Adjectives in English

What is an Adjective?

An adjective is a word that gives more information about a noun or pronoun. It helps describe people, places, things, or ideas in a clearer and more detailed way. Without adjectives, sentences would be very basic and less expressive.

For example: small house, blue sky, strong coffee.

Why Do We Use Adjectives?

Adjectives make communication more precise and meaningful. They help us:

Describe qualities and characteristics
Give more detail in speech and writing
Make sentences more interesting and clear
Differentiate between similar things

Main Types of Adjectives

1. Articles

Articles are a type of adjective that introduce nouns:

a / an → general nouns
the → specific nouns

Example: I saw a cat in the street. The cat was black.

2. Possessive Adjectives

These show ownership:

my, your, his, her, its, our, their

Example: This is my phone.

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

They point to specific things:

this, that, these, those

Example: These shoes are expensive.

4. Number Adjectives

They show quantity or order:

Example: She has three brothers.

5. Interrogative Adjectives

Used in questions:

what, which, whose

Example: Which book do you want?

6. Indefinite Adjectives

They refer to non-specific amounts or things:

some, any, many, few, several, no

Example: I have some questions.

7. Descriptive Adjectives

These describe qualities such as color, size, shape, age, or origin:

Examples: big, small, modern, old, red, wooden, Egyptian

Word Order of Adjectives

When more than one adjective is used, they usually follow this order:

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose

Example: a beautiful small old round red Italian wooden table

Common Mistakes

Using adjectives in the wrong order
Forgetting plural agreement in some cases
Confusing adjectives with adverbs

Practice Exercise

Choose the correct adjective:

I saw a __________ cat in the garden. (black / quickly)
She has __________ friends in school. (many / run)
They bought a __________ house. (beautiful / beauty)

Answers

black
many
beautiful

Quick Summary

Adjectives are essential words that describe nouns and make language richer and more precise. Learning their types and correct usage will significantly improve both writing and speaking skills.