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The eating man is very eating.

Since this test yields a sentence that is not grammatically correct, eating is not an

adjective. You probably recognize it as a participle—an -ing form of the verb to

eat.

Participles as Adjectives

A participle is not an adjective. But notice that eating can be used as an adjective, in the

predicative position, in this sentence:

A man eating is a man contented.

Another participle singing can be used as an adjective as well. Notice that this one works in the

attributive position:

The singing telegram was very entertaining.

Participles are often used as single-word modifiers of nouns, before or after the noun. When they

modify a noun, these words are functioning as adjectives, that is, adjectivally.

Activity 1

Directions: Underline the adjectives in the following sentences. Identify whether they are

attributive (A) or predicative (P). Also identify if they are descriptive (D), or identifying (I), or

quantitative (Q) adjectives.

1. The purple umbrella was resting on those boots.

2. In the summer, the weather is warm here in sunny California.

3. In the Victorian era, women wore dresses that were long.

4. That girl’s dress is pretty.

5. I have two Bolivian friends who are both extremely intelligent.

Answer Key for Activity 1

1. purple (A, D), those (A, I)

2. warm (P, D), sunny (A, D)

3. Victorian (A, D), long (P, D)

4. That (A, I), pretty (P, D)

5. two (A, Q), Bolivian (A, D), intelligent (P, D)

Adjectives, Spring 2011. Rev. Fall 2014.

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