English Grammar
Adjectives: Words That Describe
Level: B1 CEFR | Topic: Parts of Speech
What Is an Adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes or gives more information about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea). Adjectives help us understand what something is like — its size, colour, shape, feeling, or quality.
Simple definition: An adjective tells us more about a noun.
Example: She has a beautiful garden. → beautiful describes the garden (noun).
Types of Adjectives
Adjectives can describe many different things. Here are the most common types:
1. Descriptive adjectives — describe qualities: big, small, happy, cold, modern
2. Colour adjectives — describe colour: red, blue, dark, bright
3. Size adjectives — describe size: large, tiny, huge, short
4. Opinion adjectives — give personal opinions: wonderful, terrible, interesting
Rules: Where Do Adjectives Go?
Rule 1 — Before the noun (attributive position)
This is the most common position. The adjective comes directly before the noun it describes.
Pattern: [adjective] + [noun]
→ It is a cold day.
→ She bought a new car.
Rule 2 — After a linking verb (predicative position)
Adjectives can also come after linking verbs such as: be, seem, look, feel, become, sound, taste, smell.
Pattern: [subject] + [linking verb] + [adjective]
→ The soup tastes delicious.
→ He looks tired.
Rule 3 — Adjective order (when using more than one adjective)
When you use two or more adjectives before a noun, there is a natural order in English:
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Noun
→ A lovely little old Italian clock. ✔
→ An expensive new black bag. ✔
Comparative and Superlative Forms
Adjectives change form when we compare two or more things.
| Form | How to Make It | Example | Use |
| Base — tall Describing one thing | Comparative add -er / use more taller / more beautiful Comparing two things | Superlative add -est / use most tallest / most beautiful Comparing three or more |
10 Examples with Adjectives
In the table below, the adjective in each sentence is highlighted in green.
| # | Sentence | Adjective | Explanation |
| 1 | The weather is beautiful today. | beautiful | Describes the weather (noun) — placed after the linking verb ‘is’ |
| 2 | She lives in a small apartment. | small | Describes the apartment (noun) — placed before the noun |
| 3 | He is a very intelligent student. | intelligent | Describes the student — opinion adjective |
| 4 | They watched an exciting film last night. | exciting | Describes the film — placed before the noun |
| 5 | The coffee tastes bitter. | bitter | Follows the linking verb ‘tastes’ — predicative position |
| 6 | We need a bigger table for the party. | bigger | Comparative form of ‘big’ — comparing sizes |
| 7 | Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. | highest | Superlative form of ‘high’ |
| 8 | She wore a long red dress to the event. | long, red | Two adjectives — size before colour (correct order) |
| 9 | The old man smiled kindly at the children. | old | Describes the man — placed before the noun |
| 10 | This exercise seems difficult, but it is possible. | difficult, possible | Two adjectives after linking verbs ‘seems’ and ‘is’ |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do NOT add -s to adjectives: ❌ ‘three bigs dogs’ → ✔ ‘three big dogs’
- Do NOT confuse adjective with adverb: ❌ ‘She sings beautiful’ → ✔ ‘She sings beautifully’
- Keep correct order with multiple adjectives: ❌ ‘a red big car’ → ✔ ‘a big red car’
Quick Summary
✔ Adjectives describe nouns.
✔ They come before the noun or after a linking verb.
✔ Follow the correct order when using more than one adjective.
✔ Use comparative (-er / more) and superlative (-est / most) forms to compare.
✔ Adjectives never change form for singular or plural nouns in English.
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