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How To Use Adjectives

What are adjectives?
Adjectives are words we use to describe a noun. We use them to give more information about a person, place or thing.
Example:
He is a tall man.
The word ‘tall’ describes the man so we know he is tall.
What are some common examples?
There are many common adjectives in English. Here are ten examples.
- Big
- Small
- Hot
- Cold
- Long
- Short
- Kind
- Mean
- Beautiful
- Ugly
How do I use adjectives?
The most common way to use adjectives is to put them in front of the noun.
Examples:
I like hot coffee.
He wants a small dog.
Hot and small are the adjectives so we put them before the nouns.
What can adjectives describe?

Are there different types of adjectives?
1. Descriptive adjectives
The car is fast. (Fast is describing the car. It is telling us what the car is like.)
Those people are hungry. (Hungry is describing the people.)
2. Quantitative adjectives
These adjectives are used to say a number or quantity of something. We normally use quantitative adjectives when someone asks ‘how much’ or ‘how many’.
Examples:
They have three dogs. (How many dogs? Three.)
I have four litres of water. (How much water? Four liters.)
3. Demonstrative adjectives
These adjectives are used to say which noun/subject you are talking about. Demonstrative adjectives include this, that, these and those.
4. Proper adjectives
Proper adjectives are proper nouns changed into adjectives.
5. Possessive adjectives
Possessive adjectives show who owns something and are normally used before nouns.
Examples:
My bike is over there.
Have you seen their new house?
6. Article adjectives
Articles (a, an and the) describe nouns. This means that articles are adjectives.
Examples:
7. Indefinite adjectives
Indefinite adjectives tell us something about a noun but it does not give us specific details or information.
8. Interrogative adjectives
Interrogative adjectives ask a question. We always need to use them with a noun or a subject.
Do adjectives have a plural form?
What order do I put adjectives in?
The correct order of adjectives in a sentence is:
- Quantity
- Opinion
- Size
- Age
- Shape
- Color
- Origin
- Material
- Purpose
She is a beautiful young woman. (2 – opinion, 4 – age)
The small round wooden table is mine. (3 – size, 5 – shape, 8 – material)
It’s not normal to use more than three adjectives in one sentence so don’t worry if you can’t remember the correct order.
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