Adjectives: How to Describe Things in English

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They give more information about people, places, things, or ideas — helping to make your sentences clearer and more colorful. In English grammar, adjectives play a major role in communication because they allow you to express opinions, emotions, size, color, and other qualities.

This guide will explain what adjectives are, how to use them correctly, and how they behave in different grammatical structures.

What Is an Adjective?

An adjective is a word that tells us more about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea) or a pronoun. For example:

• She is a beautiful dancer.

• The tall building stands near the river.

• They live in a quiet neighborhood.

In each sentence, the adjective provides a specific quality — “beautiful,” “tall,” and “quiet” — that helps us imagine or understand the noun more precisely.

Functions of Adjectives

Adjectives have several important functions in English sentences:

1. Describing qualities or characteristics

   • The happy child smiled at everyone.

   • He bought a fast car.

2. Showing quantity or number

   • She has three dogs.

   • We need more chairs.

3. Indicating size, shape, and color

   • A small, round, red apple.

4. Expressing opinions or emotions

   • That was an amazing performance!

   • He’s a boring speaker.

5. Defining origin or material

   • A Japanese restaurant.

   • A wooden table.

Position of Adjectives

In English, adjectives usually appear in two main positions: before a noun or after a linking verb.

1. Before a noun (Attributive position)

Most adjectives appear before the noun they describe.

• She wore a blue dress.

• They live in a large house.

2. After a linking verb (Predicative position)

Adjectives can also come after verbs like be, seem, look, feel, and become.

• The soup tastes delicious.

• He is tired.

• She looks happy.

Note: Some adjectives only work in one position.

• The president elect (before the noun, not after the verb).

• The child is asleep (after the verb, not before the noun).

Order of Adjectives

When using multiple adjectives before a noun, English follows a natural order. While not a strict rule, it sounds unnatural if broken. The typical order is:

1. Quantity or number (one, several)

2. Opinion (beautiful, nice, ugly)

3. Size (big, small, tall)

4. Age (old, young, new)

5. Shape (round, square)

6. Color (red, green, blue)

7. Origin (Filipino, American, Japanese)

8. Material (wooden, metal, cotton)

9. Purpose (sleeping bag, running shoes)

Example:
She bought two lovely small old round red Italian leather handbags.

It sounds natural because the adjectives follow the standard order.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Adjectives can also be used to compare nouns. These are called degrees of comparison.

1. Positive degree

Simply describes a noun without comparing.

• This beach is beautiful.

2. Comparative degree

Compares two people or things.

• This beach is more beautiful than that one.

• He is taller than his brother.

3. Superlative degree

Compares three or more people or things.

• This is the most beautiful beach in Cebu.

• He is the tallest student in the class.

Rules for forming comparatives and superlatives:

• For short adjectives (one syllable), add -er and -est.

  • tall → taller → tallest

• For adjectives ending in -y, change “y” to “i” and add -er/-est.

  • happy → happier → happiest

• For longer adjectives (two or more syllables), use more and most.

  • beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful

• Some adjectives have irregular forms.

  • good → better → best

  • bad → worse → worst

Limiting vs. Descriptive Adjectives

There are two major categories of adjectives:

1. Descriptive adjectives

They describe qualities or characteristics.

• The friendly dog barked.

2. Limiting adjectives

They define or restrict the meaning of a noun.
This includes:

• Articles: a, an, the

• Demonstratives: this, that, these, those

• Possessives: my, your, his, her

• Numbers: one, two, several

• Quantifiers: some, many, few

Examples:

• My book is on the table.

• These apples are fresh.

• She has few friends.

Compound Adjectives

A compound adjective is formed by combining two or more words to describe a noun. They are often connected by a hyphen.

Examples:

• A well-known author.

• A two-story building.

• A full-time job.

Note: Use a hyphen only when the compound adjective appears before the noun.

• He is a well-known singer. ✅

• That singer is well known. ❌ (No hyphen needed here.)

Common Mistakes with Adjectives

1. Using the wrong word order

❌ A red small car
✅ A small red car

2. Confusing adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs.
❌ She runs quick.
✅ She runs quickly.

3. Double comparatives

❌ More better, more faster
✅ Better, faster

4. Using “very” incorrectly

“Very” is used only with adjectives that can be graded.
✅ very big, very tired
❌ very perfect, very unique (use “absolutely perfect” instead)

Adjectives and Prepositions

Some adjectives are commonly followed by specific prepositions. Learning them as fixed pairs helps sound natural.

