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1.4: Adjectives

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    70164
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    An adjective modifies a noun; that is, it provides more detail about a noun. This can be anything from color to size to temperature to personality. Adjectives usually occur just before the nouns they modify. In the following examples, adjectives are in bold, while the nouns they modify are in italics (the big bear):

    • The generator is used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.
    • The steel pipes contain a protective sacrificial anode and are surrounded by packing material.

    Adjectives can also follow a linking verb. In these instances, adjectives can modify pronouns as well. In the following examples, adjectives are still bold, while the linking verb is in italics this time (the sun is yellow):

    • The schoolhouse was red.
    • I looked good today.
    • She was funny.

    Numbers can also be adjectives in some cases. When you say “Seven is my lucky number,” seven is a noun, but when you say “There are seven cats in this painting,” seven is an adjective because it is modifying the noun cats.

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