Adjective

An adjective is a word which describes a noun (common, proper, singular or plural), this means an adjective adds extra detail about the noun.

As an example here are some adjectives we could use to describe an apple:

• Red
• Spotty
• Shiny
• Juicy
• Smooth
• Delicious
• Healthy

In this example we've used adjectives to describe what the apple looks like (red, spotty, shiny), what it feels like (smooth), what it tastes like (delicious, juicy and healthy).

Using adjectives help us to visualise in our mind the noun, different adjective change how we might see something. For example spooky house, tiny house, grand house. It often comes before the noun it is describing.

It can often help to use our senses to help us describe nouns.

Using adjectives to compare

Comparing nouns is another way to describe nouns, for example The elephant is loud and the mouse is quiet. When we compare nouns using adjectives we are stating what is the same and what is different.

We can compare by size (enormous, tiny, tall), shape (crooked, spiral, round), colour (bright, pale, colourful), taste (delicious, bitter, spicy), texture (slippery, prickly, rough) and smell (smoky, fresh, sweet).

Most commonly we will be comparing common nouns.

Expanded noun phrases

An expanded noun phrase is when we use two or more adjectives to describe a noun. In this case we also need to add a comma between the adjectives. For example:

Fast, blue motorbike.