Adjective Vs. Adjectival: What's The Difference?

Hey guys! Ever get tripped up by grammar terms that sound super similar? Today, we're diving into the world of adjectives and adjectivals to clear up the confusion once and for all. It's a topic that can feel a bit like navigating a linguistic maze, but don't worry, we'll break it down in a way that's easy to understand. We'll explore what each term means, how they function in sentences, and, most importantly, how to tell them apart. So, grab your grammar glasses, and let's get started!

Understanding Adjectives

Let's kick things off by defining exactly what we mean when we talk about adjectives. In the simplest terms, adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They add detail, color, and specificity to our language, making our sentences more vibrant and engaging. Think about how bland a sentence would be if you couldn't use words like 'blue', 'tall', or 'shiny'! Adjectives are the spice of descriptive writing, and they play a crucial role in conveying information effectively.

Now, let's dive a little deeper into the characteristics of these descriptive dynamos. One key thing to remember is that true adjectives typically have degrees of comparison. What does that mean? Well, it means you can use them to show different levels of a quality. For example, you can say something is 'big', 'bigger', or 'biggest'. These comparative and superlative forms ('-er' and '-est' endings, or the use of 'more' and 'most') are a hallmark of many adjectives. Not all adjectives can do this (you wouldn't say 'more unique' because 'unique' already implies one-of-a-kind), but it's a useful characteristic to keep in mind.

Another important characteristic of adjectives is their ability to function attributively and predicatively. This might sound like a mouthful, but it's actually quite simple. When an adjective is used attributively, it comes before the noun it modifies, like in the phrase 'the blue car'. The adjective 'blue' is directly attached to the noun 'car'. On the other hand, when an adjective is used predicatively, it comes after a linking verb (like 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', 'seems', etc.) and describes the subject of the sentence. For example, in the sentence 'The car is blue,' the adjective 'blue' comes after the linking verb 'is' and describes the subject 'the car'. This ability to play both roles is a key feature of true adjectives.

To solidify your understanding, let's look at some more examples of adjectives in action: 'a tall building', 'the shiny apple', 'a delicious meal', 'the happy children'. In each of these phrases, the adjective is adding specific information about the noun, painting a clearer picture in the reader's mind. Notice how the adjectives precede the nouns they modify, functioning attributively. You could also rewrite these examples to use the adjectives predicatively: 'The building is tall,' 'The apple is shiny,' 'The meal was delicious,' 'The children are happy.' See how the adjectives now follow a linking verb and describe the subject?

Exploring Adjectivals

Now that we've got a solid grasp of adjectives, let's turn our attention to their cousins: adjectivals. This is where things can get a little bit trickier, but stick with me! Essentially, an adjectival is any word or phrase that functions like an adjective by modifying a noun, but isn't a true adjective itself. Think of it as an adjective's understudy, stepping in to do the same job but with a slightly different background.

One of the most common types of adjectivals is the participle phrase. Participles are verb forms that can act as adjectives, and they come in two main flavors: present participles (ending in '-ing') and past participles (often ending in '-ed' or '-en'). For example, in the phrase 'the running water,' the word 'running' is a present participle acting as an adjectival, describing the type of water. Similarly, in 'the broken vase,' 'broken' is a past participle functioning as an adjectival. These participles are derived from verbs ('run' and 'break', respectively), but they're taking on an adjective-like role in these phrases.

Another important category of adjectivals is nouns used as adjectives. This is incredibly common in English and often involves placing a noun directly before another noun to describe it. Think about phrases like 'the school bus', 'the kitchen table', or 'the computer screen'. In each of these cases, the first noun is acting as an adjective, specifying the type or purpose of the second noun. 'School' describes the type of bus, 'kitchen' describes the type of table, and 'computer' describes the type of screen. These nouns aren't inherently adjectives, but they're functioning as such in these constructions.

Prepositional phrases can also function as adjectivals. A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition (like 'of', 'in', 'on', 'at', 'with', 'by', etc.) and modifies another word in the sentence. When a prepositional phrase modifies a noun, it's acting as an adjectival. For instance, in the phrase 'the book on the table,' the prepositional phrase 'on the table' is describing which book we're talking about. It's functioning like an adjective by adding specific information about the noun 'book.' Similarly, in 'the woman with the red hair,' the phrase 'with the red hair' is an adjectival phrase modifying 'woman.'

To further illustrate the concept of adjectivals, let's consider some additional examples: 'the barking dog' (present participle), 'the painted fence' (past participle), 'the city lights' (noun as adjective), 'the house by the sea' (prepositional phrase). In each of these examples, the highlighted word or phrase is acting as an adjective by modifying a noun, but it's not a true adjective in the traditional sense. They are adjectivals, filling the descriptive role in a slightly different way.

Key Differences and How to Tell Them Apart

Alright, guys, now that we've defined both adjectives and adjectivals, let's get down to the nitty-gritty: how do you actually tell them apart? It's a crucial question, and understanding the distinctions will significantly improve your grasp of grammar. The key lies in remembering their fundamental nature and how they function within a sentence. We've already touched on some of these differences, but let's consolidate them here for clarity.

The most significant difference, as we've discussed, is that true adjectives are words specifically designed to describe nouns, while adjectivals are other types of words or phrases that are functioning in an adjective-like way. Adjectives are purpose-built for description; it's their primary job. Adjectivals, on the other hand, are taking on a descriptive role from another part of speech or phrase structure. This is the core distinction to keep in mind.

Another helpful way to differentiate is to consider the degrees of comparison. As we mentioned earlier, many true adjectives can be used in comparative and superlative forms ('-er' and '-est' endings, or 'more' and 'most'). While some adjectivals can be modified to a certain extent (e.g., 'more running' in some contexts), they generally don't fit into this pattern as neatly as true adjectives. You wouldn't typically say 'schooler bus' or 'most kitchen table', for example. This test can be a quick way to identify whether you're dealing with a true adjective or an adjectival.

Consider also their position and function within the sentence. While both adjectives and adjectivals modify nouns, they may do so in slightly different ways. True adjectives often appear directly before the noun they modify (attributively) or after a linking verb (predicatively). Adjectivals, especially prepositional phrases, may appear after the noun they modify. For example, you'd say 'the tall man' (adjective) but 'the man in the hat' (adjectival phrase). The position can be a clue to the word's or phrase's function.

Let's look at a few examples to illustrate these differences in action. Take the sentence 'The old house by the river is charming.' Here, 'old' is a true adjective, describing the house and appearing before the noun. 'By the river' is a prepositional phrase functioning as an adjectival, describing which house we're talking about and appearing after the noun. 'Charming' is another true adjective, but it's used predicatively, coming after the linking verb 'is' and describing the subject 'the house.' Notice how each descriptive element, whether adjective or adjectival, adds detail to our understanding of the house.

***Another example: 'The barking dog chased the red ball.' In this sentence, 'barking' is a present participle acting as an adjectival, and 'red' is a true adjective. 'Barking' describes the action the dog is performing, while 'red' describes the color of the ball. Both are modifiers, but they achieve this in slightly different ways.

Why Does It Matter?

Okay, so we've spent a good amount of time dissecting the differences between adjectives and adjectivals. But you might be thinking, *