Adjectives RULES

What is an adjective?
Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words, making your writing and speaking much
more specific, and a whole lot more interesting. Words like small, blue, and sharp are descriptive,
and they are all examples of adjectives. Because adjectives are used to identify or quantify individual
people and unique things, they are usually positioned before the noun or pronoun that they modify.
Some sentences contain multiple adjectives.

Adjective Examples
In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:

1. They live in a big, beautiful

2. Since it’s a hot day, Lisa is wearing a sleeveless
3. The mountaintops are covered in sparkling
4. On her birthday, Brenda received an antique vase filled with fragrant

Types of Adjectives
Remember that adjectives can modify as well as describe other words, and you’ll find it much easier
to identify different types of adjectives when you see them.

Articles

There are only three articles, and all of them are adjectives: a, an, and the. Because they are used
to discuss non-specific things and people, a and an are called indefinite articles. For example:

 I’d like a
 Let’s go on an
Neither one of these sentences names a specific banana or a certain adventure. Without more
clarification, any banana or adventure will do.

The word the is called the definite article. It’s the only definite article, and it is used to indicate very
specific people or things:

 Please give me a banana. I’d like the one with the green stem.
 Let’s go on an adventure. The Grand Canyon mule ride sounds perfect!

Possessive Adjectives

As the name indicates, possessive adjectives are used to indicate possession. They are:

 My
 Your
 His
 Her
 Its
 Our
 Their
Possessive adjectives also function as possessive pronouns.

Demonstrative Adjectives

Like the article the, demonstrative adjectives are used to indicate or demonstrate specific people,
animals, or things. These, those, this and that are demonstrative adjectives.

 These books belong on that

 This movie is my favorite.
 Please put those cookies on the blue plate.

Coordinate Adjectives

Coordinate adjectives are separated with commas or the word and, and appear one after another to
modify the same noun. The adjectives in the phrase bright, sunny day and long and dark night are
coordinate adjectives. In phrases with more than two coordinate adjectives, the word and always
appears before the last one; for example: The sign had big, bold, and bright letters.
Be careful, because some adjectives that appear in a series are not coordinate. In the phrase green
delivery truck, the words green and delivery are not separated by a comma because green modifies
the phrase delivery truck. To eliminate confusion when determining whether a pair or group of
adjectives is coordinate, just insert the word and between them. If and works, then the adjectives are
coordinate and need to be separated with a comma.

Numbers Adjectives

When they’re used in sentences, numbers are almost always adjectives. You can tell that a number
is an adjective when it answers the question “How many?”
 The stagecoach was pulled by a team of six
 He ate 23 hotdogs during the contest, and was sick afterwards.

Interrogative Adjectives

There are three interrogative adjectives: which, what, and whose. Like all other types of adjectives,
interrogative adjectives modify nouns. As you probably know, all three of these words are used to
ask questions.

 Which option sounds best to you?

 What time should we go?
 Whose socks are those?

Indefinite Adjectives

Like the articles a and an, indefinite adjectives are used to discuss non-specific things. You might
recognize them, since they’re formed from indefinite pronouns. The most common indefinite
adjectives are any, many, no, several, and few.

 Do we have any peanut butter?

 Grandfather has been retired for many
 There are no bananas in the fruit bowl.
 I usually read the first few pages of a book before I buy it.
 We looked at several cars before deciding on the best one for our family.

Attributive Adjectives

Attributive adjectives talk about specific traits, qualities, or features – in other words, they are used to
discuss attributes. There are different kinds of attributive adjectives:

 Observation adjectives such as real, perfect, best, interesting, beautiful or cheapest can indicate
value or talk about subjective measures.
 Size and shape adjectives talk about measurable, objective qualities including specific physical
properties. Some examples include small, large, square, round, poor, wealthy, slow and
 Age adjectives denote specific ages in numbers, as well as general ages. Examples are old, young,
new, five-year-old, and
 Color adjectives are exactly what they sound like – they’re adjectives that indicate color. Examples
include pink, yellow, blue, and
 Origin adjectives indicate the source of the noun, whether it’s a person, place, animal or thing.
Examples include American, Canadian, Mexican, French.
 Material adjectives denote what something is made of. Some examples include cotton, gold,
wool, and
 Qualifier adjectives are often regarded as part of a noun. They make nouns more specific; examples
include log cabin, luxury car, andpillow cover.

Adjective Exercises
Find the adjective or adjectives that fit in each of the blanks best.

1. We visited the museum, where we saw ____________ artifacts.

A. A lot of
B. Ancient
C. John’s
D. A room filled with
2. I received ______________ awards at the ceremony today.
A. The manager’s
B. Two
C. Information about
D. Motivation at the
3. Please get me a bag of ____________ apples.
A. Interesting
B. Ripe red
C. Oranges and
D. Real
4. The president sat in a _______________ chair.
A. Important
B. Barber’s
C. Funny
D. Leather
5. ________________ weather is the norm in San Francisco.
A. Blue
B. Big
C. Foggy
D. The best
Answer Key:

1. A – We visited the museum, where we saw ancient artifacts.

2. B – I received two awards at the ceremony today.
3. B – Please get me a bag of ripe red apples.
4. D – The president sat in a leather chair.
5. C – Foggy weather is the norm in San Francisco.
Are you ready to keep learning how to use adjectives? Visit the adjective exercises page for more
practice.
Forming adjectives
Typical adjective endings
Some adjectives can be identified by their endings. Typical adjective endings include:

1. -able/-ible understandable, capable, readable, incredible

2. -al mathematical, functional, influential, chemical
3. -ful beautiful, bashful, helpful, harmful
4. -ic artistic, manic, rustic, terrific
5. -ive submissive, intuitive, inventive, attractive
6. -less sleeveless, hopeless, groundless, restless
7. -ous gorgeous, dangerous, adventurous, fabulous
Sometimes when adding these endings changes have to be made. Here are some rules for forming
adjectives and their exceptions:

Add Exceptions Word Adjective

Nature Natural
-al If ending with an ‘e‘, drop it
Function Functional

Ice Icy
-y If ending with an ‘e‘, drop it
Oil Oily

Beauty Beautiful
-ful If ending with a ‘y‘, replace with an ‘i‘
Peace Peaceful

Mystery Mysterious
-ous/-ious If ending with a ‘y‘, drop it
Danger Dangerous
 Add Exceptions Word Adjective

History Historic
-ic If ending with a ‘y‘, drop it
Rust Rustic

Forming adjectives from nouns and verbs

Adjectives can be formed from different words. They can be formed from nouns:
Noun Adjective

accident accidental

danger dangerous

length long

star starry

wind windy

From verbs:
Verb Adjective

enjoy enjoyable
 Verb Adjective

help helpful

obey obedient

play playful

talk talkative

Or even from other adjectives:

Adjective Adjective

comic comical

correct corrective

elder elderly

red reddish

sick sickly

Examples of forming adjectives

1. Our house color is a kind of yellow. → We live in a yellowish house.
2. He often acts like a child. → He often acts in a childish way.
3. The event was a big success. → We enjoyed a successful event.
4. We enjoyed the sound of the drum’s rhythm. → We enjoyed the drum’s rhythmic sound.
5. She adopted a dog without a home. → She adopted a homeless dog.
6. Look out, that plant is poison. → Look out for that poisonous plant.
7. It looks like it will rain today. → It looks like we’ll have rainy weather today.
8. She always acts with courtesy. → She always behaves in a courteous manner.
9. Her hair is pretty. → She has the prettiest hair.
10. We go for a walk each day. → We go for a daily walk.

