Adjective
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. In some languages, such as English, an adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies, unless it is a predicate adjective linked to its noun by a verb such as "to be" or "to become." In other languages, such as Spanish, adjectives typically follow the nouns unless they are predicate adjectives.
Another difference among languages is adjective-noun agreement. In English, adjectives other than "this" and "that" do not agree with their nouns in number, and adjectives do not agree with their nouns in case or gender. In Russian, by contrast, adjectives agree with their nouns in number, case, and gender, and there are separate grammatical endings for predicate and non-predicate adjectives.
Not all languages have a separate functional category of adjectives. In languages that do not, an adjective (e.g., "large") may function as a type of noun ("a large thing") or verb ("to be large").
In the following examples, the italicized words are adjectives:
- "Receiving Jesus Christ as Savior is the most important act you or anyone else will ever do."
- "God becomes very angry when you use His name is vain."
- "Suicide is a mortal sin."
In the second example, "angry" is used as a predicate adjective.
An adjective can be modified by an adverb, or by a phrase or clause functioning as an adverb.