Descriptive Adjectives - Simple/compound/proper/participial - Parts Of Speech-ESL/Learn English Grammar

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DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES


143. This large class includes several kinds of words:--


(1) SIMPLE ADJECTIVES expressing quality; such as _safe_, _happy_,

_deep_, _fair_, _rash_, _beautiful_, _remotest_, _terrible_, etc.


(2) COMPOUND ADJECTIVES, made up of various words thrown together to

make descriptive epithets. Examples are, "_Heaven-derived_ power,"

"this _life-giving_ book," "his spirit wrapt and _wonder-struck_,"

"_ice-cold_ water," "_half-dead_ traveler," "_unlooked-for_ burden,"

"_next-door_ neighbor," "_ivory-handled_ pistols," "the

_cold-shudder-inspiring_ Woman in White."


(3) PROPER ADJECTIVES, derived from proper nouns; such as, "an old

_English_ manuscript," "the _Christian_ pearl of charity," "the

well-curb had a _Chinese_ roof," "the _Roman_ writer Palladius."


(4) PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVES, which are either pure participles used to

describe, or participles which have lost all verbal force and have no

function except to express quality. Examples are,--


_Pure participial adjectives_: "The _healing_ power of the Messiah,"

"The _shattering_ sway of one strong arm," "_trailing_ clouds," "The

_shattered_ squares have opened into line," "It came on like the

_rolling_ simoom," "God tempers the wind to the _shorn_ lamb."


_Faded participial adjectives_: "Sleep is a _blessed_ thing;" "One is

hungry, and another is _drunken_;" "under the _fitting_ drapery of the

jagged and trailing clouds;" "The clearness and quickness are

_amazing_;" "an _aged_ man;" "a _charming_ sight."



[Sidenote: _Caution._]


144. Care is needed, in studying these last-named words, to

distinguish between a participle that forms part of a verb, and a

participle or participial adjective that belongs to a noun.


For instance: in the sentence, "The work was well and rapidly

accomplished," _was accomplished_ is a verb; in this, "No man of his

day was more brilliant or more accomplished," _was_ is the verb, and

_accomplished_ is an adjective.




Exercises


1. Bring up sentences with twenty descriptive adjectives, having some

of each subclass named in Sec. 143.


2. Is the italicized word an adjective in this?--


The old sources of intellectual excitement seem to be well-nigh

_exhausted_.






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