{"id":91,"date":"2018-07-31T14:40:56","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T19:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/?p=91"},"modified":"2026-04-02T00:17:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T00:17:33","slug":"adjectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/adjectives\/","title":{"rendered":"Adjectives – definition, examples & common mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Put simply, an adjective modifies a noun. Examples: <\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

John is a <\/span>tall <\/span><\/i>man.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a <\/span>yellow <\/span><\/i>bag.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

They are also typically used with stative verbs (non-actions) that express opinions, senses etc. These are known as predicate adjectives. Examples: <\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

I feel <\/span>tired<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The soup smells <\/span>delicious<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Adjectives can be identified as any word that helps describe the noun, so that includes numbers, colours and quantifiers. Here are some more simple examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

There were <\/span>many<\/span><\/i> people at the concert.<\/span><\/p>\n

There were <\/span>three<\/span><\/i> people in the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

The man was <\/span>Irish<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

He felt <\/span>cold<\/span><\/i>, so she gave him a <\/span>warm<\/span><\/i> jumper.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Any comparison words, or superlatives, are also adjectives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

That boat is <\/span>bigger <\/span><\/i>than that boat.<\/span><\/p><\/p>\n

She’s the <\/span>best<\/span><\/i> tennis player in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Adjectives can also be used together, usually with the use of a comma, or a suitable conjunction. These are known as coordinate adjectives. Examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

The man was wearing a <\/span>long<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>brown<\/span><\/i> jacket.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band was playing a <\/span>popular<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>hummable<\/span><\/i> tune.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Adjectives consisting of two words are nearly always hyphenated. Examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

It was an <\/span>old-fashioned<\/span><\/i> piece of furniture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah is an <\/span>easy-going<\/span><\/i> person<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But while adjectives help bring detail and precision to what is being described, they should be used intelligently. Common mistakes include:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

She had dark<\/i>, long<\/i> hair.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The favoured order would be style (<\/span>long<\/span><\/i>) + colour (<\/span>dark<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

He sings <\/span>good. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here the word is modifying a verb, so an adverb should be used. The adverb of good is well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p><\/p>

The <\/span>cold<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>wet<\/span><\/i> rain was falling all night long. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Is rain not always wet?<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

Tommy felt <\/span>starving<\/span><\/i>, so he knew it was time for lunch. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Starving? Was Tommy not merely hungry? Do not tend towards hyperbole.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

Tommy was <\/span>very starving<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You cannot be very starving. Starving is already an extreme, and can only be modified by an extreme, such as absolutely.<\/span><\/p>\n

In summary, when used well, adjectives elevate communication to a more effective level.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Practical tips for using adjectives<\/h2>\n

Use adjectives to add necessary detail, not noise. Prefer one precise adjective to a string of vague modifiers, and remove words that repeat obvious information.<\/p>\n

When you use more than one adjective, follow a natural ordering (opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose) so descriptions sound fluent and predictable.<\/p>\n

Hyphenate compound adjectives placed before a noun (e.g., well-known writer), and avoid weakening words that clash with absolute terms (for example, don’t pair an extreme adjective with “very”).<\/p>\n