Forming adjectives exercises

1. Choose the adjective from each of the following groups of words:

A. inventive, invent, invented

B. curiosity, curious, curiousive
C. proliferate, prolific, proud
Answers: A – inventive B – curious C – prolific

2. Form adjectives from the following nouns:

A. smell
B. chill
C. width
Answers: A – smelly B – chilly C – wide

3. Form adjectives from the following verbs:

A. interested
B. amazed
C. annoyed
Answers: A – interesting B – amazing C – annoying

4. Form adjectives from the following verbs. Some words may be formed into more than one
adjective:
A. escape
B. improve
C. damage
Answers: A – escaped, escaping B – improved, improving C – damaged, damaging

5. Form longer adjectives from the following adjectives. Some words may be formed into more than
one adjective:

A. funny
B. incorrect
C. blue
Answers: A – funnier, funniest B – incorrectly C – bluest, bluer, blueish

6. Form adjectives from the following nouns:

A. magic
B. fool
C. lady
Answers: A – magical B – foolish C – ladylike

7. Form two adjectives from each of the following nouns:

A. life
B. power
C. friend
Answers: A – lifelike, lifeless B – powerful, powerless C – friendly, friendless

8. Form adjectives from each of the following nouns:

A. cost
B. war
C. month
Answers: A – costly B – warlike C – monthly

9. Form adjectives from each of the following nouns:

A. poison
B. courtesy
C. mystery
Answers: A – poisonous B – courteous C – mysterious

10. Form adjectives from each of the following nouns:

A. athlete
B. photograph
C. science
Answers: A – athletic B – photographic C – scientific

Denominal adjectives
What are denominal adjectives?
Denominal adjectives (sometimes called denominal adjectives) are adjectives derived from nouns.
For example:

1. A mathematical puzzle. (a puzzle based on mathematics)

2. A biological experiment. (an experiment in biology)
3. A wooden boat. (a boat made of wood)
Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns. They commonly describe something in terms of
nationality, religious affiliation, or culture. Like proper nouns, proper adjectives have their first letter
capitalized. For example:

1. I married a Russian woman.

2. The Jewish community in NY is very large.
Adjectives of this type should be carefully distinguished from adjectives denoting nationalities
(nominal adjectives). For example:

1. Denominal Adjective: The French people are noted for their wines.
2. Nominal Adjective: The French are noted for their wines.
or:

1. Denominal Adjective: The poor people are more vulnerable.

2. Nominal Adjective: The poor are getting poorer.

Examples of denominal adjectives

1. A mathematical puzzle.
2. A biological experiment.
3. A wooden boat.
4. I married an American woman.
5. The Jewish community in NY is very big.
6. Mary has a collection of expensive Russian dolls.
7. In the winter you must wear heavy woolen clothes.
8. The polar bear is listed as threatened.

Denominal adjective exercises

1. Choose the sentence containing the denominal adjective:

A. We worked on our homework all evening.

B. We spent the evening working on our English homework.
C. We felt sad about using the evening to do our homework.
Answer: B. We spent the evening working on our English homework.

2. A or B? Which of the following sentences contain denominal adjectives?

A. London is noted for its many museums and monuments.

B. London is noted for its art museums and monuments.

A. The Japanese embassy is nearby.

B. The embassy of Japan is nearby.

A. I gave him a wooden walking stick.

B. He needs to use a walking stick.
Answers: B,A,A

3. A, B, or C? Which phrase contains the denominal adjective?

A. tidal wave
B. screen door
C. 10-month-old baby

A. bunny rabbit
B. junior high
C. wooden boat

A. killer bees
B. weird science
C. oh, fudge!
Answers: A, C, A

4. Choose the correct denominal adjective for each sentence:

A. The sun had a cold, _____________ gleam.

 metallic
 strange
 constant
B. We walked along at a ________________ pace.
 quick
 leisurely
 fast
C. He does an _______________ check of his email.
 interest
 hourly
 scanning
Answers: metallic, leisurely, hourly

5. Which sentences contain proper denominal adjectives?

A. The Japanese are noted for their sushi.

B. The Japanese people are noted for their sushi.

A. He is English, but he married a Russian.

B. He is an Englishman, but he married a Russian woman.

A. New York is home to many nationalities; for example, there are many Puerto Ricans living there.
B. New York is a melting pot of nationalities; for example, there are many Puerto Rican people
living there.
Answers: B,B,B

6. Which group of words contains only denominal adjectives?

A. orderly, order, port

B. masterly, orderly, cowardly
C. cowardly, orderly, order
Answer: B

7. Which of the following sentences does not contain a denominal adjective?

A. The dining room was comfortably appointed.

B. She rowed across the Atlantic in a wooden dinghy.
C. His grandfather was a carpenter of talent.
Answer: C

8. Which group of words contains no denominal adjectives?

A. Armenian, Indian, American

B. museum, clothing, party
C. restaurant, wooden, shindig
Answer: B

9. Find the proper denominal adjective in each of the following sentences:

A. His favorite dessert is German chocolate cake.

B. She is a long-standing member of the Democratic party.
C. We met some interesting Romanian people on the train.
Answer: A: German B: Democratic C: Romanian

10. Proper or not? Identify the denominal adjectives in the following sentences and state whether
they are proper.

A. The Queen had rosy cheeks.

B. We enjoyed the finest Greek goat cheese available.
C. They lived in a brick house.
D. We went to Paris for our yearly vacation.
E. My grandfather is a member of the British parliament.
Answers:

A. rosy, not proper

B. Greek, proper
C. brick, not proper
D. yearly, not proper
E. British, proper

Comparing adjectives
Forming comparative adjectives
As well as serving as modifying words like beautiful and big, adjectives are also used for indicating
the position on a scale of comparison. The lowest point on the scale is known as the positive form,
the middle point is known as the comparative form, and the highest point is known as
the superlative form. Here are some examples:
Positive Comparative Superlative

This book is long. This book is longer than that book. This is the longest book.

The airport is farther than the train This is

The airport is far.
station. the farthest airport.

My mom is My mom is a better cook than your My mom is

a good cook. mom. the best cook.
The comparative form
When two objects or persons are being compared, the comparative form of the adjective is used.
The comparative adjective can be formed in two ways:

1. Adding –er to the positive form of the adjective.

2. Adding the word more before the adjective.
For example:

1. My essay is longer than yours.

2. She is more beautiful than her sister.
Here are the rules for choosing and forming the right form:

Add When Example Forming and Exceptions

 Words ending with ‘e‘, add ‘r‘ to the end

of the word (e.g., lame → lamer).
 Words with one vowel and one consonant
Words of one This is a
–er at the end, double the consonant and add
syllable longerbook.
–er to the end of the word (e.g., big →
bigger).
 Words with more than one vowel or more
than one consonant at the end, add –er to
the end of the word (e.g., hard → harder).

Words of two
syllables Change ‘y‘ to ‘i‘, and add –er to the
–er This doll is prettier.
ending with end of the word.
‘y‘

Words of two
syllables not He is morecharming
more Insert more before the adjective
ending with than his friend.
‘y‘
 Add When Example Forming and Exceptions

Three syllable This is

more words or a morepowerful Insert more before the adjective
longer cable.

When comparing two things, the word than is positioned between the adjective and the thing being
compared. For example:

1. Apples are tastier than oranges.

2. This painting is more interesting than that painting.

Superlatives
The superlative is used to say what thing or person has the most of a particular quality within a
group or of its kind. The superlative can be formed in two ways:

1. Adding –est to the Positive form of the adjective.

2. Adding the word most before the adjective.
For example:

1. This is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen.

2. The biggest table in the room.
Here are the rules for choosing and forming the right form:

Add When Example Forming and Exceptions

 Words ending with ‘e‘, add ‘st‘ to the

end of the word (e.g., large → largest).

