Adjective Phrases - St. Rita Catholic School

Adjectives 

! Adjective Phrases

! Adjective Phrase 


– A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun 

or pronoun 

– A prepositional phrase used as an 

adjective

! Examples: 


– Icy chunks fell from the skyscraper. 

– Chunks of ice fell from the skyscraper. 

– Girls had wax dolls. 

– Girls had dolls of wax. 

– Flower paintings decorated the walls. 

– Paintings of flowers decorated the walls.

Adjective Phrases 

! Adjective phrases answer certain 

questions: 

– What kind? 

– Which one(s)? 

– How many? 

– How much?


! Mr. Dodsworth ordered a dinner of 

boiled crawfish. 

– The adjective phrase modifies the noun 

dinner. 

– The adjective phrase answers the question 

What kind?.


! The one with the big pockets costs a 

little more. 

– The adjective phrase modifies the pronoun 

one. 


Which one?.


! There was enough room for only three 

people. 

– The adjective phrase modifies the noun 

room. 


How much?. 

! Notice that adjective phrases commonly 

follow the noun it modifies.

Practice 

! Identify the adjective phrase in each 

sentence. 

! 1. Diego Rivera was a famous painter 

from Mexico. 

! 2. People throughout the world enjoy 

Rivera’s art. 

! 3. Rivera often painted the walls of 

buildings.

Answers 

! 1. Diego Rivera was a famous painter 

from Mexico. 

! 2. People throughout the world enjoy 

Rivera’s art. 

! 3. Rivera often painted the walls of 

buildings.

More Practice 

! 4. His murals are beautiful examples of 

popular twentieth-century art. 

! 5. Rivera’s artworks often include 

symbols of Mexican culture. 

! 6. His work with other Mexican artists 

was also very important.

More Answers 

! 4. His murals are beautiful examples of 

popular twentieth-century art. 

! 5. Rivera’s artworks often include 

symbols of Mexican culture. 

! 6. His work with other Mexican artists 

was also very important.


! More than one adjective phrase can 

modify the same noun or pronoun. 

! Example: 

– That painting of sunflowers by van Gogh is 

famous. 

– The phrases of sunflowers and by van 

Gogh answers the question Which 

painting.


! An adjective phrase can modify the 

object of another adjective phrase 

! Example: 

– A number of paintings by van Gogh are 

landscapes. 

• The adjective phrase of paintings answers the 

question What number?. 

• The adjective phrase by van Gogh answers the 

question Which painting?.


Applying to your Writing 

! You can add adjective phrases to add 

details to your writing. 

! Examples: 

– Original: Gary enjoys reading books. 

– Revised: Gary enjoys reading books about space 

exploration. 

– Original: The Squirrel was in the top of the tree. The 

squirrel chattered at me. 

– Revised: The squirrel in the top of the tree chattered at 

me.

Practice 

! Identify the Adjective Phrase(s) in each 

sentence. 

! 1. This book about birds of North 

America has won many awards for 

photography. 

! 2. It explains the importance of flight in 

the survival of the bird population.

Answers 

! 1. This book about birds of North 

America has won many awards for 

photography. 

! 2. It explains the importance of flight in 

the survival of the bird population.

Practice 

! 3. The wings of airplanes resemble 

birds’ wings. 

! 4. Feathers on the wings and tails of 

birds often are quite showy. 

! 5. The area inside the quill of a feather 

is hollow.

Answers 

! 3. The wings of airplanes resemble 

birds’ wings. 

! 4. Feathers on the wings and tails of 

birds often are quite showy. 

! 5. The area inside the quill of a feather 

is hollow.

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