Qualitative and Quantitative Adjectives

Adjectives are those words which describe nouns or pronouns. Qualitative and Quantitative Adjectives are two among seven types of Adjectives.

The names Qualitative and Quantitative themselves gives us idea of the nature of these Adjectives. They are opposite to each other i.e. antonyms. We can differentiate them easily. Qualitative Adjectives deal with characteristics of people or objects and Quantitative Adjectives deal with non-numeric measurement.

Qualitative Adjectives

Qualitative Adjectives are those Adjectives which can describe quality of living beings or non-living things. Qualitative Adjectives answer the question, what kind? Qualitative Adjectives are gradable which means they can form degrees.

We cannot count Qualitative Adjectives. Qualitative Adjectives are mostly abstract and perceived through our senses. Compared to Quantitative Adjectives there are many Qualitative Adjectives.

Examples of Qualitative Adjectives

Boring, Interesting, scary, funny, dark, fair, silky, long, neutral, red, green, black, purple, yellow, damp, feathery, rough, foul, hairy, furry, clean, dirty, sweet, sugary, sour, groan, thud, roar, tall, short, thin, fat, bulky, plump, round, glassy, sad, devastated, pathetic, amazing

The uses of Qualitative Adjectives in sentences are as follows:

  • My sister is a beautiful girl.
  • There are boring people in my classroom.
  • The pickle is so sour.
  • The tiger roars in the forest.
  • Can you stop doing rough work now?
  • This new novel is very interesting.
  • The color of their dress is brown and white.
  • You look hungry. Haven’t you eaten anything since morning?
  • The injured dog on the road looked pitiful.
  • Why are you carrying a dirty bag when you have a clean one at home?
  • I am such a lucky man to have an amazing woman like her as my wife.
  • The chair in my room is of brown color.

The Qualitative Adjectives used above in the sentences and questions evaluate or give opinions about subjects or their actions instead of plainly describing what can be seen through our eyes. Qualitative Adjectives are all those Adjectives which describe our opinions, types of taste, smell, sounds and textures of different types of touch.

Qualitative Adjectives are gradable into three form. These forms denote degree of comparison. They are Positive, Comparative and Superlative Form. Positive Form denote the quality, comparative form denote the comparison of two things having similar qualities and Superlative form denote the highest degree of quality.

Examples:

Positive Comparative Superlative
Good Better Best
Beautiful More Beautiful Most Beautiful
Nice Nicer Nicest
Happy Happier Happiest
Slow Slower Slowest
Honest More honest Most honest

Quantitative Adjectives

Quantitative Adjectives are those Adjectives which describe the measurement i.e. count or amount of any living beings or non-living things are called Quantitative Adjectives. However, the measurement is not in exact numbers.

Quantitative Adjectives answer the questions, how much or how many?

To some extent we can count or weigh Quantitative Adjectives. Quantitative Adjectives are mostly concrete.

Examples of Quantitative Adjectives

Some, few, little, most, all, no, enough, any, whole, sufficient, none

The uses of Quantitative Adjectives in sentences are as follows:

  • I drank half of my mango drink.
  • I ate some roasted chicken.
  • He has many cherries in his large pocket.
  • Linda ate whole burger.
  • These ignorant people have no common sense.
  • I can see enough juice in the jug for the breakfast.
  • Little knowledge is dangerous.
  • I did not give him any chocolates from my bag.
  • I gave him sufficient money for the picnic and shopping.
  • None of the students has done homework today.
  • Most people these days are selfish in this world.
  • Few actresses are down to the earth.

Unlike, Qualitative Adjectives Quantitative Adjectives do not judge subjects or their actions. They simply state the information which our eyes can perceive or state the number or amount of living beings/things.