Words of one This is the  Words with one vowel and one
–est consonant at the end, double the
syllable longestbook.
consonant and add –est to the end of the
word (e.g., big → biggest).
 Words with more than one vowel or
more than one consonant at the end, add
 Add When Example Forming and Exceptions

–est to the end of the word (e.g., blue →

bluest).

Words of two
syllables This doll is the Change ‘y‘ to ‘i‘, and add –est to
–est
ending with prettiest. the end of the word.
‘y‘

Words of two
He is
syllables not
most the mostcharming Insert most before the adjective
ending with
boy at school.
‘y‘

Three syllable This is

most words or the mostpowerful Insert most before the adjective
longer story.

Superlatives are usually preceded by the word the.

Positive form
The positive form is used in cases where there are no differences between the two compared things
or persons. To form the positive, we use the word as before and after the positive form of the
adjective. For example:

1. Danny is as smart as Phillip.

2. She is as beautiful as her older sister.
This can also be applied in a negative context to indicate that the compared objects are not similar:

1. Danny is not as smart as Phillip.

2. She is not as beautiful as her older sister.

Exceptions (irregular forms)

Certain adjectives have irregular forms in the comparative and superlative degrees:
 Positive Comparative Superlative

Good Better Best

Bad Worse Worst

Little Less Least

Much/many/some More Most

Examples of comparing adjectives

1. This house is bigger than that one.
2. This flower is more beautiful than that.
3. He is taller than Mr. Hulas.
4. He is more intelligent than this boy.
5. Jonathan is the most handsome man on campus.
6. This is the prettiest dress in the window.
7. I lost my most comfortable shoes.
8. My job is worse than yours.

Comparing adjective exercises

1. Choose the comparative adjective in each group of sentences:

A.
1. Her hair is short.
2. Her hair is shorter than it was before.
3. Her hair is the shortest it has ever been.
B.
 1. We live nearer the train station than we used to.
2. Park in the lot nearest the train station.
3. I know the train station is somewhere near.
C.
1. My dog might be ugly, but he is nice.
2. That’s the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen!
3. Because he was uglier than the others, my dog won the ugly dog contest.
D.
1. Your presentation was more informative than most.
2. She gave an informative talk on honeybees.
3. That’s the most informative speech I’ve ever heard Professor Brown give!
Answers: A: 2 – shorter B: 1 – nearer C: 3 – uglier D: 1: more informative

2. Which of the following sentences does not contain a comparing adjective?

A. I’d like to have more participation from each of you this time around.
B. If you’d have listened better, you wouldn’t be confused right now.
C. They live in the brick house on the corner.
Answer:C

3. Choose the superlative adjective in each group of sentences:

A.
1. That’s the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted!
2. You’re a lot nicer than your sister.
3. This is delicious cake.
B.
1. This presentation seems longer than usual.
2. Of all the hairstyles in the room, hers is most stylish.
3. I’m often trying to do better than others.
C.
1. Lake Silfra has some of the clearest water on the world.
2. This shop carries nicer things than it used to.
 3. My cat has three adorable kittens.
D.
1. Be careful; that’s a fragile vase.
2. You’re more cheerful than you used to be.
3. This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Answers: A – 1: best B – 2: most stylish C – 1: clearest D – 3: most exciting

4. Which of the following sentences contains a superlative adjective?

A. I can run further than before.

B. She has the pinkest cheeks I’ve ever seen!
C. Jimmy is a cute baby.
Answer: : B – pinkest

5. Choose the positive adjective in each group of sentences:

A.
1. Your face is red.
2. You have the reddest face!
3. If you don’t wear sunscreen, your face will get redder.
B.
1. This is the best book I’ve ever read.
2. I like this book better than the last one I read.
3. That’s a good book.
C.
1. Most chocolate is sweet.
2. Milk chocolate is sweeter than dark chocolate.
3. I’m not sure which chocolate is sweetest.
D.
1. This is a charming house.
2. Our new home is so much more charming than our old one.
3. She’s the most charming person I’ve ever met.
Answers: A – 1: red B – 3: good C – 1: sweet D – charming
6. Choose the correct comparing adjective for each sentence:

A. My mother is a _____________ woman.

 Smart
 Smarter
 Smartest
B. The surgeon worked ____________ to stabilize the patient.
 Quickly
 Most quickly
 More quickly
C. We ran ______________ than we did last week.
 Fast
 Faster
 Fastest
D. After the party, the house was the _______________ it’s ever been.
 Messy
 Messier
 Messiest
Answers: A – smart B – quickly C – faster D – messiest

7. Name the type of comparing adjective in each sentence:

A. Jinx is a hairy dog.

B. She has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
C. He made me madder than I’ve been in a long time.
D. We felt more excited than ever when we heard the news.
Answers: A – positive B – superlative C – comparative D – comparative

8. Choose the sentence with the positive form comparing adjective:

A. This book is more interesting than that one.

B. The story we heard this week was as interesting as last week’s.
C. This is one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever heard.
Answer: B

9. Which of the following sentences contains a comparing adjective in the comparative form?
A. We’ve had a run of bad luck lately.
B. This is the worst snowstorm we have had in ten years.
C. Your injury is worse than mine.
Answer: C – worse

10. Which of the following sentences contains a comparing adjective in the superlative form?

A. She is not as mean as her older sister is.

B. This is the least exciting movie I’ve ever seen.
C. Mr. Brown is more boring than Mr. Philips.
Answer: B – least exciting

Compound adjectives
What are compound adjectives?
A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives are joined together to modify the
same noun. These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion or ambiguity. For example:

1. Diana submitted a 6-page document.

2. She adopted a two-year-old cat.

Compound adjectives – Exceptions

Note that combining an adverb and an adjective does not create a compound adjective. No hyphen
is required because it is already clear that the adverb modifies the adjective rather than the
subsequent noun. For example:

1. It was a terribly hot day.

2. It is an amazingly good idea.
In addition, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the adjectives are capitalized,
such as when they are part of a title.

Examples of compound adjectives

1. This is a four-foot table.
2. Daniella is a part-time worker.
3. This is an all-too-common error.
4. Beware of the green-eyed monster.
5. He is a cold-blooded man.
6. I love this brightly-lit room!
7. Danny’s dog is well-behaved.
8. You have to be open-minded about things.

Compound adjective exercises

1. From each group, choose the sentence that contains a compound adjective:

A. Sheila was horribly moody.

B. We’d like you to be part of the decision-making process.
C. The company showed steady improvement in their stock trades.

