What Are Adjectives?

Learn everything about adjectives, their types, examples, and usage in English grammar. Understand how adjectives make language more descriptive and engaging.

Parts of Speech Aug 22, 2025 0 Add to Reading List

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They give us more details about people, places, things, or ideas. Without adjectives, our sentences would sound flat and lifeless.

Example:

The dog barked.
The angry dog barked loudly.

In the second sentence, the adjective angry gives us more information about the dog.

Why Are Adjectives Important?

Adjectives make language vivid and engaging. They help readers and listeners visualize what is being described. Imagine reading a story without descriptive words—it would be dull and hard to picture.

Example:

She wore a dress.
She wore a shiny red dress.

The second sentence paints a much clearer picture.

Types of Adjectives

1. Descriptive Adjectives

These tell us qualities of a noun.

Examples: beautiful, tall, shiny
Sentence: The beautiful garden was full of flowers.

2. Quantitative Adjectives

These show the number or quantity of something.

Examples: some, few, many, several
Sentence: She bought many apples.

3. Demonstrative Adjectives

These point out specific nouns.

Examples: this, that, these, those
Sentence: I like those shoes.

4. Possessive Adjectives

These show ownership.

Examples: my, your, his, her, our, their
Sentence: This is my book.

5. Interrogative Adjectives

These are used in questions.

Examples: which, what, whose
Sentence: Which pen do you prefer?

6. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

These show degrees of comparison.

Comparative: taller, smarter, happier
Superlative: tallest, smartest, happiest
Sentence: She is smarter than her brother.
Sentence: He is the tallest in the class.

Placement of Adjectives in Sentences

Adjectives usually come before the noun they describe or after linking verbs such as be, seem, look, feel.

Before noun: She wore a long coat.
After verb: The coat is long.

Tips for Using Adjectives Effectively

Do not overuse adjectives. Too many can clutter your writing.
Choose precise adjectives that create strong imagery.
Use comparisons when needed to show differences.

Practice Makes Perfect

Understanding adjectives is the first step. Using them effectively takes practice. Try writing short sentences and gradually add adjectives to make them more descriptive.