What Are Descriptive Adjectives And How Do You Use Them?

Lesson Overview

• What Is a Descriptive Adjective?
• Types of Descriptive Adjectives
• Examples of Simple Adjectives
• Examples of Compound Adjectives
• Examples of Proper Adjectives
• Putting Adjectives in Order
• Descriptive Adjectives List
• Descriptive Adjective in a Sentence

Descriptive adjectives add richness and detail to our language by giving more information about nouns. They help us convey specific qualities or characteristics, making what we say more vivid and easier to understand. Whether it's describing how something looks, feels, or behaves, descriptive adjectives enhance our ability to communicate clearly and creatively.

What Is a Descriptive Adjective?

A descriptive adjective is a word that gives more information about a noun (person, place, thing, or idea). It helps to describe the qualities, characteristics, or features of the noun, making it more vivid and detailed. 

Descriptive adjectives tell us things like color, size, shape, age, quantity, or the way something feels.

Descriptive Adjectives Examples:

• In the sentence "She wore a beautiful dress", the word "beautiful" is a descriptive adjective because it describes the appearance of the dress.
• In "The tall building is near the park," the word "tall" is a descriptive adjective because it describes the height of the building.

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Types of Descriptive Adjectives

There are several types of descriptive adjectives, each focusing on different attributes of the noun. Let's learn these types in detail, along with examples for each.

1. Simple Adjectives

Simple adjectives are the most basic type of descriptive adjectives. They describe a single quality or feature of a noun or pronoun. These adjectives are usually short, consisting of just one word, and help provide essential details about the noun.

Examples:

• Tall: The tall tree stood in the yard.
• Fast: He is a fast runner.
• Red: She wore a red dress.

In these examples, the adjectives (tall, fast, red) describe a single characteristic of the noun they modify (tree, runner, dress).

2. Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words to create a more specific description. These adjectives can describe more detailed features and are often connected with hyphens.

Examples:

• Well-known: She is a well-known artist.
• High-pitched: The high-pitched sound was unbearable.
• Full-bodied: He drank a full-bodied wine.

These compound adjectives provide a richer description by combining two words to give a more detailed characteristic of the noun.

3. Proper Adjectives

Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns, meaning they are formed from the names of specific people, places, or things. These adjectives usually begin with a capital letter and describe the origin, nationality, or particular association of a noun.

Examples:

• American: He loves American football.
• Chinese: They enjoy Chinese food.
• Shakespearean: The play was written in Shakespearean English.

These adjectives refer to the specific origin or association of the noun they describe.

4. Quantitative Adjectives

Quantitative adjectives describe the amount or quantity of something. They are used to answer questions like "How much?" or "How many?" These adjectives focus on expressing numbers, amounts, or quantities.

Examples:

• Few: There were few people at the party.
• Several: She bought several books.
• Many: Many students passed the exam.

These adjectives tell us how much or how many of the noun is being discussed.

5. Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives help identify or point out a specific noun. They show which particular object is being referred to. Common demonstrative adjectives include this, that, these, and those.

Examples:

• This: This book is interesting.
• Those: Those shoes are expensive.
• These: These apples are fresh.

These adjectives indicate a specific noun and help in distinguishing one thing from another.

6. Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about a noun. These adjectives are typically used in questions and modify the noun to clarify what is being asked. The main interrogative adjectives are which, what, and whose.

Examples:

• Which: Which movie do you want to watch?
• What: What color is your car?
• Whose: Whose pen is this?

These adjectives help to gather more information by asking about the noun.

7. Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession. They modify nouns to indicate that something belongs to someone. Common possessive adjectives include my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.

Examples:

• My: My house is on the corner.
• Their: Their dog is friendly.
• His: His car is fast.

These adjectives help identify who owns or possesses the noun.

8. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two nouns or pronouns, showing how they are different in terms of a certain quality. Superlative adjectives are used to compare three or more nouns, indicating the highest or lowest degree of a particular quality.

• Comparative Adjectives: They often end in -er or use the word more.
  • Examples:
    • Bigger: This house is bigger than the other one.
    • More beautiful: This painting is more beautiful than that one.
• Superlative Adjectives: They often end in -est or use the word most.
  • Examples:
    • Biggest: This is the biggest building in the city.
    • Most beautiful: She is the most beautiful of all.

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Examples of Simple Adjectives

Simple Adjective	Example Sentence
Tall	The tall building stands in the center.
Small	She owns a small dog.
Bright	The bright stars lit up the sky.
Old	The old man walked slowly.
Soft	The pillow feels soft to touch.
Loud	They heard a loud noise from outside.
Sweet	The cake has a sweet taste.
Strong	He is a strong swimmer.
Heavy	This box is too heavy to lift.
Round	The round table is in the kitchen.

Examples of Compound Adjectives

Compound Adjective	Example Sentence
Well-known	She is a well-known actress.
High-pitched	The high-pitched sound was irritating.
Full-bodied	He enjoyed the full-bodied flavor of the wine.
Ice-cold	He drank a glass of ice-cold water.
Dark-haired	The dark-haired girl smiled brightly.
Open-ended	The discussion was open-ended.
Old-fashioned	She wore an old-fashioned dress to the party.
Left-handed	He is a left-handed player.
Well-behaved	The well-behaved children helped their parents.
Self-confident	She is a self-confident speaker.

