English for FunColour and size sentences: "The ball is red", "The cat is big"
Tap a sentence to hear it. Colours and sizes turn simple words into descriptions.
Tap to hear
Word order
- Two ways to use a colour: after "is" (The ball is red) or before the thing (a red ball).
- Size comes before colour: a big red ball, a small blue car.
- In Vietnamese the order is reversed ("quả bóng to màu đỏ"), so let your child hear the English order many times.
Practise at home
- Describe toys together: "The car is blue. It is a small blue car."
- Play "big or small?" with two cups, two balls or two shoes.
- Draw a big red ball and a small green ball and label them.
Practise with I Can Read
I Can Read practises these sentences on Paint Island, which opens with full access. The free first island, Look Island, starts with "I see a…" and "This is a…".
Free printable
Print-ready A4 sheets for "Colour and size sentences: "The ball is red", "The cat is big"": a chart for the wall, cut-out flashcards and a worksheet with two short exercises. Free to print and share with your class.
Questions
Why "a big red ball" and not "a red big ball"?
English puts size before colour. Children learn the order by hearing it, not by rules.
Which colours are used?
Red, blue, yellow and green, with big and small.
More topics
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The English alphabet: letter names A to Z
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