Grade: Grade 3 Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Grammar: Verbs & Adjectives SAT: StandardEnglishConventions ACT: English

Using Adjectives

Adjectives are words that make your writing come alive! They describe nouns and help readers picture exactly what you're talking about. Let's learn how to use these powerful describing words!

What is an Adjective?

Adjectives are Describing Words!

An adjective is a word that describes a noun (a person, place, thing, or animal). Adjectives tell us what kind, how many, or which one.

🎨 Adjectives Paint a Picture

Compare these two sentences:

The dog ran across the yard.

This sentence is okay, but it doesn't tell us much.

The fluffy, brown dog ran across the green yard.

Now we can picture exactly what the dog and yard look like!

How to Find Adjectives: Ask yourself, "What word is describing the noun?" The adjective usually comes right before the noun it describes, or after words like "is," "are," "was," or "were."

Types of Adjectives

There are many different types of adjectives. Here are the most common ones:

📏
Size Adjectives

Tell us how big or small

big tiny huge small tall short
🌈
Color Adjectives

Tell us what color something is

red blue golden purple bright dark
🔢
Number Adjectives

Tell us how many

one five many few several some
😊
Feeling Adjectives

Tell us emotions or feelings

happy sad excited scared brave proud
🖐️
Touch Adjectives

Tell us how something feels

soft rough smooth bumpy fuzzy wet
🌟
Shape Adjectives

Tell us what shape

round square flat curved straight pointed

📝 Using Multiple Adjectives

You can use more than one adjective to describe a noun! When you use two or more adjectives, put a comma between them:

The big, friendly elephant sprayed water.

"Big" tells us the size, and "friendly" tells us the elephant's personality.

Comparing with Adjectives

We can use adjectives to compare two or more things!

Three Forms of Adjectives

Base: describes one thing | Comparative (-er): compares two things | Superlative (-est): compares three or more things

Base Form Comparative (2 things) Superlative (3+ things)
tall taller tallest
fast faster fastest
small smaller smallest
happy happier happiest
big bigger biggest

📐 Examples in Sentences

Base: My cat is fast.

Describing just one cat.

Comparative: My cat is faster than your cat.

Comparing two cats.

Superlative: My cat is the fastest cat in the neighborhood.

Comparing three or more cats.

Rules for Comparatives and Superlatives

  • Short adjectives (1 syllable): Add -er or -est (fast → faster → fastest)
  • Adjectives ending in -y: Change y to i, then add -er or -est (happy → happier → happiest)
  • Adjectives ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: Double the last letter (big → bigger → biggest)
  • Longer adjectives (2+ syllables): Use "more" and "most" (beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful)
Watch Out for Irregular Adjectives! Some adjectives don't follow the rules: good → better → best | bad → worse → worst | many → more → most

Find the Adjectives!

Click on all the adjectives in each sentence. Some sentences have more than one!

Click on the Adjectives

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Practice Problems

Test your adjective knowledge with these questions!

Question 1: What type of adjective is "blue"?

Question 2: Which word is the adjective in this sentence?

"The brave firefighter saved the kitten."

Question 3: What is the comparative form of "happy"?

Question 4: Which sentence uses adjectives correctly?

Question 5: What is the superlative form of "good"?

Sentence Builder

Choose adjectives from the word bank to complete each sentence. Make your writing more interesting!

Add an Adjective to Complete the Sentence

The ____ cat slept on the bed.

Using Adjectives in Your Writing

✍️ Tips for Better Writing with Adjectives

  • Use specific adjectives: Instead of "nice," try "kind," "pleasant," or "wonderful"
  • Use your senses: Include adjectives for how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel
  • Don't overdo it: One or two good adjectives are better than five weak ones
  • Show, don't tell: Use adjectives that help readers picture exactly what you mean

Before: I saw a nice flower.

This is boring and doesn't tell us much.

After: I saw a delicate, pink flower with soft petals.

Now we can really picture this flower!

Writing Challenge: Try describing your favorite toy, pet, or place using at least 5 different adjectives. Use adjectives that describe size, color, texture, and feelings!

Check Your Understanding

What do adjectives do?

When comparing three or more things, which form do you use?

How many adjectives are in this sentence: "The small, gray mouse found a warm, cozy home."

What We Learned

🏷️

Adjectives Describe

Adjectives tell us more about nouns - what kind, how many, or which one.

🎨

Many Types

Size, color, number, feeling, touch, and shape adjectives.

📊

Comparing

Use -er for two things, -est for three or more things.

✨

Better Writing

Adjectives make your writing more interesting and descriptive!

Keep Practicing! Look for adjectives in the books you read. Try to use new and interesting adjectives in your own writing. The more you practice, the better your writing will become!

Next Steps

  • Practice finding adjectives in your favorite books
  • Keep a list of interesting adjectives you discover
  • Try using comparative and superlative forms when you write
  • Challenge yourself to describe things using multiple senses