In this chapter
I have a car. That's a true sentence, but it doesn't tell us much. I have an old red car paints a picture. Words like old and red are adjectives — they describe people, places and things.
English adjectives are wonderfully simple: they don't change for plural, and they don't change for men or women. The one thing to learn is where they go. In this chapter you will learn the two places for an adjective, and how to make it stronger with very.
Learning objectives
By the end of this chapter
- I can use common adjectives for size, colour, age, opinion and feelings.
- I can put an adjective before a noun: a red car.
- I can use an adjective after be: The car is red.
- I can use adjectives without a plural -s, and make them stronger with very.
Words that describe
Adjectives describe nouns. They can tell us the size, colour, age or quality of something, or how a person feels.
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| size | big, small, tall, short, long |
| colour | red, blue, green, black, white |
| age | old, new, young |
| opinion | good, bad, beautiful, nice, boring |
| feeling | happy, sad, tired, hungry, angry |
| other | hot, cold, cheap, expensive, easy, difficult |
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It ( subject ) is ( verb ) a ( determiner ) big ( adjective ) house. ( noun )
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She ( subject ) has ( verb ) a ( determiner ) beautiful ( adjective ) voice. ( noun )
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I am hungry.
A feeling.
Quick checkWhich word is an adjective?
Adjective + noun
In English, the adjective goes before the noun. This is different from many other languages, so be careful.
The pattern
( a / an ) + adjective + noun
a red car, an old house, good friends
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I ( subject ) have ( verb ) a ( determiner ) red ( adjective ) car. ( noun )
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They ( subject ) live ( verb ) in ( preposition ) an ( determiner ) old ( adjective ) house. ( noun )
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He is a good cook.
a + adjective + noun.
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We've got a small garden.
The adjective comes straight before the noun.
Quick checkPut the words in order.
Adjectives after be
Adjectives can also come after the verb be — and after verbs like look and feel . Here the adjective describes the subject.
The pattern
Subject + be / look / feel + adjective
The room is small. You look tired. I feel happy.
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The test ( subject ) is ( verb ) easy. ( complement )
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You ( subject ) look ( verb ) tired. ( complement )
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The soup is hot.
hot describes the soup.
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I feel happy today.
After feel.
Quick checkChoose the correct sentence.
Adjectives never change
English adjectives have no plural and no -s. They are the same for one or many, for men or women. To make an adjective stronger, put very in front of it.
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They ( subject ) are ( verb ) happy. ( complement )
happy, not happys.
-
a happy child, happy children
The noun changes; the adjective doesn't.
-
two small dogs
small, not smalls.
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It's very cold today.
very goes before the adjective.
Quick checkThey are ___.
Errors to avoid
These are the mistakes learners make most often with this grammar. Read the wrong sentence, then the right one, and notice the change.
-
Incorrect: I have a car red.
Correct: I have a red car.
The adjective goes before the noun.
-
Incorrect: They are happys.
Correct: They are happy.
Adjectives never take a plural -s.
-
Incorrect: She is a woman very beautiful.
Correct: She is a very beautiful woman.
Very + adjective go before the noun.
-
Incorrect: It's a very good.
Correct: It's very good.
With no noun after the adjective, don't use a.
Hear it in use
Listen to the whole conversation first. Then play one line at a time and say it after the speaker. The words in colour are this chapter’s grammar.
Conversation
In the clothes shop
Omar wants to buy a jumper for the winter.
- Assistant
Hello. Can I help you?
- Omar
Yes, please. I want a warm jumper.
The adjective goes before the noun: a warm jumper.
- Assistant
What colour? We've got blue, green and black jumpers.
Adjectives don't take -s: blue jumpers.
- Omar
The dark blue one, please. Is it expensive?
- Assistant
No, it's cheap — only twenty pounds.
- Omar
Great. Is this size small?
- Assistant
Yes, it is. The large jumpers are over there.
- Omar
Hmm. This one is very nice, but it's short.
very goes before the adjective.
- Assistant
Try this one. It's a long, soft jumper.
Two adjectives before one noun.
- Omar
Perfect! Now I'm happy.
After be, the adjective describes the subject.
What to remember
- 1 Adjectives describe nouns: big, red, old, happy, beautiful.
- 2 Put the adjective before the noun: a red car, not a car red.
- 3 Adjectives can also come after be, look and feel: The room is small. You look tired.
- 4 Adjectives never change — no plural, no -s: happy children.
- 5 Use very before an adjective to make it stronger: very cold.
| Position | Example |
|---|---|
| before a noun | a big house |
| after be | The house is big. |
| after very | a very big house |
Test yourself
Knowledge check
22 questions on Adjectives
One question at a time, with an explanation after every answer. Score 18 or more (80%) and the chapter is marked complete.