| Improve the writing ability of your students by exploring | | | | sub-groups. Number, opinion, dimension, age, shape, |
| these four key adjective areas. | | | | color, origin and material are examples of adjective |
| 1) Adjectives are the words that we use to add details | | | | sub-groups. |
| to a noun. | | | | Looking more closely at these groups is a great way |
| Each adjective gives the reader more information | | | | to strengthen your students' understanding of |
| about the noun. | | | | adjectives. |
| Watch how the simple idea of a cake can be | | | | 3)Accuracy is important. Similar adjectives can have |
| transformed with adjectives.cakebirthday cakerainbow | | | | subtle differences in meaning. |
| birthday cakespectacular rainbow birthday cake | | | | Adjectives that seem the same can have slight |
| Watch how a different set of adjectives creates | | | | differences in meaning. For example, smug, joyful, |
| something very different.caketea cakecinnamon tea | | | | ecstatic and pleased all mean happy. However, each |
| cakesimple cinnamon tea cake | | | | one is a different type of happy. It is these differences |
| Lower grade students can start looking at the idea of | | | | that gives the writer real control over the images that |
| adjectives by exploring the ones that are found in the | | | | their words create. |
| Dolche high frequency sight word list: big, blue, funny, | | | | The smug girl ate the jelly beans. |
| little, three, two, yellow, black, brown, four, good, new, | | | | The ecstatic girl ate the jelly beans. |
| pretty, white, round, best, cold, fast, first, five, green, | | | | The pleased girl ate the jelly beans. |
| clean, eight, hot, kind, light, long, seven, full, six, small, ten, | | | | Each sentence has a different meaning created |
| warm. These can be easily built on by exploring similar | | | | exclusively by the adjective. The writer needs to |
| types of adjectives. What other colors are there? | | | | choose the adjective that accurately conveys the |
| What other numbers are there? What other "size" | | | | meaning they want. |
| adjectives are there? What other "temperature" | | | | 4) Adjectives are a powerful way to introduce |
| adjectives are there? | | | | characters in a story. |
| Middle and upper grade students can begin a class | | | | Adjectives are essential when creating characters in a |
| exploration of adjectives by sharing all the adjectives | | | | narrative. |
| that they can think of. This can be a simple extension | | | | Exploring the adjectives that can be used to describe |
| of a class conversation where you write all the | | | | characters will build up your students' repertoire. At the |
| students examples on the board. Students could then | | | | moment they may not be able to think of words like |
| write three or four sentences that use some of these | | | | immaculate, dashing, ambitious, haggard or dynamic. |
| adjectives. | | | | Class discussions, brainstorming sessions, list building, |
| 2) There are many kinds of adjectives. | | | | and comparison activities will increase the number of |
| Adjectives make up a very large group of words. It is | | | | personality adjectives they can access when |
| impossible to say exactly how many because the | | | | describing characters and further improve the quality |
| English language is constantly evolving. However, the | | | | of their narratives. |
| latest 20 volume Oxford Dictionary contains | | | | Explore these four areas with your students, the next |
| approximately 50 000 adjectives. Not suprisingly, this | | | | time you're teaching adjectives and their understanding |
| very large group of words can be divided into | | | | and use of adjectives will improve. |