Using Adjectives with “Too” and “Enough”

Adjectives can also be used with “too” and “enough” to express sufficiency or excess.

• The water is too hot to drink.

• She isn’t tall enough to reach the shelf.

Rule:

• “Too” comes before the adjective.

• “Enough” comes after the adjective.

Adjectives vs. Nouns Acting as Modifiers

Sometimes a noun acts like an adjective when it modifies another noun.

• Chocolate cake (chocolate = noun used as adjective)

• School bus

• Cebu hotel

The first word gives more detail about the second noun, similar to how an adjective works.

Practical Examples in Everyday English

Here are some examples of adjectives in common contexts:

Describing people:

• She’s intelligent, kind, and honest.

Describing places:

• Cebu has beautiful, peaceful beaches.

Describing objects:

• I bought a new, lightweight, durable laptop.

Describing experiences:

• It was an exciting trip.

• The lecture was boring.

Conclusion

Adjectives are powerful tools that bring your language to life. They allow you to express details, emotions, and opinions clearly. By mastering their types, order, and correct forms, you can make your English sound more natural and vivid.

Remember:

• Use adjectives to describe nouns and pronouns.

• Pay attention to adjective order and position.

• Practice comparative and superlative forms.

• Learn common adjective + preposition pairs.

Whether you’re writing essays, speaking with friends, or describing your favorite beach in Cebu, adjectives help you paint pictures with words — making your English more engaging and expressive.

What is an adjective, and what does it modify?

An adjective is a word that describes, identifies, or quantifies a noun or pronoun. It adds detail about qualities such as size, color, shape, age, origin, material, quantity, and opinion. In “a quiet neighborhood,” the adjective quiet modifies the noun neighborhood. In “she feels tired,” the adjective tired describes the subject she after a linking verb. Adjectives answer questions like what kind?, which one?, how many?, or whose?

Where do adjectives go in a sentence?

Adjectives typically appear in two positions:

• Attributive (before a noun): “a blue shirt,” “an amazing view.”
• Predicative (after a linking verb): “The soup tastes delicious,” “He is tired.” Common linking verbs include be, seem, appear, look, feel, taste, become.

Some adjectives strongly prefer one position. For example, asleep is predicative (“The child is asleep”), while certain fixed phrases like president-elect are attributive only.

What is the natural order of multiple adjectives?

When stacking adjectives before a noun, English follows a widely accepted natural order. While flexible, deviating from it often sounds unnatural. A helpful template is:

1. Quantity/number (two, several)
2. Opinion (beautiful, nice, ugly)
3. Size (small, tall, huge)
4. Age (new, old, young)
5. Shape (round, square)
6. Color (red, blue, green)
7. Origin (Filipino, French)
8. Material (wooden, leather)
9. Purpose/Qualifier (sleeping bag, running shoes)

Example: “two lovely small old round red Italian leather handbags.”

How do I form comparative and superlative adjectives?

Use adjectives to compare two or more nouns:

• Positive: “This beach is beautiful.”
• Comparative (two items): short adjectives usually add -er; longer ones use more. “tall → taller,” “interesting → more interesting.”
• Superlative (three+ items): short adjectives add -est; longer ones use most. “tall → tallest,” “interesting → most interesting.”

Spelling notes: adjectives ending in -y change to -ier/-iest (happy → happier → happiest); some double the final consonant (big → bigger → biggest). Irregular forms include good → better → best and bad → worse → worst.

What is the difference between descriptive and limiting adjectives?

Descriptive adjectives add qualities (“a friendly dog,” “a quiet street”). Limiting adjectives restrict or specify the noun. These include articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), possessives (my, your, his), numbers (one, two), and quantifiers (some, many, few). In “these three books,” both these and three are limiting.

When should I hyphenate compound adjectives?

Hyphenate compound adjectives that come before a noun to avoid ambiguity: “a well-known writer,” “a two-story building,” “a full-time job.” Drop the hyphen when the compound follows the noun: “The writer is well known.” Measurements used before a noun also take hyphens in singular form: “a two-kilometer walk,” “a five-year plan.”

What are the most common mistakes with adjectives?

• Wrong order: ❌ “a red small car” → ✅ “a small red car.”
• Adjective vs. adverb confusion: adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs/adjectives. ❌ “She runs quick” → ✅ “She runs quickly.”
• Double comparatives: Avoid “more better,” “more faster.” Use “better,” “faster.”
• Ungradable adjectives with very: Avoid “very perfect/unique.” Prefer “absolutely perfect,” “truly unique.”
• Missing hyphens in compounds: “a part time job” → “a part-time job.”