A. This is a widely used procedure for finishing wood floors.

B. Moths ate his woolen socks.
C. That was really generous of you.

A. Sharon’s adopted son is five years old today.

B. My new car has leather upholstery.
C. She was a well-known actress by the time she reached age five.
Answers:B, A, C

2. Using hyphens in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?

A. The group was full of rowdy 10 year old schoolboys.

B. The group was full of rowdy 10-year-old schoolboys.

A. The actress is well known.

B. The actress is well-known.

A. They enjoyed a three-year profit streak.

B. They enjoyed a three-year-profit streak.
Answers:B, A, A

3. Using –ly adverbs in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?

A. Along the river, rapidly increasing floodwaters caused evacuations.

B. Along the river, rapidly-increasing floodwaters caused evacuations.

A. My neighbor Jim is an internationally recognized author.

B. My neighbor Jim is an internationally-recognized author.

A. The bank robbers tried to hatch their ill conceived plan and failed.
B. The bank robbers tried to hatch their ill-conceived plan and failed.
Answers:A, A, B

4. Choose the correct compound adjective for each sentence.

A. He is fond of ______________________ Scotch.

 good
 12-year-old
 10 year old
B. The weather has been ___________________ lately.
 terribly-cold
 terribly cold
 too cold
C. Babysitting these kids is like trying to manage a _____________________.
 three ring circus
 three-ring-circus
 three-ring circus
Answers: A – 12-year-old B – terribly cold C – three-ring circus

5. Fill in the blanks with the best compound adjective for the situation:

A. Melanie has everything she needs. She is _____________________.

 two-faced
 very badly behaved
 well-cared for
B. Louis overcomes difficulties easily. He is _______________________.
 short-tempered
 level-headed
 internationally renowned
C. Mr. Chan likes to hear about new ideas. He is ______________________.
 strong-minded
 two faced
 open-minded
Answers: A – well-cared for B – level-headed C – open-minded

6. Fill in the blanks with the best phrase for the situation:

A. Jesse was promoted, so he bought ________________________________.

 himself-a brand new car
 himself a brand-new-car
 himself a brand-new car
B. The _______________________ has been going on for decades.
 gun control debate
 gun-control debate
 gun-control-debate
C. The sound of ___________________________ always soothes my mind.
 gently-flowing water
 gently flowing water
 gently-flowing-water
Answers: A – himself a brand-new car B – gun-control debate C – gently flowing water

7. Creating compound adjectives: From each group, choose the sentence pair that makes the most
sense.

A. I don’t like glue that dries slowly. = This is a quick-drying glue.

B. Did you know that some plants eat meat? = Did you know that there are meat-eating plants?
C. Professor Brown has a very narrow mind. = Professor Brown’s mind is very narrow.

A. The price of the car was high. = It was a high-priced car.

B. The meal tasted good. = This was a tasteful-meal.
C. He likes to weigh in on political issues. = He is loud-mouthed and boring.
A. The tapeworm measured 35 inches. = The tape-worm measured 35-inches.
B. The duck has flat feet. = That’s a flat-footed duck.
C. Why not try some carrot juice? = Have some carrot-juice.
Answers:B – meat-eating plants A – high-priced car B – flat-footed duck

8. Compound adjectives containing numbers: From each group, choose the sentence containing the
correct compound adjective.

A. The earthworms were at least three inches long.

B. He ate a 12-inch sandwich for lunch.
C. The sumo champion weighed 210-kilograms.

A. He drives a one-ton truck.

B. Our house has three-bedrooms and two-bathrooms.
C. There are nine-carrots in each bottle of juice.

A. My new chainsaw cost three-hundred dollars.

B. I got a 300-dollar chainsaw for two hundred dollars.
C. The best chainsaws cost more than three-hundred-dollars.
Answers:B – 12-inch sandwich A – one-ton truck B – 300-dollar chainsaw

9. Use the underlined phrase to make a compound adjective.

A. He suggested an innovative plan to save money.

B. Her brother had a sharp mind.
C. My cat died suddenly when it was ten years old.
Answers:

A. He suggested an innovative money-saving plan.

B. Her brother was sharp-minded.
C. My ten-year-old cat died suddenly.
Order of adjectives
How to order adjectives in English
In many languages, adjectives denoting attributes usually occur in a specific order. Generally, the
adjective order in English is:

1. Quantity or number
2. Quality or opinion
3. Size
4. Age
5. Shape
6. Color
7. Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material)
8. Purpose or qualifier
For example:

1. I love that really big old green antique car that always parked at the end of the street.
2. My sister adopted a beautiful big white bulldog.
When there are two or more adjectives that are from the same group, the word and is placed
between the two adjectives:

1. The house is green and red.

2. The library has old and new books.
When there are three or more adjectives from the same adjective group, place a comma between
each of the coordinate adjectives:

1. We live in the big green, white and red house at the end of the street.
2. My friend lost a red, black and white watch.
A comma is not placed between an adjective and the noun.
Order of adjectives – examples
Quan Purp
Qual Prop
tity ose
Determ ity or Si A Sha Col er No
or or
iner opini ze ge pe or adjec un
numb quali
on tive
er fier

beaut ol Italia
A sports car
iful d n

beaut litt gol plat

The three
iful le d es

hear red
amaz t- and sof
An
ing sha whi a
ped te

More examples:

1. I love that beautiful old big green antique car that always parked at the end of the street.
[quality – age – size – color – proper adjective]
2. My sister has a big beautiful tan and white bulldog. [size – quality – color – color]
3. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
4. A big square blue box. [dimension – shape – color]
5. A disgusting pink plastic ornament. [opinion – color – material]
6. Some slim new French trousers. [dimension – age – origin]
7. An amazing new American movie. [opinion – age – origin]
8. I bought a pair of black leather shoes. [color – material]

Order of adjectives exercises

1. Choose the best answer for each sentence.
A. The house is __________________.
 large and white
 white and large
 large white
B. They live in a __________________ house.
 large and white
 white and large
 large white
Answers: A – large and white B – large white

2. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. We took a ride on a blue, old Chinese bus.

B. We took a ride on a Chinese, old, blue bus.
C. We took a ride on an old, blue Chinese bus.
Answer: C

3. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. I’d like three good reasons why you don’t like spinach.
B. I’d like a good three reasons why you don’t like spinach.
C. I’d like good reasons three why you don’t like spinach.
Answer: A

4. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. I like that really big red old antique tractor in the museum.
B. I like that really big old red antique tractor in the museum.
C. I like that old, red, really big antique tractor in the museum.
Answer: B

5. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. My brother rode a beautiful big black Friesian horse in the parade.

B. My brother rode a beautiful Friesian big black horse in the parade.
C. My brother rode a big, black, beautiful Friesian horse in the parade.
Answer: A

6. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank.

A. My grandmother lives in the ________________________ house on the corner

 little blue, green and white
 little blue and green and white
 little, blue, green, and white
B. The store carries an assortment of _____________________ objects.
 interesting new, old and antique
 new, old, interesting and antique
 interesting, old and new and antique
C. We went for a two-week cruise on a __________________________ ocean liner.
 incredible brand-new, huge Italian
 incredible, huge, brand-new Italian
 Italian incredible, brand-new, huge
Answers: A – little blue, green and white B – interesting new, old and antique C – incredible, huge,
brand-new Italian

7. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank.

A. I bought a pair of _________________ boots.

 new, nice, red rain
 nice new red rain
 red nice new rain
B. My dad was thrilled with his gift of ______________________ bowties for his clown act.
 three squirting new nice big polka-dotted
 three polka-dotted nice new squirting
 three nice big new polka-dotted squirting
C. Please put the marbles into that ______________________ box.
 round little old red
 little old round red
 little old red round
Answers: A – nice new red rain B – three nice big new polka-dotted squirting C – little old round red

8. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank:

A. I was surprised to receive a __________________ puppy for my birthday.

 little, cute, eight-week-old golden retriever
 cute eight-week-old little golden retriever
 cute little eight-week-old golden retriever
B. Our work uniform consists of black pants, black shoes, and a ________________ shirt.
 yellow baggy big polo
 big baggy yellow polo
 baggy yellow big polo
C. I’ve been spending a lot of time in antique shops looking for the perfect _______________ clock.
 little silver Italian cuckoo
 little Italian silver cuckoo
 silver little Italian cuckoo
Answers: A – cute little eight-week-old golden retriever B – big baggy yellow polo C – little silver
Italian cuckoo

9. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black and white stripes.

B. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black with white stripes.
C. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black, white stripes.
Answer: A

10. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. During my college years, I wore a red, white and black big hat to sporting events.
B. During my college years, I wore a big red, white and black hat to sporting events.
C. During my college years, I wore a big red white and black, hat to sporting events.
Answer: B
Lists of adjectives
Adjective Definition – What are Adjectives?
Adjectives are describing words, such as blue, angry, cold, dry and hard. Technically, an adjective is
described as modifying or quantifying a noun or pronoun, but an easier way to look at the definition
of adjectives is that an adjective tells us more and gives us extra information about something. For
example, if someone said: “It’s a warm day”, the adjective warm is giving us extra information about
the noun day. What are adjectives? Adjectives are words that make sentences more interesting and
add spice to writing.

1. Jason gave me a piercing look before he shut the open

2. The Titanic was a great movie, but it was long and sad!
3. Lauren has excellent managerial skills and is a superb listener.

Adjectives Position – Where to Position an Adjective?

Normally, adjectives are positioned before the noun that they describe: the yellow ribbon,
the heavy box. These adjectives are said to be attributive, meaning they qualify the nouns. However,
if a linking verb such as be or seem is used, the adjective becomes predicative and can be placed
after the noun: the ribbon is yellow, the box seems heavy.

Attributive adjectives are used like this:

Poor, sick Robert won’t be coming to work today, he has a bad cold.

It takes longer to get there on the two-lane bumpy road than on the new fast highway.

Predicative adjectives are used like this:

1. Robert seems sick.

2. The road is bumpy.In some cases, adjectives can be said to be postpositive, coming after the
noun: There are plenty of rooms available. Postpositive adjectives are not used as often as
attributive or predicative adjectives:The blue boat sailed on the rough seas (attributive)The
teddy-bear is soft and fluffy (predicative)
The firemen found the buildings ablaze, with the damage catastrophic (postpositive)
 Sometimes these different adjective positions can be combined in a sentence:

The soft (attributive) teddy-bear is also fluffy (predicative)

The tired (attributive) firemen found the buildings ablaze (postpositive). The damage was
catastrophic (predicative).

Adjective Degrees – What are Adjective Degrees?

Adjectives can be used to describe different degrees of comparison about something. For example,
we can say that something is large, but we could also say it is larger (than something else) and the
largest (of all) when comparing it to other things. These terms seem complicated, but they are just a
way of using adjectives to compare one thing to another. Thus, we can breakdown adjectives into
the following degree groups:

Positive Adjectives: small, old, fast.

Comparative Adjectives: smaller, older, faster.

Superlative Adjectives: smallest, oldest, fastest.

I am small. The old men. The fast runner.

Examples of comparative adjectives:

1. Smaller
2. Older
3. Faster
I am smaller than you. The older men knew more than the younger men. The faster runner won the
race.

Examples of superlative adjectives:

1. Smallest
2. Oldest
3. Fastest
Bilbo was the smallest of all hobbits. She is the oldest woman in America. Usain Bolt is
the fastest man on the planet.

As you can see, a positive adjective can become a comparative one by adding “er” and a superlative
adjective by adding “est”. However, a small group of adjectives do not follow this rule. Those that
don’t are called irregular comparative and superlative adjectives. For example, the adjective good in
its comparative form is better, not good(er), and is best in its superlative form, not good(est). Other
examples include: far, farther, farthest and bad, worse, worst.

Examples of irregular comparative and superlative adjectives:

1. Good, Better, Best

2. Bad, Worse, Worst
3. Far, Further, Furthest
Shakespeare is good, but Mark Twain is much better. However, Hemingway is best of all.

In addition, some adjectives will not change at all when used as comparative or superlative. Usually,
these will take the addition of the words ‘more’ and ‘most’ to make the comparison.

Examples:

1. I am an interesting person (positive)

2. He is more interesting than you (Comparative)
3. Sylvia Plath is the most interesting of all poets (Superlative)
Other examples:

1. Beautiful
2. More beautiful
3. Most beautiful
4. Intelligent,
5. More intelligent
6. Most intelligent
7. Practical
8. More practical
9. Most practical
 Amy was beautiful, but Jo was more intelligent. Beth was certainly more practical than Jo and
Amy However, Meg was the most practical, beautiful and intelligent of all the March sisters.

Here is a list of 1000+ Adjectives

 A
 B
 C
 D
 E
 F
 G
 H
 I
 J
 K
 L
 M
 N
 O
 P
 Q
 R
 S
 T
 U
 V
 W
 X
 Y
 Z

 aback abaft abandoned abashed aberrant abhorrent abiding abject ablaze able abnormal aboard
aboriginal abortive abounding abrasive abrupt absent absorbed absorbing abstracted absurd
abundant abusive acceptable accessible accidental accurate acid acidic acoustic acrid actually ad
hoc adamant adaptable addicted adhesive adjoining adorable adventurous afraid aggressive
agonizing agreeable ahead ajar alcoholic alert alike alive alleged alluring aloof amazing ambiguous
ambitious amuck amused amusing ancient angry animated annoyed annoying anxious apathetic
 aquatic aromatic arrogant ashamed aspiring assorted astonishing attractive auspicious automatic
available average awake aware awesome awful axiomatic

 bad barbarous bashful bawdy beautiful befitting belligerent beneficial bent berserk best better
bewildered big billowy bite-sized bitter bizarre black black-and-white bloody blue blue-eyed blushing
boiling boorish bored boring bouncy boundless brainy brash brave brawny breakable breezy brief
bright broad broken brown bumpy burly bustling busy

 cagey calculating callous calm capable capricious careful careless caring cautious ceaseless certain
changeable charming cheap cheerful chemical chief childlike chilly chivalrous chubby chunky
clammy classy clean clear clever cloistered cloudy closed clumsy cluttered coherent cold colorful
colossal combative comfortable common complete complex concerned condemned confused
conscious cooing cool cooperative coordinated courageous cowardly crabby craven crazy creepy
crooked crowded cruel cuddly cultured cumbersome curious curly curved curvy cut cute cynical

 daffy daily damaged damaging damp dangerous dapper dark dashing dazzling dead deadpan
deafening dear debonair decisive decorous deep deeply defeated defective defiant delicate delicious
delightful demonic delirious dependent depressed deranged descriptive deserted detailed
determined devilish didactic different difficult diligent direful dirty disagreeable disastrous discreet
disgusted disgusting disillusioned dispensable distinct disturbed divergent dizzy domineering
doubtful drab draconian dramatic dreary drunk dry dull dusty dynamic dysfunctional

 eager early earsplitting earthy easy eatable economic educated efficacious efficient eight elastic
elated elderly electric elegant elfin elite embarrassed eminent empty enchanted enchanting
encouraging endurable energetic enormous entertaining enthusiastic envious equable equal erect
erratic ethereal evanescent evasive even excellent excited exciting exclusive exotic expensive extra-
large extra-small exuberant exultant

 fabulous faded faint fair faithful fallacious false familiar famous fanatical fancy fantastic far far-flung
fascinated fast fat faulty fearful fearless feeble feigned female fertile festive few fierce filthy fine
finicky first five fixed flagrant flaky flashy flat flawless flimsy flippant flowery fluffy fluttering foamy
 foolish foregoing forgetful fortunate four frail fragile frantic free freezing frequent fresh fretful friendly
frightened frightening full fumbling functional funny furry furtive future futuristic fuzzy

