions the adjective questions, and they will help you identify adjectives in sentences. All adjectives answer one of these questions.

Adjective Questions

Memorize these!

1. Which one? 2. What kind?

3. How many? 4. Whose?

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Here are some examples of how the adjective questions work.

Adjective + Noun

Adjective Question

Adjectives

cute cat

that cat

Which one?

(Which cat?)

cute

that

jelly doughnut

round doughnut

What kind?

(What kind of doughnut?)

jelly

round five pens

some pens

How many?

(How many pens?)

five

some

Caroline’s basket

my basket

Whose?

(Whose basket?)

Caroline’s

my

A, an, and the are three very common words. They are called articles, and they are a type of adjective. It may seem strange, but they answer the question Which one?

Diagramming Adjectives

Diagram adjectives by placing them on slanted lines under the nouns or pronouns that they modify. That makes sense because adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Sentence diagramming really shows us that adjectives modify nouns and pronouns!

So far, we have only learned about nouns and pronouns acting as subjects. So, for now, you’ll only be diagramming adjectives under subjects.

Adjectives are not diagrammed under verbs because adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, not verbs.

The cute cat meowed.


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Lesson 6 Sentence Diagramming Exercises

1. Three yellow birds chirped.

Key

Three yellow birds chirped. sentence - statement

birds subject (noun)

chirped verb

Three

adjective modifying birds answers How many?

yellow

adjective modifying birds answers Which ones? or What kind?

Tip

You can often use What kind? and Which one? interchangeably.


2. Will the cute cat meow?

Key

Will the cute cat meow? sentence – question (interrogative sentence)

The cute cat will meow. sentence – statement (declarative sentence)

cat subject (noun)

Will meow verb phrase

Will helping verb

meow main verb

the

adjective modifying cat answers Which one?

cute

adjective modifying cat answers Which one?

Tip It is good to have students identify which of the four questions an adjective answers.

This helps them to remember the adjective questions, and it makes them explicitly identify why a word is an adjective.

That will come in handy when things begin getting more complicated!


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3. The boy's pen broke.

Key

The boy's pen broke. sentence - statement

pen subject (noun)

broke verb

boy's

adjective modifying pen answers Whose?

The

adjective modifying pen answers Which one?


4. The flower will grow.

Key

The flower will grow. sentence - statement

flower subject (noun)

will grow verb phrase

will helping verb

grow main verb

the

adjective modifying flower answers Which one?

Adjective Question Quiz: Two Choices

1. Have students tell you the four questions as you greet them today.

2. Have them write the questions on a sheet of paper.

It will only take a moment!


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5. My blue notebook fell.

Key

My blue notebook fell. sentence - statement

notebook subject (noun)

fell verb

My

adjective modifying notebook answers Whose?

blue

adjective modifying notebook answers Which one?

Extra Practice: Identifying Adjectives Don’t worry about diagramming the following sentences. Only focus on finding the adjectives within the sentences. Remember, adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns.

1. Underline the adjectives in the following sentences.

a. Five energetic dancers won the dance competition.

b. Natasha’s book was made into a hit movie.

c. The silver and white paper snowflakes hung in the frosted windows.

d. The kind gardener planted pink and red roses around my front door.

2. Give three examples of adjectives modifying nouns.

Answers will vary. Beth’s cat, scented candles, light rain, yellow bird …

lesson 6: adjectives - cloud object storage | store ... are words that describe (or modify) nouns...

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