Pronouns used as Adjectives
Seven personal pronouns are known as possessive pronouns or possessive adjectives. They are pronouns because they have antecedents. They are adjectives because they modify nouns and answer the questions, Which one?
my your his hers its our their
The flock reached its winter feeding grounds.
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
All four of the demonstrative pronouns can be used as adjectives. Unlike the personal pronouns above they become demonstrative adjectives instead of pronouns. when they function as adjectives, they always come before the nouns they modify and never directly before a verb.
this that these those
Demonstrative Pronouns: Did the bird drop this? Those are pretty birds.
Demonstrative Adjectives: Did the bird drop this feather? Those birds are pretty.
INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES
Three of the interrogative pronouns become interrogative adjectives when they modify a noun.
which what whose
Interrogative Pronouns: What happened? Whose is that?
Interrogative Adjective: What color is the egg? Whose pet is the canary?
INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES
Indefinite pronouns become indefinite adjectives when they modify nouns. The chart below show whether they modify singular or plural nouns.
Singular Plural Singular or Plural
another, much both all other
each, neither few any some
either, one many more most
little several
Example
Indefinite pronoun Indefinite Adjectives
The parakeet ate one. The parakeet ate one nut.
Few live in the Artic. Few birds live in the Artic.
we saw some at the lake. We saw some ducks at the lake.
Directions: Distinguish between Pronouns and Adjectives. Identify whether the underlined word functions as an adjective or a pronoun. If it is an adjective, write the word it modifies.
1. On a recent trip to the zoo, my friends and I learned about toucans.
2. Those are brightly colored birds known for their large beaks.
3. A few people in the group asked what foods were eaten by toucans.
4. We asked which of the zoo's many birds was his favorite.
5. These interesting birds inhabit the tropical forests.