Which prepositions commonly follow certain adjectives?

Many adjective–preposition pairs are fixed expressions. Common pairs include afraid of, interested in, good at, proud of, famous for, and different from. Examples: “She’s afraid of dogs,” “I’m interested in learning English,” “He’s good at cooking,” “Cebu is famous for beaches.” Learning these chunks boosts fluency.

How do “too” and “enough” work with adjectives?

Use too before adjectives to express excess: “The water is too hot to drink.” Use enough after adjectives to express sufficiency: “She isn’t tall enough to reach the shelf.” Pattern recap: too + adjective + (to + verb); adjective + enough + (to + verb).

Can nouns act like adjectives?

Yes. A noun can modify another noun and function adjectivally: “chocolate cake,” “school bus,” “travel guide.” The first noun narrows or classifies the second. In writing, keep these unhyphenated unless clarity demands a hyphen (rare in simple two-noun compounds).

Are there adjectives that don’t take comparative or superlative forms?

Many adjectives are gradable (they can vary in degree: cold, colder, coldest; very cold). Others are typically non-gradable or “absolute” (perfect, dead, unique, impossible). For these, use intensifiers like absolutely, completely, virtually rather than very. In informal speech you might hear “more perfect,” but in careful writing prefer “closer to perfect” or “nearly perfect.”

How can I test if a word is an adjective?

Try these quick checks:

• Slot test: Can it appear before a noun? “a beautiful day.”
• Linking-verb test: Can it appear after be/seem/look? “The day is beautiful.”
• Intensifier test: Can it be modified by very or really? “a very beautiful day.” (Not all adjectives allow this, but many do.)

What’s the difference between coordinate and cumulative adjectives?

Coordinate adjectives equally modify a noun and typically take commas (or and): “a bright, sunny day” (or “bright and sunny day”). If you can swap their order or add and naturally, they are coordinate. Cumulative adjectives build on each other and do not use commas: “three small red apples.” You cannot easily reorder them or insert and without sounding odd.

How do I choose between “a” and “an” with adjectives?

Use “a” before consonant sounds and “an” before vowel sounds—focus on pronunciation, not spelling. Examples: “a university course” (/juː-/ sound), but “an honest answer” (silent h, vowel sound). With adjectives: “an interesting idea,” “a useful tip.”

What are some powerful adjective–noun collocations for everyday English?

Learning common pairings improves naturalness. Try: strong coffee, heavy rain, tight schedule, tough decision, high risk, deep sleep, loud noise, clear instructions, fresh start, major issue, minor mistake, key factor, common sense. These combinations are conventional and often preferred over literal but awkward alternatives.

How can I make my descriptions more vivid without overusing adjectives?

Favor precise adjectives over many vague ones: “a crisp morning” beats “a very nice morning.” Mix adjectives with specific nouns and strong verbs: “Waves pounded the rocky shore.” Avoid stacking too many modifiers; two well-chosen adjectives are usually better than a long string. Read aloud to check rhythm and clarity.

What are some practical tips to avoid adjective errors?

• Respect the natural order when using multiple adjectives.
• Use adverbs (not adjectives) to modify verbs: “drive carefully.”
• Avoid double comparatives/superlatives: use “better,” not “more better.”
• Hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun: “state-of-the-art camera.”
• Choose precise, concrete adjectives and cut filler like “really/very” when possible.

Can you give mini-practice examples I can imitate?

Yes—copy and adapt these patterns:

• Attributive: “a spacious modern apartment,” “an elegant solution.”
• Predicative: “The plan seems feasible,” “The beach looks stunning.”
• Comparatives: “This route is faster than that one,” “Her argument is more convincing.”
• Superlatives: “the tallest building,” “the most comfortable chair.”
• Too/Enough: “It’s too late to start,” “We’re ready enough to launch.”
• Compounds: “a last-minute change,” “a cost-effective strategy.”

Final takeaway: what should I remember about adjectives?

Use adjectives to paint clear, accurate pictures: put them in the right position, follow the natural order when stacking, form comparisons correctly, hyphenate compound modifiers before nouns, and pair them with appropriate prepositions. Prioritize precision over quantity, and let specific nouns and strong verbs share the work. With these habits, your descriptions will sound natural, concise, and engaging.

English Grammar Guide: Complete Rules, Examples, and Tips for All Levels