What is an adjective? Rules and examples
Short answer: An adjective is a word that tells you more about a noun: its color, size, feeling or how it is. Put an adjective before a noun (a red ball) or after the verb be (The ball is red). Adjectives do not take -s, even with a plural noun: two big dogs.
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At a glance
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| before a noun | adjective + noun | a red ball |
| after be | noun + be + adjective | The ball is red. |
| plural noun | adjective (no -s) + noun + s | two big dogs |
In short
- An adjective describes a noun.
- adjective + noun: a red ball.
- be + adjective: The ball is red.
What is the rule for “Adjectives describe nouns”?
The rule
An adjective tells us more about a noun: its color, size or how it feels.
How it looks
adjective + noun: a red ball. be + adjective: The ball is red.
What it means
It describes the noun.
When to use it
Use it to say what something is like.
How it works
- Ask: what is it like? Words that answer this are adjectives: big, small, red, happy, cold.
- Put the adjective before the noun: a happy face. English puts the adjective first.
- After be, the adjective stands alone: The cat is small.
- Adjectives do not change for one or many nouns: a big dog, two big dogs.
Examples of “Adjectives describe nouns”
- I have a red kite.
red tells the color of the kite. - The cat is small.
small comes after is. - She has a happy face.
happy tells how she feels. - I see two big dogs.
No -s on big: two big dogs. - It is a cold day.
cold describes the day. - She is tired.
tired comes after is and tells how she feels. - I like my new shoes.
new describes shoes. It has no -s. - The soup is hot.
hot comes after is.
Common mistakes with “Adjectives describe nouns”
a ball red→ a red ball
Put the adjective before the noun.two bigs dogs→ two big dogs
Adjectives do not take -s.She is a beautifuls girl.→ She is a beautiful girl.
Adjectives never take -s.I am happy girl.→ I am a happy girl.
A singular noun needs a or an: a happy girl.
Adjective or noun? Adjective or adverb?
Adjectives describe nouns. Adverbs describe how an action is done. Many adverbs are made by adding -ly to an adjective.
| Word | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quick | adjective, describes a noun | a quick answer |
| quickly | adverb, describes an action | She answered quickly. |
| happy | adjective | a happy boy |
| happily | adverb | He played happily. |
See also: How we do things: adverbs of manner
Check yourself
- Which word is an adjective? “The small cat sleeps.”
Show the answer
small small describes the cat.
- Choose: “a ball red” or “a red ball”.
Show the answer
a red ball The adjective comes before the noun.
- Choose: “two bigs dogs” or “two big dogs”.
Show the answer
two big dogs Adjectives do not take -s.
How to practice “Adjectives describe nouns”
The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.
- Practice lesson: Describing words: color and size
Questions
Can I use more than one adjective?
Yes. Put the opinion first, then size, then color: a lovely small red bag. For now, two adjectives are enough.
Do adjectives change for boys and girls?
No. English adjectives have one form: a tall boy, a tall girl.
Is “happy” an adjective?
Yes. It describes how someone feels: a happy girl, She is happy.
More Grammar Foundations rules
- Naming words: nouns: A noun is a naming word. It names a person, an animal, a place or a thing.
- A or An?: Before one thing, say a or an. Choose by the first sound.
- One and many: plural -s: For more than one thing, add -s: one cat, two cats.
- Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns: Most nouns add -s. Some add -es or -ies, and some change a lot.
- this, that, these, those: Use this and these for things near you. Use that and those for things far away.
- I am, you are, it is: Use am with I, are with you and is with it.
Used in these writing topics
- Describe it in three sentences
- Connected sentences: descriptive
- Descriptive paragraphs
- Descriptive essays
Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G1: Grammar Foundations. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt. See also: Parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30