 gabby gainful gamy gaping garrulous gaudy general gentle giant giddy gifted gigantic glamorous
gleaming glib glistening glorious glossy godly good goofy gorgeous graceful grandiose grateful gratis
gray greasy great greedy green grey grieving groovy grotesque grouchy grubby gruesome grumpy
guarded guiltless gullible gusty guttural

 habitual half hallowed halting handsome handsomely handy hanging hapless happy hard hard-to-
find harmonious harsh hateful heady healthy heartbreaking heavenly heavy hellish helpful helpless
hesitant hideous high highfalutin high-pitched hilarious hissing historical holistic hollow homeless
homely honorable horrible hospitable hot huge hulking humdrum humorous hungry hurried hurt
hushed husky hypnotic hysterical

 icky icy idiotic ignorant ill illegal ill-fated ill-informed illustrious imaginary immense imminent impartial
imperfect impolite important imported impossible incandescent incompetent inconclusive industrious
incredible inexpensive infamous innate innocent inquisitive insidious instinctive intelligent interesting
internal invincible irate irritating itchy

 jaded jagged jazzy jealous jittery jobless jolly joyous judicious juicy jumbled jumpy juvenile

 kaput keen kind kindhearted kindly knotty knowing knowledgeable known

 labored lackadaisical lacking lame lamentable languid large last late laughable lavish lazy lean
learned left legal lethal level lewd light like likeable limping literate little lively living lonely long
longing long-term loose lopsided loud loutish lovely loving low lowly lucky ludicrous lumpy lush
luxuriant lying lyrical

 macabre macho maddening madly magenta magical magnificent majestic makeshift male malicious
mammoth maniacal many marked massive married marvelous material materialistic mature mean
measly meaty medical meek mellow melodic melted merciful mere messy mighty military milky
 mindless miniature minor miscreant misty mixed moaning modern moldy momentous motionless
mountainous muddled mundane murky mushy mute mysterious

 naive nappy narrow nasty natural naughty nauseating near neat nebulous necessary needless
needy neighborly nervous new next nice nifty nimble nine nippy noiseless noisy nonchalant
nondescript nonstop normal nostalgic nosy noxious null numberless numerous nutritious nutty

 oafish obedient obeisant obese obnoxious obscene obsequious observant obsolete obtainable
oceanic odd offbeat old old-fashioned omniscient one onerous open opposite optimal orange
ordinary organic ossified outgoing outrageous outstanding oval overconfident overjoyed overrated
overt overwrought

 painful painstaking pale paltry panicky panoramic parallel parched parsimonious past pastoral
pathetic peaceful penitent perfect periodic permissible perpetual petite phobic physical picayune pink
piquant placid plain plant plastic plausible pleasant plucky pointless poised polite political poor
possessive possible powerful precious premium present pretty previous pricey prickly private
probable productive profuse protective proud psychedelic psychotic public puffy pumped puny purple
purring pushy puzzled puzzling

 quack quaint quarrelsome questionable quick quickest quiet quirky quixotic quizzical

 rabid racial ragged rainy rambunctious rampant rapid rare raspy ratty ready real rebel receptive
recondite red redundant reflective regular relieved remarkable reminiscent repulsive resolute
resonant responsible rhetorical rich right righteous rightful rigid ripe ritzy roasted robust romantic
roomy rotten rough round royal ruddy rude rural rustic ruthless

 sable sad safe salty same sassy satisfying savory scandalous scarce scared scary scattered
scientific scintillating scrawny screeching second second-hand secret secretive sedate seemly
selective selfish separate serious shaggy shaky shallow sharp shiny shivering shocking short shrill
shut shy sick silent silky silly simple simplistic sincere six skillful skinny sleepy slim slimy slippery
sloppy slow small smart smelly smiling smoggy smooth sneaky snobbish snotty soft soggy solid
somber sophisticated sordid sore sour sparkling special spectacular spicy spiffy spiky spiritual
 spiteful splendid spooky spotless spotted spotty spurious squalid square squealing squeamish
staking stale standing statuesque steadfast steady steep stereotyped sticky stiff stimulating stingy
stormy straight strange striped strong stupendous stupid sturdy subdued subsequent substantial
successful succinct sudden sulky super superb superficial supreme swanky sweet sweltering swift
symptomatic synonymous

 taboo tacit tacky talented tall tame tan tangible tangy tart tasteful tasteless tasty tawdry tearful
tedious teeny teeny-tiny telling temporary ten tender tense tenuous terrible terrific tested testy
thankful therapeutic thick thin thinkable third thirsty thoughtful thoughtless threatening three
thundering tidy tight tightfisted tiny tired tiresome toothsome torpid tough towering tranquil trashy
tremendous tricky trite troubled truculent true truthful two typical

 ubiquitous ugliest ugly ultra unable unaccountable unadvised unarmed unbecoming unbiased
uncovered understood undesirable unequal unequaled uneven unhealthy uninterested unique
unkempt unknown unnatural unruly unsightly unsuitable untidy unused unusual unwieldy unwritten
upbeat uppity upset uptight used useful useless utopian utter uttermost

 vacuous vagabond vague valuable various vast vengeful venomous verdant versed victorious
vigorous violent violet vivacious voiceless volatile voracious vulgar

 wacky waggish waiting wakeful wandering wanting warlike warm wary wasteful watery weak wealthy
weary well-groomed well-made well-off well-to-do wet whimsical whispering white whole wholesale
wicked wide wide-eyed wiggly wild willing windy wiry wise wistful witty woebegone womanly
wonderful wooden woozy workable worried worthless wrathful wretched wrong wry
Confusing Words

Objective vs. Subjective – What’s the Difference?

Objective and subjective are two quite commonly used adjectives, with meanings that can
easily be confused, even though the two words are antonyms of each other.
 Subjective is an adjective, meaning based on or influenced by personal feelings or emotions.
 Objective is an adjective, meaning not based on or influenced personal feelings or emotions, but hard,
factual evidence.
The best way to think about the difference between objective and subjective is by looking
at the idea of an opinion. An opinion, by its very definition, is subjective, because it is a
personal view on a subject which might have other possibilities. If we say an opinion
is objective, it technically no longer is an opinion because personal interpretation has
been removed. This is a question still debated by philosophers, but let’s simplify it by
sayingobjective has to do with unbiased observations andsubjective has to do with biased
(personal) evaluations.
Look at these two statements:

1. Donald Trump won the 2016 US presidential elections.

2. Donald Trump was lucky to win the 2016 US presidential elections.

The first statement is an objective one. It reflects a fact, with no personal interpretation.
The second statement is a subjective one. Perhaps it is somewhat factual, perhaps not. But
because it is a personal interpretation open to debate, it is said to be subjective.
Other examples:

 Russia is the greatest country on earth. Subjective.

 Russia is the largest country on earth.

 The Yankees are the best team in baseball. Subjective.

The Yankees have won the most World Series Championships. Objective.
What Does Objective Mean?

When something is described as objective, it means that it is an interpretation not based

on any personal feeling or emotions.Objective’s synonyms can be words
like impartial or unbiased. For example, a referee in a sports game or a judge in a court
would make objective decisions based on the facts before them, not allowing personal
feelings to influence those decisions.

When to Use Objective + Original Examples

We use the word objective as an adjective to describe things that are factual and have no
personal or emotional interpretation of those facts.
Examples:

 I would like to ask someone who doesn’t know me for an objective

 Journalists at the BBC try to be objective, but Brexit is an emotional subject.
 Can a man be truly objective when it comes to judging his family?
Objective can also take the adverb form, objectively. This is used to describe an action
that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
Examples:

 We hope the members of the jury will look at the facts objectively.
Objectively speaking, I can see no reason to continue your treatment.
Objective: Other Definitions
Objective can also be used as a noun. It is completely unrelated to the description above,
instead meaning a goal or target.
 His main objective in life was to become a lawyer.
 The objective of football is to score more than the opposing team.
Objective is also used in grammar, i.e. the objective case, and as a scientific term
referring to lenses in a telescope or microscope.
What Does Subjective Mean?

