Adjectives
Learn how describing words make your writing more vivid and interesting.
What is an Adjective?
An adjective is a describing word. It gives us more information about a noun (a person, place, animal, or thing). Adjectives answer questions like: What kind? How many? Which one? What does it look or feel like?
The majestic lion
What kind of lion?
A crunchy apple
What does it feel like?
A tiny house
What size is it?
📌 Remember
Adjectives usually come before the noun they describe: "the fluffy cat", "a cold day". They can also come after a linking verb: "The cat was fluffy." Both are correct!
Types of Adjectives
Adjectives can describe many different things about a noun.
Examples: red, golden, pale, dark, bright
"She wore a golden crown."
Examples: huge, tiny, tall, narrow, enormous
"They climbed the enormous mountain."
Examples: happy, frightened, wonderful, awful, brave
"The frightened rabbit hid in the bush."
Examples: smooth, rough, fluffy, sticky, sharp
"The cat had fluffy, soft fur."
Spotting Adjectives in a Sentence
Adjectives are highlighted. Notice how they all describe a noun.
The old, rusty gate creaked in the cold wind.
3 adjectives: old and rusty describe the gate; cold describes the wind.
A tiny, frightened mouse ran across the wooden floor.
3 adjectives: tiny and frightened describe the mouse; wooden describes the floor.
💡 Adjectives vs Adverbs
Don't mix them up! Adjectives describe nouns. Adverbs describe verbs (and often end in -ly).
✓ Adjective
The quick fox — describes the noun fox
≠ Adverb
The fox ran quickly — describes the verb ran
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer and click "Check Answer". You have up to 3 attempts per question.
Question 1
In the sentence "The brave knight rode quickly," which word is an adjective?
Question 2
Which word best fills the blank? "The _____ puppy played in the garden."
Question 3
How many adjectives are in this sentence? "The small, red ball rolled under the old table."
Question 4
Which sentence uses an adjective after a linking verb (also correct)?
Question 5
Which word best completes this sentence with an adjective? "The warm, golden sun shone on the _____ beach."
Key Concepts Summary
- ●An adjective is a describing word that tells us more about a noun.
- ●Adjectives can describe colour (red, golden), size (tiny, huge), feeling (brave, frightened), and texture (smooth, fluffy).
- ●Adjectives usually come before the noun: "the fluffy cat", or after a linking verb: "The cat was fluffy."
- ●A sentence can have more than one adjective: "the old, rusty gate".
- ●Don't confuse adjectives with adverbs — adverbs describe verbs (e.g. quickly), not nouns.