Start here
Adjectives describe nouns and make sentences clearer.
An adjective describes a noun, which can be a person, place, animal, thing, or idea. Adjectives can show size, shape, age, origin, color, purpose, opinion, and feeling.
She has a red car.
They live in an old house.
We saw a beautiful painting.
The tired student went home.
Exercises 1-2
Adjectives usually appear before a noun or after a linking verb.
a clean room, an interesting book, the lazy student
The room is clean. The lesson seems easy. He looks tired.
Exercise 3
Adverbs can make adjectives stronger, softer, or more exact.
really interesting
too difficult
so boring
completely wrong
These words do not describe the noun directly. They describe the strength of the adjective.
Exercises 4-5
Good writing uses adjectives to add useful details.
Weak detail
I saw a dog. The room was nice. The lesson was hard.
Clearer detail
I saw a small gray dog. The room was clean and bright. The lesson was difficult but useful.
Use adjectives when they help the reader imagine the noun. Do not add too many adjectives if the sentence becomes heavy.
Exercise 6
When several adjectives come before a noun, English usually follows a pattern.
Opinion comes before age and color.
Size and shape come before material.
Use commas only when two adjectives are equal and both describe the noun directly: a long, difficult test.
Exercises 7-8
Participial adjectives often end in -ed or -ing.
I am bored. She was excited. The students were confused.
The film is boring. The game was exciting. The rule is confusing.
Exercise 9
Multiple-word adjectives usually need hyphens before a noun.
a five-minute break
a ten-year-old car
a hard-working student
a five-star hotel
After the noun, the words often do not need hyphens: The lesson is two hours. The child is six years old.
Self-assessment
Before the adjective exercises, check these skills.
- I can find adjectives in a sentence.
- I can use adjectives before nouns and after linking verbs.
- I can use adverbs like very, too, and so with adjectives.
- I can choose the correct adjective order.
- I can choose between -ed and -ing participial adjectives.
- I can use hyphens in multiple-word adjectives before nouns.
Quick check
Check yourself before the adjective worksheet tasks.
Which sentence uses adjective + noun?
It is a clean room. The adjective comes before the noun.
Is the movie bored or boring?
The movie is boring. The movie causes the feeling.
Which is correct: a five minute break or a five-minute break?
a five-minute break. Multiple-word adjectives use hyphens before nouns.