When something is described as subjective, it means that it is an interpretation that has

been influenced by personal feelings or emotions. Synonyms for subjectivecould be
words like personal or biased. For example, if you were giving your opinion on a movie
or other piece of art, it would be regarded as a subjectiveinterpretation.
When to Use Subjective + Original Examples

We use the word subjective to describe things that have a personal interpretation or when
the factual nature of a statement can be debated:
Examples:

 No matter what you say, doctors’ opinions are always subjective.

 I feel your analysis on the issue has become subjective, because you know the people involved.
 Reports on rising crime in America are subjective, with each state interpreting the figure differently.
Subjective can also take the adverb form, subjectively. This is used to describe an action
that is interpreted by feelings and opinions.
Examples:

 Movie reviews and opinion columns are examples of people writing subjectively.
 Lawyers are better when they are not involved subjectively with their cases.
Note: Subjective can also be used as a term in grammar, i.e. the subjective case.
Tips to Remember the Difference

We can break down objective and subjective as the following:

 Objective = Unbiased Observation
 Subjective = Personal Evaluation
There are several tips for remembering the difference between subjective and objective.
One way to remember the difference is to concentrate on
the o in objective and observation. Another way to remember is by connecting
the s in subjective and the word standpoint (meaning viewpoint or opinion). Perhaps the
easiest, however, is to think of the s in subjective as relating toself, and
the o in objective as relating to other.
Summary

It is important to know the difference between the two terms, but the
words subjective and objective are not actually used that frequently in English. However,
the concepts of subjectivity and objectivity are of huge importance in journalism, science,
literature, philosophy and a whole host of other areas. Whether something
is subjective or objective can lead to a lot of debate, and a good philosopher could
probably convince you that nothing is truly objective.
Yet, away from the worlds of science and philosophy, we should simply remember
that subjective is about personal opinions and interpretations, whereas objective is about
unbiased, factual observations

Examples of adjectives
Typical adjective endings
1. They live in a beautiful house.
2. Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today. This soup is not edible.
3. She wore a beautiful dress.
4. He writes meaningless letters.
5. This shop is much nicer.
6. She wore a beautiful dress.
7. Ben is an adorable baby.
8. Linda’s hair is gorgeous.
9. This glass is breakable.
10. I met a homeless person in NY.
Denominal adjective examples
1. A mathematical puzzle.
2. A biological experiment.
3. A wooden boat.
4. I married an American woman.
5. The Jewish community in NY is very big.
6. Mary has a collection of expensive Russian dolls.
7. In the winter you must wear heavy woollen clothes.
8. The polar bear is listed as threatened.

Order of adjective examples

1. I love that really big old green antique car that is always parked at the end of the street.
[quality – size – age – color – qualifier]
2. My sister has a beautiful big white bulldog. [quality – size – color]
3. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
4. A big square blue box. [size – shape – color]
5. A disgusting pink plastic ornament. [opinion – color – material]
6. Some new slim French trousers. [age – shape – origin]
7. My small new red sleeping bag. [size – age – color – purposee]
8. I bought a pair of black leather shoes. [color – material]

Comparing adjective examples

1. This house is bigger than that one.
2. This flower is more beautiful than that.
3. He is taller than Mr. Hulas.
4. He is more intelligent than this boy.
5. Jonathan is the most handsome man on campus.
6. This is the prettiest dress in the window.
7. I lost my most comfortable shoes.
8. My job is worse than yours.
Compound adjectives examples
1. This is a four-foot table.
2. Daniella is a part-time worker.
3. This is an all-too-common error.
4. Beware of the green-eyed monster.
5. He is a cold-blooded man.
6. We saw a man-eating shark!
7. Danny’s dog is well-behaved.
8. You have to be open-minded about things.

Adjectival phrase examples

1. Susan is really clever.
2. The doctor is very late.
3. My sister is fond of animals.
4. I am happy to meet you.
5. The kids are ready to go.
6. Don’t be afraid of the dark.
7. Tony lost his dark brown briefcase.
8. He’s an extraordinary looking man.
For more examples, read our comprehensive lists of adjectives in the English language.
Adjective Exercises
much vs many
Decide whether you have to use much or many:

1. We saw _____ animals at the zoo.

2. How _____ oranges did you put in the box?
3. There isn’t _____ sugar in my coffee.
4. I don’t have ______ friends.
5. The old man hasn’t got _____ hair on his head.
6. I’ve packed _____ bottles of water.
7. I didn’t get _____ sleep last night.
8. How _____ fruit do you eat in an average day?
Answers:

1. many
2. many
3. much
4. many
5. much
6. many
7. much
8. much

a little vs a few
Decide whether you have to use a little or a few:

1. Can you please buy _______ apples.

2. We need _______ water.
3. I have _______ money left.
4. I take _______ sugar with my coffee.
5. We had _______ pints of beer there.
6. You have _______ time left.
7. There are _______ chairs in the room.
8. He only spent _______ dollars there.
Answers:

1. a few
2. a little
3. a little
4. a little
5. a few
6. a little
7. a few
8. a few

some vs any
Decide whether you have to use some or any:

1. Is there _______ milk left?

2. There is _______ juice in the bottle.
3. Do you have _______ coffee?
4. I don’t have _______ money left.
5. She has _______ money.
6. Do you know _______ of these singers?
7. I don’t know _______ of them.
8. I know _______ of them.
Answers:

1. any
2. some
3. any
4. any
5. some
6. any
7. any
8. some

some vs many
Decide whether you have to use some or many:

1. The child put _______ sand into the bucket.

2. I can lend you _______ money if you need it.
3. There aren’t _______ pears left. Only two.
4. We had _______ cake with the tea.
5. Don’t eat so _______ sweets or you’ll get fat.
6. I had _______ beer last night at the bar.
7. I don’t have _______ friends.
8. He brought _______ food with him.
Answers:

1. some
2. some
3. many
4. some
5. many
6. some
7. many
8. some

little vs less
Decide whether you have to use little or less:

1. I have _______ interest in classical music.

2. I have _______ faith in him.
3. We need _______ furniture in this dance hall than in the big one.
4. You have to drink _______ coffee.
5. He has _______ money than I thought.
6. Tonight I drank _______ wine than last night.
7. She dedicates _______ time to her homework than to her hobbies.
8. This will take _______ time to finish than the last time we tried.
Answers:

1. little
2. little
3. less
4. less
5. less
6. less
7. less
8. less

a little vs a lot
Decide whether you have to use a little or a lot:

1. That may cost you _______ of money.

2. I added _______ sugar to the mix.
3. You’ll have to spend _______ of cash on this car. (a lot)
4. I can do it with _______ help from my friends.
5. _______ change can really make a difference.
6. I don’t have _______ of free time today.
7. He left _______ of laundry for me to do.
8. She gave him _______ attention.
Answers:

1. a lot
2. a little
3. a lot
4. a little
5. a little
6. a lot
7. a lot
8. a little

few vs little
Decide whether you have to use few or little:

1. There’s _______ point in calling.

2. _______ people understood what he said.
3. There is _______ use in trying to do this.
4. There’s _______ space here as it is.
5. There’s _______ I can do about this.
6. Dan is a great student. He has _______ problems with history.
7. There was _______ traffic on the road.
8. I think Coventry will win the match but _______ people agree with me.
Answers:

