English Grammar > Adjectives

Adjectives describe the aspects of nouns. When an adjective is describing a noun, we say it is “modifying” it. Adjectives can:

Describe the quantity

EXAMPLES

• There are four teams.
• The house has two levels.
• The neighbor has a lot of cats.

Describe feelings or qualities

EXAMPLES

• He is a lonely man.
• They are honest.

Express a judgement or a value

EXAMPLES

• That was a fantastic film.
• Grammar is complicated.

Tell more about a thing’s characteristics

EXAMPLES

• This is a flashy car.
• The knife is sharp.

Tell us about size and measurement

EXAMPLES

• John is a tall man.
• This film is long.

Tell us about the temperature

EXAMPLES

• This hot tea is good.
• Ice cream is cold.

Tell us about age.

EXAMPLES

• He’s a young man.
• My coat is old.

Tell us about shape

• I sat at a round table.
• The envelope is square.

Tell us about colour

EXAMPLES

• Paul wore a red shirt.
• The sunset was crimson.

Give nationality or origin

EXAMPLES

• I heard a French song.
• This clock is German.
• Our house is Victorian.

Tell us what something is made of

EXAMPLES

• The table is wooden.
• She wore a cotton dress.