While descriptive adjectives describe nouns, limiting adjectives define them. There are nine types of limiting adjectives:
- Article
- Possessive
- Demonstrative
- Cardinal
- Ordinal
- Indefinite
- Interrogative
- Relative
- Proper
Don't worry, don't worry. We'll outline them all so they're stuck in your brains…forever.
Article Adjectives
Prepare to have your minds blown, Shmoopers. The definite article, the, and the indefinite articles, a and an, are adjectives. Ka-blow! (That was your mind exploding.)Use the when you want to refer...
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives are used to show who owns something. Overly possessive adjectives are adjectives that call you every hour on the hour, and comment "look at my bae" on all your Instagram posts...
Demonstrative Adjectives
There are four demonstrative adjectives: this and these, which modify nouns that are close bythat and those, which modify nouns that are farther awayWhy demonstrative? Because they're demonstrating...
Cardinal Adjectives
Cardinal adjectives are used for counting. Yep: one, two, three…They are also The Count's favorite type of adjective, besides adjectives used to compliment him on his slick green cape.
Ordinal Adjectives
Ordinal just sounds fancypants (like a cross between a cardinal and an ordinance? Whatever that would be…). In reality, these adjectives just tell us something's position in a series.
Indefinite Adjectives
An indefinite adjective offers general information about the amount of the noun it modifies. That's why it's indefinite—this type of adjective doesn't sweat the specifics.List of Examples:another...
Interrogative Adjectives
Interrogative adjectives modify nouns and pronouns in questions. There are only three of them, so they shouldn't be too hard to remember: whatwhichwhoseRemember that "interrogative" has its root in...
Relative Adjectives
Check out this fearsome foursome:whatwhateverwhichwhicheverWhen these words are used to modify nouns and introduce subordinate clauses, they're relative adjectives.
Proper Adjectives
Adjectives that are derived from proper nouns are called proper adjectives. They tend to drink their tea with gloves on and one pinky extended.