1. little
2. few
3. little
4. little
5. little
6. few
7. little
8. few

fewer vs less
Decide whether you have to use fewer or less:

1. There were _______ days below freezing last winter.

2. I drank _______ water than she did.
3. I have _______ than an hour to do this work.
4. People these days are buying _______ newspapers.
5. I have _______ time to do this work.
6. _______ than thirty children each year develop the disease.
7. I wear _______ makeup on weekdays.
8. He worked _______ hours than I did.
Answers:

1. fewer
2. less
3. less
4. fewer
5. less
6. fewer
7. less
8. fewer

farther vs further
Decide whether you have to use farther or further:

1. How much _______ do you plan to drive tonight?

2. I just can’t go any _______.
3. Do you have any _______ plans for adding on to the building?
4. That’s a lot _______ than I want to carry this heavy suitcase!
5. The _______ that I travel down this road, the _______ behind schedule I get.
6. How much _______ do you intend to take this legal matter?
7. It’s not that much _______ to the gas station.
8. How much _______ do I have to run, coach?
Answers:

1. farther
2. further
3. further
4. farther
5. farther, further
6. further
7. farther
8. farther

later vs latter
Decide whether you have to use later or latter:

1. My neighbours have a son and a daughter : the former is a teacher, the _______ is a nurse.
2. I will address that at a _______ time.
3. Of the first two Harry Potter books, I prefer the _______.
4. John arrived at the party _______ than Mary did.
5. I prefer the _______ offer to the former one.
6. I will be back _______.
7. I was given the choice between a hamburger or a hotdog, I chose the _______ of the two; the
hotdog.
8. When it comes to soy burgers or a juicy cow burger, I prefer the _______.
Answers:

1. latter
2. later
3. latter
4. later
5. latter
6. later
7. latter
8. latter

last vs latter
Decide whether you have to use last or latter:

1. Jack, Jill and Bob went up the hill; the _______ watched the other two fall down.
2. The former half of the film is more interesting than the _______ half.
3. Out of chapters 1, 2, and 3, the _______ one is the most difficult to learn.
4. Dan is now friends with Ruth, Maya and Ben. The _______ is his cousin.
5. Jane speaks Italian and English : the former language fairly well and the _______ fluently.
6. There are two versions, A and B, but the _______ is more popular.
7. Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the _______ is remembered today.
8. I study math, English and history. I enjoy the _______ one most.
Answers:

1. last
2. latter
3. last
4. last
5. latter
6. latter
7. latter
8. last

More Adjective Exercises

1. Form adjectives from the following nouns:

A. water
B. ice
C. syrup
Answers:

A. Watery
B. Icy
C. Syrupy
2.Form adjectives from the following verbs:

A. walk
B. amaze
C. decay
Answers:
A. walking
B. amazing
C. decaying
3.Which of the following sentences contains a proper denominal adjective?

A. People in New York are usually busy.

B. New York residents are often busy.

A. We had fun listening to classic French music.

B. Music by the French is fun to listen to.

A. He speaks Russian.
B. He speaks the Russian language.
Answers: B,A,B

4.Choose the superlative adjective in each group of sentences:

A. I like dark coffee.

B. This is the fastest car I’ve ever driven.
C. I’d like darker curtains.

A. This is good ice cream.

B. Meet Sue, my younger sister.
C. Of all the options available, this seems to be the best one.

A. This is a better play than the last one.

B. The box was blue, and oddly shaped.
C. This is the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced!
Answers: B, C, C

5. Choose the absolute adjective in each group of sentences:

A. We live in a blue house.

B. The grass is greener on the other side.
C. This is the shortest my hair has ever been.

A. That’s a short dress.

B. Why don’t you choose a longer style?
C. Just because it’s the shortest dress doesn’t mean it’s the most stylish.

A. Our house is bigger than our grandmother’s is.

B. They live in the biggest house I’ve ever seen.
C. That’s a big house!
Answers: A, A, C

6. Choose the adjective from each of the following groups of words:

A. interest, interesting, party

B. amount, colorful, medicine
C. fur, hilarious, cup
Answers:

A. interesting
B. colorful
C. hilarious
7. Fill in the blanks with the best compound adjective for the situation.

A. With ______________ temperatures, this is the coldest winter on record.

 below zero
 below-zero
 freezing
B. Jeremy gave Linda a _____________________ engagement ring.
 gorgeous diamond
 gorgeous-diamond
 big
C. We’re celebrating with a __________________ bottle of champagne.
 costly
 ten-year-old
 10 year old
Answers:

A. below-zero
B. gorgeous diamond
C. ten-year-old
8. Choose the sentence containing the denominal adjective:

A. We practiced for the play.

B. We spent two hours practicing the Shakespearean play.
C. We practiced Shakespeare’s play for two hours.
Answer: B. We spent two hour practicing the Shakespearean play.

9. Choose the comparative adjective in each group of sentences:

A. This list is longer than the last one.

B. This is probably the longest one I’ve ever seen.
C. This is a long list.

A. Stop acting so weird.

B. You’re acting weirder than ever.
C. You’re the weirdest person in this class.

A. This is the chocolatiest cake I’ve ever tasted.

B. Have some chocolate cake.
C. Do you think this cake tastes chocolatier than the last one?
Answers: A, B, C

10. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank.

A. His grandfather lives in the ________________________ house down the street.

 big old yellow
 yellow old big
 old big yellow
B. The shop offers all kinds of _____________________ objects.
 interesting old antique
 old antique interesting
 old interesting antique
C. We went for a long walk on a __________________________ trail.
 Beautiful new 5-mile
 New, beautiful 5-mile
 5-mile new, beautiful
Answers:

A. big old yellow

B. interesting old antique
C. beautiful new 5-mile
11. A, B, or C? Which phrase contains the denominal adjective?

A. open door
B. fun time
C. Parmesan flavor
Answer: C

12. Some compound adjective contain hyphens. Which of the following sentences is correct?

A. He’s a decent-judge of character.

B. She submitted a 190-page document supporting her position.
C. We’re adopting a two year old parakeet.
Answer: B

13. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

A. We took a ride on a red, new, Italian motorbike.

B. We took a ride on an Italian, new, red motorbike.
C. We took a ride on a new red Italian motorbike.
Answer: C

14. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank.

A. I was thrilled to receive a __________________ book with my order.

 big, beautiful, leather-bound
 leather-bound, big, beautiful
 beautiful big leather-bound
B. His clown costume consists of a red nose, oversized shoes, and a ________________ jacket.
 Size 4X polka-dotted silk smoking
 polka-dotted silk smoking size 4X
 polka dotted size 4x silk smoking
C. I’ve been shopping for the perfect _______________ chopsticks.
 Japanese long sushi
 long Japanese sushi
 long sushi Japanese
Answers:

A. beautiful big leather-bound

B. size 4x polka-dotted silk smoking
C. long Japanese sushi
15. From each group, choose the sentence containing the correct compound adjective.

A. Jennifer is overworked. She has been putting in 12 hour days lately.

B. Jennifer is overworked. She has been putting in 12-hour days lately.
C. Jennifer is overworked. She has been putting in 12-hour-days lately.

A. Jim prefers spicy, Caribbean-style food.

B. Jim likes Caribbean foods with lots of spice.
C. Jim’s favorite foods are spicy ones with Caribbean flavors.

A. He’s grown two inches since last time we saw him.

B. He’s grown by a whole two inches since we last saw him.
C. He’s had a two-inch growth spurt since last time we saw him.
Answers: B, A, C