Basic Adjectives - General English - Primary School

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Let's Learn About Adjectives!

Hello Super Students! Welcome to the colourful world of adjectives. What's an adjective? It's a magic word that makes our sentences more fun and interesting! Think of a plain cake. It's nice, but what if we add sprinkles, frosting, and cherries? It becomes amazing! Adjectives are like the sprinkles for our words. They add detail and paint a picture in the reader's mind.

In this chapter, we will learn how to use these describing words to make our English even better. Let's get started!

The Superpower of Describing! (What is an Adjective?)

An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Remember, a noun is a person, an animal, a place, or a thing. Adjectives give us more information about the noun.

Example: The ball.
This is okay, but we don't know much about the ball. Now let's add an adjective:

Example: The big, red ball.
See? Now you can imagine the ball much better! Big and red are adjectives.

Describing People, Animals, and Things

We use adjectives to describe how something or someone looks, feels, or is.

My father is tall. (Describes a person)
She likes fat cats. (Describes an animal)
The hungry baby is crying. (Describes a condition)
The sky is blue. (Describes a thing)

Describing Weather

You can use adjectives to talk about the weather outside.

Today is cold.
It was a sunny day.

Showing How Many & In What Order

Adjectives can also be numbers that tell us "how many" (quantity) or "in what order" (position).

I have three rulers. (Tells us the quantity)
Mary sits in the second row. (Tells us the position or order)

Describing with Phrases

Sometimes, we need a little group of words (a phrase) to describe things like age, height, or length.

I am six years old. (Describes age)
She is 120 centimetres tall. (Describes height)
This box is 10 centimetres long. (Describes length)

Key Takeaway

Adjectives are describing words. They tell us more about nouns, like their colour, size, shape, number, or how they feel.

Whose is it? (Possessive Adjectives)

Some special adjectives tell us who owns something. They show possession. These are called possessive adjectives. They always come right before a noun.

My brother is cute. (The brother belongs to me)
His eyes are big. (The eyes belong to him)
Her dress is pink. (The dress belongs to her)
The cat licked its paw. (The paw belongs to the cat)
That is your schoolbag. (The schoolbag belongs to you)
Our classroom is clean. (The classroom belongs to us)
Their dog is playful. (The dog belongs to them)

Quick Review: Possessive Adjectives

my, your, his, her, its, our, their

Feelings and Effects: Adjectives Ending in -ing and -ed

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! There's a very simple trick to remember when to use adjectives that end with -ing and -ed.

Adjectives ending in "-ing"

We use adjectives ending in -ing to describe the person or thing that causes a feeling. It describes the effect something has on us.

This teacher is interesting. (The teacher causes you to feel interested).
The football match was exciting. (The match causes the feeling of excitement).

Adjectives ending in "-ed"

We use adjectives ending in -ed to describe how a person (or sometimes an animal) feels.

All of us are interested in the game. (This is how we feel).
The children were excited about the picnic. (This is how the children feel).

Memory Trick!

Remember it like this: The thing is interesting. I am interested.

Common Mistake to Avoid!

Don't say: "I was boring in the class." (This means you were a boring person!)
Say: "I was bored in the class." (This describes your feeling).

Let's Compare! Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

We use adjectives to compare things, too! There are two main ways to compare.

Comparing TWO things (Comparatives)

When we compare two nouns, we use comparative adjectives. We usually add -er to short adjectives or use the word more for longer adjectives. We often use the word than after the adjective.

Short Adjectives: Add '-er'

John's hair is longer than Tom's.
My dad is taller than my mum.

Long Adjectives: Use 'more'

This dress is more beautiful than that one.
A car is more expensive than a bicycle.

Comparing THREE OR MORE things (Superlatives)

When we compare three or more things, we use superlative adjectives to show which one is at the top. We usually add -est to short adjectives or use the word most for longer adjectives. We always use the word the before the adjective.

Short Adjectives: Add '-est'

John is the tallest boy in the class.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

Long Adjectives: Use 'most'

This is the most comfortable chair.
That was the most interesting movie I have ever seen.

Special Rule-Breakers!

Some adjectives are special and don't follow the rules. We just have to remember them!

good -> better -> best
Peanut butter is better than butter.
Mary is the best reader in the class.

Quick Review: Comparison Chart

Adjective
tall
beautiful
good

Comparative (2 things)
taller
more beautiful
better

Superlative (3+ things)
the tallest
the most beautiful
the best

You're an Adjective Expert!

Great job! You have learned all about basic adjectives. You now know how to describe things, show ownership, talk about feelings, and compare different objects. Using adjectives will make your stories, letters, and conversations much more exciting and clear. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be using them like a pro!