Adjectives are an essential part of English grammar and commonly appear in competitive exams like SSC, Banking, and RRB. In this blog, we have provided all the details about adjectives, their definition, why they are important in exams, types of questions asked, tricks to solve them quickly, and solved examples from recent 2024–25 exams.
What Is an Adjective in English?
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun to give more information about its quality, quantity, size, color, shape, or other attributes. For example, in the phrase “a red apple,” red is the adjective describing the apple.
Adjectives appear frequently in exams because they test your understanding of grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary usage — all crucial for effective communication.
To solve adjective-related questions successfully, you need skills like logical reasoning, visualization (imagining the context), and decoding sentence patterns quickly.
Why Is Adjective Important in Competitive Exams?
Adjective questions are an easy-to-moderate difficulty area that can quickly add marks to your score if practiced well. They appear regularly across various exams, making them a must-know topic.
| Exam | No. of Questions | Difficulty |
| SSC CGL / CHSL | 1–2 | Easy |
| IBPS PO / SBI PO | 1–2 | Moderate |
| RRB NTPC / Group D | 1 | Easy |
| State PSC / Police | 1–2 | Moderate |
Types of Adjectives
Adjectives modify nouns/pronouns and usually answer questions like What kind? Which one? How many?
| Types | Details |
| Descriptive Adjectives | Describe qualities (e.g., tall, blue) |
| Quantitative Adjectives | Indicate quantity (e.g., some, few) |
| Demonstrative Adjectives | Point out specific nouns (e.g., this, those) |
| Possessive Adjectives | Show ownership (e.g., my, their) |
| Interrogative Adjectives | Used in questions (e.g., which, what) |
| Comparative Adjectives | Compare two things (e.g., taller) |
| Superlative Adjectives | Show highest degree (e.g., tallest) |
Concepts Used to Solve Questions Based on Pronouns
Concepts used to solve questions based on pronouns are as follows:
| Concept | Details |
| Modify Nouns/Pronouns | Describe or limit the noun/pronoun |
| Answer Questions | What kind? Which one? How many? |
| Degrees of Comparison | Positive, Comparative, Superlative |
| Position in Sentence | Usually before the noun or after linking verbs |
| Agreement | Must agree with the noun in number and gender (in some languages) |
What Are the Types of Adjective Questions in English?
Adjective questions in exams test various concepts through:
- Fill in the blanks: Choose correct adjective form.
- Error spotting: Find adjective usage errors.
- Sentence improvement: Correct adjective placement or form.
- Degree of comparison: Identify or complete comparative and superlative forms.
- Synonyms/Antonyms: Choose adjective pairs.
- Matching: Match adjectives to nouns correctly.
Adjective Question Patterns in English
To solve adjective questions faster, apply these mental templates:
- Identify the noun/pronoun being described.
- Check adjective form positive, comparative, or superlative.
- Use context clues to confirm meaning.
- Follow grammatical rules for adjective order and agreement.
- Use elimination to discard wrong options based on meaning or form.
Adjective Tricks for SSC CGL and Other Exams
Here are quick strategies to solve adjective questions efficiently:
- Spot the noun/pronoun first adjectives always describe these.
- Look for degree clues words like “more,” “most” hint comparative or superlative.
- Check sentence structure adjectives usually come before the noun.
- Eliminate options that don’t match the noun number or meaning.
- Remember irregular adjectives e.g., good → better → best.
- Use process of elimination remove confusing options first.
Solved Adjective Questions from 2024–25 Exams
1. SSC CGL 2024 Tier 1 (Shift 2 – Memory-Based)
Q: Fill in the blank: She is the _______ student in the class.
Options: (a) intelligent (b) more intelligent (c) most intelligent (d) intelligenter
Answer: (c) most intelligent
Explanation: Superlative degree needed for highest comparison.
2. IBPS PO Prelims 2024
Q: Choose the correct adjective: He has _______ experience than his colleague.
Options: (a) good (b) better (c) best (d) well
Answer: (b) better
Explanation: Comparative degree required as two people are compared.
3. RRB NTPC 2024
Q: Identify the error in the sentence: She wore a beautifully red dress.
Answer: “beautifully” should be “beautiful” (adjective, not adverb).
Explanation: Adjective modifies noun, not adverb.
Adjective Concepts for Bank Exams
Bank exams like IBPS and SBI often include symbol-based or coded questions involving adjectives, such as matching adjective forms to words or using logic trees to identify correct adjective usage in complex sentences.
Example:
If A = positive degree adjective, B = comparative, and C = superlative, then for the adjective “bright,” fill the pattern: A → B → C
Answer: bright → brighter → brightest
Common Mistakes to Avoid while Solving Adjective Questions
Mistakes to avoid while solving questions based on this topic are as follows:
- Confusing adjectives with adverbs (e.g., beautifully vs beautiful).
- Incorrect degree of comparison usage (e.g., using more better).
- Wrong placement of adjectives in the sentence.
- Ignoring irregular adjective forms.
- Overlooking agreement in number or gender (especially in contextual questions).
FAQs
There are eight main types: descriptive, quantitative, demonstrative, possessive, interrogative, distributive, proper, and number adjectives.
They are used to ask questions about nouns (e.g., which, what, whose).
Positive, comparative, and superlative forms used to compare qualities.
No, some are irregular like good → better → best.
They are commonly tested for grammar and vocabulary understanding.
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