Mastering Adjectives: The Complete Guide

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea) to provide more information about it. Adjectives can describe qualities, quantities, sizes, shapes, colours, and more.

They can be used to describe an object, for example:

• An old man.
• A sharp knife.
• A blue car.
• A delicious meal.

Examples of Common Adjectives and How to Use Them

Ready to dive into the world of adjectives? Here are some common adjectives you can use to describe people, places, and things. Try creating your own sentences with these adjectives to improve your grammar and writing skills.

Ages

Adjectives that describe ages tell us how old or young something or someone is, adding a sense of time to the noun.

Examples:

• The young child ran across the field.
• They live in an old house by the river.
• She adopted a new puppy yesterday.
• He found an ancient artefact at the museum.
• My elderly neighbour enjoys gardening.

Appearances

Adjectives that describe appearances give us details about how something or someone looks, helping to paint a visual picture of the noun.

Examples:

• The tall woman stood by the door.
• They bought a sleek car last week.
• She wore a colourful dress to the party.
• He found a shiny coin on the street.
• My scruffy dog loves to play in the mud.

Colours

Adjectives that describe colours allow us to visualise the appearance of objects by telling us what hue or shade they are.

Examples:

• She wore a red dress to the party.
• The sky was a clear blue today.
• He bought a green bicycle.
• The yellow flowers brightened up the garden.
• They painted the walls white for a fresh look.

Distances

Adjectives that describe distances provide clarity about how far apart things are, helping us understand the space and relation between objects or locations.

Examples:

• We took a short walk to the corner shop.
• Their new house is quite far from the city centre.
• She prefers living in a nearby town rather than in the city.
• The long journey through the countryside was worth it for the views.
• He drove a considerable distance to attend the meeting.

Emotions

Adjectives that describe emotions help convey feelings and reactions, enriching our understanding of characters and situations.

Examples:

• He gave her a comforting smile during the tough times.
• The joyful celebration brought everyone together.
• She felt an overwhelming sense of sadness after the news.
• The exciting game kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
• His angry outburst surprised everyone in the room.

Personalities

Adjectives that describe personalities provide insight into an individual’s character traits, helping us understand their behaviour and how they relate to others.

Examples:

• She is a friendly person who makes everyone feel welcome.
• His adventurous spirit always leads him to try new things.
• They appreciate her thoughtful nature in planning events.
• He has a quirky sense of humour that keeps everyone laughing.
• Her determined attitude helps her overcome challenges.

Qualities

Adjectives that describe qualities help us understand more about the characteristics or traits of a noun, giving us a clearer picture of what something is like.

Examples:

• A brave firefighter saved the day.
• She is a kind person.
• The intelligent student aced the exam.
• It was a peaceful afternoon.
• His generous offer surprised everyone.

Quantities

Adjectives that describe quantities tell us how much or how many of something there is, helping to clarify amounts.

Examples:

• She ate several cookies.
• We have enough time to finish.
• There were many people at the event.
• He found a few coins on the ground.
• They made countless memories on their trip.

Shapes

Adjectives that describe shapes help us visualise the form or outline of an object, making it easier to understand its appearance.

Examples:

• She wore a round necklace.
• The table had a rectangular top.
• We played with a square toy.
• The artist painted triangular mountains.
• They arranged the flowers in a circular pattern.

Sizes

Adjectives that describe sizes give us an idea of how big or small something is, offering more detail about the noun.

Examples:

• The tiny kitten fit in the palm of my hand.
• He drove a massive truck down the road.
• They live in a small house by the sea.
• She ordered a large pizza for dinner.
• The gigantic tree towered over the others.

Sounds

Adjectives that describe sounds convey the quality or characteristics of the noise, enriching our understanding of the noun.

Examples:

• The soft music played in the background.
• They heard a loud crash outside the window.
• She listened to the gentle whispers of the wind.
• He discovered a haunting melody in the old record.
• My friend loves the crisp sound of autumn leaves crunching underfoot.

Speeds

Adjectives that describe speeds tell us how fast or slow something moves, giving more detail about the pace or motion.

Examples:

• He drives a fast car on the motorway.
• The slow turtle made its way across the road.
• She completed the task at a quick pace.
• The rapid response was appreciated.
• The snail’s leisurely crawl was fascinating to watch.

Temperatures

Adjectives that describe temperatures help us understand how hot or cold something is, providing a clearer sense of its condition.

Examples:

• She drank a hot cup of tea in the morning.
• The weather was freezing during the winter.
• They enjoyed a warm day at the beach.
• I prefer my coffee cold in the summer.
• The soup was still lukewarm after being left out.

Textures

Adjectives that describe textures help us understand how something feels when touched, adding sensory detail to a noun.

Examples:

• The blanket was incredibly soft.
• He touched the rough surface of the stone.
• The bread had a crusty exterior.
• She admired the smooth finish of the table.
• The towel felt fluffy after drying in the sun.

Times

Adjectives that describe times give us more information about when something happens, adding context to the timing of an event.

Examples:

• We had an early breakfast before the hike.
• The late train finally arrived at the station.
• She enjoys nightly walks around the neighbourhood.
• The annual festival attracts a big crowd.
• He made a brief visit to the office this morning.

where to place an adjective

There are 3 places an adjective can go in relation to the noun in a sentence.

Firstly, an adjective can go before the noun or pronoun. These are called attributed adjectives.

An adjective can go directly after the noun or pronoun. These are called postpositive adjectives.

An adjective can go after the noun or pronoun. These are called predicative adjectives. They use a linking verb to tell us what the subject is.

Function of adjectives

The purpose of an adjective is to make the sentence clearer and more understandable to the listener.

For example, I am in a queue and I say, “Look at that man.”

Which man? There are lots of men in this picture, I need more information to help me decide.

“The man in the checked t-shirt.”

Now we’re getting somewhere, but there are a few men wearing checked
t-shirts. Can we describe him a bit more?

“The man in the red and white checked t-shirt.” Can you spot him?

Order of adjectives in a sentence

As I’ve just shown you above, to make it easier for the listener to understand, you can use more than one adjective to describe an object. If you do, there is an order that we tend to follow. Natives speakers have this order ingrained in their brains, but some aren’t even aware there is an order.

The good news is that It doesn’t really matter that much (only if you want perfect English). The listener will still be able to understand.

Here is the order with some example adjectives.

Adjectives practice

Now it’s your turn to practice. Have a go at describing these objects using more than one adjective. Remember to follow the correct order and be as creative as you like.

Types of adjectives – compound adjectives

A compound adjective is when two or more adjectives join together to describe the same noun. We add a hyphen (-) between the two adjectives.

Let’s take a look.

Compound adjectives with numbers​

Numbers are classed as adjectives as they describe an amount. For example: I have two big dogs.

Compound adjectives can include numbers. For example: I have a four-year-old son.

Here is an important tip for you to know if you want to fine tune those speaking skills:

We don’t use an ‘s’ at the end of compound adjectives with numbers. Even if the number is plural, we still drop the ‘s’.

Here are a few more examples of compound adjectives with numbers. Have a look and practice saying them without the ‘s’.

Can you think of any others?

Do you want to learn more about adjectives?

This page has given you a quick overview about adjectives. You should now be able to spot them easily in a sentence.

As they are very common in the English language, there are more ways to use them and some hints and tricks to help you. Click the links below to learn more about adjectives.