What Are Adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe nouns.

Nouns are words for people, places, animals, or things. Adjectives give us more information about these nouns.

• 例如 a nice day. Here, nice tells us about the day.
• 例如 a big elephant. Here, big tells us about the elephant.

How Do We Use Adjectives in English?

There are two main ways to use adjectives in simple English sentences.

• Before a noun: The adjective comes before the noun it describes.
  • a big house
  • a long river
• After the verb “to be” (is, am, are): The adjective comes after the verb.
  • The house is big.
  • The river is long.

Common Adjectives to Describe Things

Here are some useful adjectives you can use to describe many things:

• big: large in size. Example: An elephant is big.
• great: very good or important. Example: This is a great idea!
• slow: not fast. Example: A snail is slow.
• fast: quick. Example: A cheetah is fast.
• nice: pleasant or kind. Example: She is a nice person.
• long: having a great distance from end to end. Example: a long road.
• dangerous: not safe. Example: Lions can be dangerous.
• clever: intelligent, smart. Example: He is a clever student.
• beautiful: very pretty or attractive. Example: a beautiful flower.

示例

• The car is fast.
• She has a beautiful dress.
• That movie was great!
• Be careful, the road is long and dangerous.
• My dog is big and clever.

练习

西班牙语母语者常犯的错误

In Spanish, adjectives often come after the noun. But in English, they usually come 之前 the noun.

• Mistake: a car fast
• 正确： a fast car
• Mistake: a house big
• 正确： a big house

Remember this rule to sound more natural in English!

常见问题

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that describes a noun. It tells you more about a person, place, animal, or thing. For example, in a big dog, big is the adjective.

Where do adjectives go in an English sentence?

Adjectives usually go 之前 the noun they describe, like a nice day. They can also go after the verb to be (is, am, are), like The day is nice.

Can I use more than one adjective for one noun?

Yes, you can! For example, you can say a big, fast car 或 a beautiful, long river.

Related lessons

• Adjectives for description