New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

What type of words do adjectives modify?

1. Verbs

2. Adverbs

3. Nouns and pronouns

4. Conjunctions

The correct answer is: Nouns and pronouns

Adjectives are words that provide additional information about nouns and pronouns. They help to describe, quantify, or clarify a noun or pronoun's characteristics, such as size, color, quantity, and more. For example, in the phrase "the red apple," the adjective "red" modifies the noun "apple" by providing specific information about its color. Similarly, in "she is tall," the adjective "tall" describes the pronoun "she." This relationship highlights the primary function of adjectives in language—enhancing our understanding of the nouns or pronouns they modify. Other types of words, such as verbs and adverbs, serve different grammatical functions and are not the focus of what adjectives modify.