In the sentence below, identify the descriptive adjective (adjective of…
2023
In the sentence below, identify the descriptive adjective (adjective of quality) — the word that describes a quality of the noun:
“Maria is the tallest among the three cousins.”
- A.
among
- B.
tallest
- C.
three
- D.
none of the above
Attempted by 17 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: A descriptive adjective (adjective of quality) names a quality of a noun or pronoun — such as size, colour, or height. Its superlative degree (formed with “-est” or “most”) expresses the highest degree of that quality when three or more things are compared. This is different from a numeral/number adjective, which only states quantity.
Application: In “Maria is the tallest among the three cousins,” the word that names a quality of the noun “Maria” is “tallest.” It is the superlative form of “tall” and gives the degree of her height relative to the other cousins, so “tallest” is the descriptive adjective being asked for.
Contrast — why the other words do not fit:
“among” is a preposition — it shows relationship to the group, not a quality.
“three” is a numeral / adjective of number — it states quantity (how many cousins), not a quality, so it is not a descriptive adjective.
“none of the above” is wrong because a quality-describing word is present in the sentence.
Result: The descriptive adjective in the sentence is “tallest.”