Adjectives are classified in many ways, with some adjectives falling into multiple categories, depending on the context in which they are used.
The categories of adjectives include the following:
Read this FAQ: What are the different types of adjectives?
A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun and is typically capitalized.
Proper adjectives include terms derived from locations, languages, and ethnicities (e.g., “Bostonian,” “Sino-Tibetan,” “South Asian”); individuals’ names (such as “Keynesian,” “Darwinian,” “Newtonian”); and religious terms (e.g., “Rastafarian,” “Christian,” “Talmudic”) among other proper nouns.
Read this FAQ: What is a proper adjective?
The superlative form of the adjective “light” is “lightest.” “Light” is an example of a regular one-syllable adjective that is transformed into a superlative by simply adding “-est.”
Read this FAQ: What is the superlative form of the adjective light?
“Bad” is an example of an adjective with an irregular superlative form: “worst.”
Note that the superlative “worst” is often confused with the similar-sounding comparative form, “worse.”
Read this FAQ: What is the superlative form of the adjective “bad”?
The comparative degree is a grammatical form used to compare two people or things and indicate that one has a higher degree of a certain quality.
A comparative adjective can also be called an adjective in the comparative degree.
Read this FAQ: What is the comparative degree?
Superlative adjectives express the highest degree of a certain quality in a comparison of three or more things (e.g., the superlative form of “fast” is “fastest”).
Comparative adjectives express that one thing embodies a quality more than another in a comparison of two things (e.g., the comparative form of “fast” is “faster”).
Read this FAQ: What is the difference between a superlative adjective and a comparative adjective?
An attributive adjective is an adjective that comes directly before or after the noun it modifies (e.g., “a tall person could reach that for you,” “someone tall could reach that for you”).
Predicate adjectives are adjectives or adjective phrases that follow linking verbs and describe the subject within the predicate. They are almost always separated from the noun they modify by a linking verb (e.g., “that person is tall”).
Read this FAQ: What’s the difference between a predicate adjective and an attributive adjective?
Predicate nouns are also known as predicate nominatives. They are a type of subject complement—they follow linking verbs to identify or redefine the subject. They are always nouns or pronouns (e.g., “Winston is a plumber”).
Predicate adjectives are also subject complements, but they are adjectives or adjective phrases that describe the subject (e.g., “Winston is funny”).
Read this FAQ: What’s the difference between a predicate noun and a predicate adjective?
Hyphens are typically used in compound adjectives to ensure clarity (e.g., “client-centered approach” or “budget-friendly accommodations”). Compound adjectives that follow the noun they modify usually don’t require hyphens (e.g., “an approach that is client centered,” “accommodations that are budget friendly”).
Read this FAQ: What punctuation is used when creating compound adjectives?
In a three-word compound adjective, a hyphen is typically used between each word in the sequence (e.g., “a well-thought-out plan”).
When a three-word compound adjective incorporates a compound proper noun, such as “New York,” it is generally unnecessary to use a hyphen between the words that comprise the proper noun (e.g., “New York-style,” “Great Gatsby-themed,” “Franz Kafka-inspired”).
In cases like these, many writers use an en dash instead of a hyphen (e.g., “New York–style”) to emphasize that both words of the compound noun are connected to the other word to form the compound adjective.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using hyphens and compound words correctly.
Read this FAQ: How do you hyphenate a three-word compound adjective?
