Grammar: Basic Adjectives
A2 Lesson 18: Describing Nouns
What is an Adjective? 🎨
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (a person, place, or thing). Adjectives give us more information and make our sentences more interesting. They answer questions like "What kind?", "How many?", or "Which one?".
Two Positions for Adjectives
In English, adjectives usually go in one of two places in a sentence.
Position 1: Before the Noun
This is the most common position for adjectives.
- Siem Reap is a famous city.
- I ate some delicious seafood.
- He is a tall man.
Position 2: After 'to be'
Adjectives can also come after the verb 'to be' (is, am, are, was, were).
- The city is famous.
- The seafood was delicious.
- He is tall.
Common Types of Adjectives 📖
Adjective Categories
| Type | Example Adjectives |
|---|---|
| Opinion / Quality | good, bad, beautiful, nice, friendly, famous |
| Size | big, small, long, short, tall |
| Feeling | happy, sad, tired, hungry, thirsty |
| Color | red, green, blue, black, white, yellow |
In Conversation
Notice how the adjectives are used in this chat at a restaurant.
Dara: Wow, this amok is delicious!
Sophea: I agree. It's a famous dish in Cambodia. The restaurant is nice too.
Dara: Yes, the chairs are comfortable. I am happy we came here.
Practice Your Grammar 🎯
Exercise: Find the Adjective
Read the sentences and find the adjective. What noun does it describe?
- She has a red motorcycle.
→ Adjective: red. Describes: motorcycle. - The Kampot river is long.
→ Adjective: long. Describes: river. - He is a friendly tour guide.
→ Adjective: friendly. Describes: tour guide. - The pepper from that farm is spicy.
→ Adjective: spicy. Describes: pepper.
Your Grammar Mission ⭐
Describe Your World
Look around you. Write three sentences to describe what you see. Use a different adjective in each sentence.
Example: My notebook is blue. The fan is noisy. The coffee is hot.
Key Vocabulary
- Adjective A word that describes a noun or pronoun.
- Describe To say what someone or something is like.
- Position The place where something is located.