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What is an adjective?

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Quick answer

An adjective is a word that describes a noun — it tells you more about a person, place, or thing, such as its size, colour, number, or quality. In 'the tall, red building', 'tall' and 'red' are adjectives. An adjective describes or modifies a noun (or pronoun): big, blue, happy, three.

Key things to understand

  1. An adjective describes or modifies a noun (or pronoun): big, blue, happy, three.
  2. It answers questions like which one, what kind, how many, or whose.
  3. Adjectives usually come before the noun (a green car) or after a linking verb (the car is green).
  4. They can compare: tall, taller, tallest.
  5. Using adjectives makes writing more vivid and specific.

People also ask

What is an adjective, in simple terms?
An adjective is a describing word — it tells you more about a noun, like its colour, size, or quality: 'a small dog', 'a bright light', 'a kind friend'.
How is an adjective different from an adverb?
An adjective describes a noun (a quick runner), while an adverb describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb (she runs quickly). Adjectives describe things; adverbs describe actions.
Can adjectives compare things?
Yes. Most adjectives have three forms: positive (tall), comparative (taller), and superlative (tallest) — used to compare two or more things.