Examples of Proper Adjectives

Proper Adjective	Example Sentence
American	He loves American football.
Chinese	She enjoys Chinese food.
Shakespearean	The play was written in Shakespearean English.
French	She wore a French dress to the party.
Japanese	They serve Japanese tea in that restaurant.
Mexican	We had a Mexican meal for dinner.
Indian	He gave a Indian-style dance performance.
Italian	I bought a Italian handbag.
African	They listened to African music.
Australian	He owns an Australian dog breed.

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Putting Adjectives in Order

When we use multiple adjectives to describe a noun, there is a particular order that should be followed to make the sentence sound natural and grammatically correct. This order helps ensure that adjectives are used in a way that sounds logical and smooth in English. 

General Order of Adjectives

The general order of adjectives when you have more than one is as follows:

1. Quantity or Number: Indicates how many or how much of something.
2. Opinion: Describes the speaker's personal view or opinion about the noun.
3. Size: Describes the size of the noun (e.g., big, small, tall).
4. Age: Describes how old something is (e.g., new, ancient).
5. Shape: Describes the shape of the noun (e.g., round, square, triangular).
6. Color: Describes the color of the noun (e.g., red, blue, green).
7. Proper adjective (origin): Describes the origin or nationality (e.g., American, French).
8. Material: Describes what something is made of (e.g., wooden, metal, plastic).
9. Purpose or qualifier: Describes the noun's function or purpose (e.g., cooking, sleeping).

Example Sentences Using Multiple Adjectives

Let's go through some examples to understand how adjectives are used in the right order.

• Three beautiful large old wooden chairs
  • Three (Quantity)
  • Beautiful (Opinion)
  • Large (Size)
  • Old (Age)
  • Wooden (Material)
• Two small round red Chinese silk pillows
  • Two (Quantity)
  • Small (Size)
  • Round (Shape)
  • Red (Color)
  • Chinese (Proper adjective)
  • Silk (Material)
• A few old wooden French tables
  • A few (Quantity)
  • Old (Age)
  • Wooden (Material)
  • French (Proper adjective)

How to Apply the Order of Adjectives in Sentences:

Step 1. Start with quantity or number

If you are talking about how many or how much, put that adjective first. For example, "Three big dogs" or "Some delicious cake."

Step 2. Next, add opinion

Any adjectives describing how you feel about the noun or your personal judgment come next. For example, "Beautiful old house" or "Ugly green car."

Step 3. Add size

The next adjectives should describe the size of the noun. For example, "Tiny box" or "Huge elephant."

Step 4. Continue with age

After size, adjectives that describe the age of the noun should come next. For example, "Ancient book" or "Young child."

Step 5. Follow with shape

If you are describing the shape of the noun, that adjective goes next. For example, "Round table" or "Square window."

Step 6. Color

After shape, use adjectives to describe the color. For example, "Green shirt" or "Blue eyes."

Step 7. Proper adjective (origin)

Adjectives describing the origin or nationality come next. For example, "Mexican food" or "German car."

Step 8. Material

Adjectives that describe what something is made of follow after the origin. For example, "Wooden door" or "Metal chair."

Step 9. Purpose or qualifier

Finally, adjectives that describe the purpose of the noun are used. For example, "Swimming pool" or "Cooking utensils."

By following this specific order, you can use words for descriptive adjectives effectively and correctly in your sentences.

Descriptive Adjectives List

Category	Adjective	Example Sentence
Size	Big	The big house was on the hill.
	Small	He wore a small hat.
	Large	The large tree gave plenty of shade.
	Tiny	A tiny insect crawled across the floor.
Shape	Round	The table is round in shape.
	Square	The box is square and sturdy.
	Triangular	She had a triangular piece of cake.
	Oval	The mirror is oval in design.
Color	Red	She wore a red dress to the party.
	Blue	The sky looks blue today.
	Green	They painted the room green.
	Yellow	The flowers are yellow in color.
Age	Old	The old man walked with a cane.
	New	He bought a new car yesterday.
	Ancient	They discovered ancient artifacts.
	Modern	They live in a modern apartment.
Material	Wooden	The table is made of wooden material.
	Metal	The chair is metal and durable.
	Plastic	The toy is made of plastic.
	Silk	She wore a silk dress to the wedding.
Opinion	Beautiful	It was a beautiful day for a picnic.
	Ugly	The building is quite ugly.
	Interesting	The movie was interesting to watch.
	Boring	The lecture was boring and long.
Emotion	Happy	She felt happy after the good news.
	Sad	He looked sad when he heard the news.
	Angry	She was angry after the argument.
	Excited	The children were excited for the trip.
Speed/Movement	Fast	He drove his car at a fast speed.
	Slow	The slow train arrived late.
	Quick	She took quick action in the emergency.
	Steady	The boat moved at a steady pace.

These are just some samples of descriptive adjectives that you can incorporate into your writing.

Descriptive Adjective in a Sentence

When using descriptive adjectives in sentences, they make the meaning of the sentence clearer and more detailed. 

For example:

• Example 1: "The red car is mine."
• Example 2: "She wore a long dress to the party."

In both sentences, the descriptive adjective gives more information about the noun, helping the reader picture the object more vividly. Describing adjectives helps convey more details and create stronger imagery.