Definition

An adjective phrase is a phrase that functions as an adjective in a sentence. Adjective phrases usually consist of a central adjective (or adjectives) surrounded by other words, such as prepositional phrases, determiners, and modifiers.

While adjective phrases can appear anywhere in a sentence, they often come before the noun or pronoun they modify. When an adjective phrase appears after the noun or pronoun it modifies, it is usually set off by a comma.

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Examples

Here are some examples of adjective phrases in action:

1. The hungry dog chased after the juicy steak.

            In this sentence, "hungry" and "juicy" are both adjective phrases. They modify the nouns "dog" and "steak," respectively.

2. The little girl with the big heart cried when she saw the kitten in the tree.

            In this sentence, "little," "with the big heart," and "in the tree" are all adjective phrases. They modify the noun "girl."

3. The blue car is fast.

            In this sentence, "blue" is an adjective that describes the car. "Fast" is another adjective that describes the car. "The" is a definite article, and "is" is a linking verb.

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More examples

• That is a big black dog
• Those are ripe strawberries
• He bought a new red car
• Those sandwiches look delicious

How to identify an adjective phrase?

When an adjective attempts to describe a noun or pronoun alone or in combination with other words, it becomes an adjective alone, and when it attempts to describe a noun or pronoun with other words, it becomes an adjective phrase head.

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Types

There are many different types of adjective phrases. Some of the most common are described below.

Descriptive adjectives:-

Descriptive adjectives are used to describe a person, place, or thing. They give the reader more information about the noun they are modifying. Some common descriptive adjectives are:

• beautiful
• gorgeous
• pretty
• handsome
• ugly
• terrible
• nice

Descriptive adjectives can be used in two ways:

1. Attributive adjectives are used before the noun they are describing.

For example:

The beautiful flowers are in the garden.

2. Predicate adjectives are used after the verb be and describe the subject.

For example:

The flowers are beautiful.

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Conclusion

An adjective phrase is a phrase that functions as an adjective in a sentence. They are often placed before the noun or pronoun they modify, but can also appear after it.

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