GRADE 9 English RELATIONSHIPS:COMMUNITY – GRAMMAR IN USE:ADJECTIVES Notes
GRAMMAR IN USE: ADJECTIVES
Topic: RELATIONSHIPS — COMMUNITY (English, age 14, Kenyan context)
What is an adjective? An adjective is a word that describes a noun (person, place, thing or idea). It tells us what kind, how many, or which one.
Example (community):
- The friendly neighbour helped us. (friendly = describes neighbour)
- Many villagers attended the harambee. (many = tells how many)
- This school is peaceful. (this = shows which one)
Common kinds of adjectives
- Descriptive — describe quality: kind, noisy, caring, busy (e.g., a caring teacher)
- Quantitative — how much or how many: some, many, few, several (e.g., several volunteers)
- Demonstrative — show which one: this, that, these, those (e.g., those houses)
- Possessive — show ownership: my, your, his, her, our, their (e.g., our mtaa)
- Interrogative — used in questions: which, what, whose (e.g., Which neighbour is helping?)
Where adjectives appear
- Before a noun: a loud market, a kind teacher.
- After a linking verb (be, seem, look, feel): The community is strong. The road feels dangerous.
Order of adjectives (when more than one)
If you use several adjectives, a usual order is: opinion → size → age → shape → colour → origin → material → purpose.
Example: a lovely small old wooden church → (lovely = opinion, small = size, old = age, wooden = material).
Comparatives and Superlatives
Use comparatives to compare two things (use "than"). Use superlatives to show the top of a group.
- Short adjectives (one syllable): add -er / -est → kind → kinder → kindest. (e.g., He is kinder than his friend.)
- Adjectives ending in -y: change y to i and add -er / -est → happy → happier → happiest.
- Long adjectives (two or more syllables): use more / most → beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful. (e.g., The village is more peaceful than the town.)
- Irregular: good → better → best; bad → worse → worst.
Adjectives used with community words — examples
People
- a helpful neighbour
- a strict but fair teacher
- a brave volunteer
Places
- a crowded matatu
- a peaceful mtaa (neighbourhood)
- a busy market
Events & Things
- a successful harambee
- a strong community team
- several useful ideas
Possessive adjectives — short note
Use possessive adjectives to show who owns something. They come before the noun.
- my mtaa, your class, his shop, her garden, our school, their house
- Example: Our school organized a harambee. (our = possessive adjective)
Quick practice (do these)
- Write an adjective to complete: The ______ teacher helped the child. (possible answer: kind/helpful)
- Choose comparative: Matatu A is (more crowded / crowdeder) than Matatu B. → ______
- Use possessive adjective: ______ community helped clean the road. (Answer: Our / Their)
- Make superlative: Among all volunteers, she is the (kind) ______.
- Order adjectives: Put in correct order — (wooden / small / old / lovely) church → ______.
Tips to remember
- Adjectives do not change for singular/plural (a friendly neighbour, friendly neighbours).
- Use comparatives with "than". Use superlatives with "the".
- Keep adjectives near the noun or after a linking verb for clarity.
- Use adjectives to make descriptions stronger and more interesting — useful for writing about your community.
📝 Try writing 3 sentences about your mtaa or school using at least one adjective in each sentence.