What is an Adjective? Kinds Degrees Order Tips Exercises
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Class 7 · English Grammar
5

Adjectives

Words that add colour, size, shape & feeling to nouns!

🌈 Beautiful 💪 Strong 🌟 Brilliant 💙 Kind 🦄 Tiny 🌎 Enormous
📖 Section 1: What is an Adjective?
💡
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.
It tells us which one, what kind, how many, or how much.

Adjectives make our language vivid and interesting. Compare these two sentences:

Without Adjective
The dog sat under the tree.

With Adjectives
The fluffy, brown dog sat under the tall, shady tree.

See the difference? Adjectives paint a picture in the reader's mind! The second sentence tells us what kind of dog and what kind of tree.

🎨 Where Do Adjectives Appear?

Before a Noun

She wore a red dress.

He is a brave soldier.

(Attributive position)

After a Linking Verb

The sky is blue.

The soup tastes delicious.

(Predicative position)

💡
Quick test: If you can place a word between "the" and a noun, it is likely an adjective.
"the _____ cat" → the lazy cat ✓ → lazy is an adjective!
🎨 Section 2: Kinds of Adjectives

There are six main kinds of adjectives. Let us explore each one with colourful examples!

🌸 1. Adjective of Quality (Descriptive Adjective)

Describes the quality, state, or characteristic of a noun. Answers: "What kind?"
big beautiful clever honest tall happy brave dark
The clever fox jumped over the lazy dog.
She is a beautiful and honest person.
We live in a big house with a green garden.

⚖️ 2. Adjective of Quantity

Tells how much of a thing is meant. Used with uncountable nouns. Answers: "How much?"
some much little enough whole no any all
There is enough water in the bottle.
He ate the whole cake by himself!
She has little patience for excuses.

🔢 3. Adjective of Number (Numeral Adjective)

Tells how many things or the order of things. Used with countable nouns. Answers: "How many?" or "In what order?"
one two first second many few several both
I have three pencils and two erasers.
She came first in the race.
Several students were absent today.
⚠️
Quantity vs Number: Use Adjective of Quantity for things you cannot count (water, sugar, patience) and Adjective of Number for things you can count (books, apples, students).

👉 4. Demonstrative Adjective

Points out which noun is being talked about. Answers: "Which one?"
this that these those
This book is mine, but that book is yours.
These mangoes are sweet. Those mangoes are sour.
I prefer this colour over that one.

❓ 5. Interrogative Adjective

Used with a noun to ask a question. Always followed by a noun.
which what whose
Which dress do you like?
What time does the train arrive?
Whose bag is lying on the floor?
⚠️
Don't confuse! "Which" and "what" are interrogative adjectives only when they come before a noun.
• "Which book do you want?" → Interrogative Adjective
• "Which do you want?" → Interrogative Pronoun (no noun after it)

🔒 6. Possessive Adjective

Shows ownership or possession. Always placed before a noun.
my your his her its our their
My sister loves her pet rabbit.
The dog wagged its tail happily.
Their house has a beautiful garden.
📊 Quick Summary — All 6 Kinds
Kind Answers Examples
QualityWhat kind?big, clever, beautiful, honest
QuantityHow much?some, much, little, enough, whole
NumberHow many?one, two, first, many, few, several
DemonstrativeWhich one?this, that, these, those
InterrogativeAsks a questionwhich, what, whose
PossessiveWhose?my, your, his, her, its, our, their
📈 Section 3: Degrees of Comparison

When we compare things, adjectives change their form. There are three degrees:

🟢 Positive Degree

Describes a quality without comparison.

Ravi is tall.

🔵 Comparative Degree

Compares two things. Uses -er or more.

Ravi is taller than Amit.

🟠 Superlative Degree

Compares three or more. Uses -est or most.

Ravi is the tallest in the class.

🔧 Rules for Forming Degrees

Rule 1: Short adjectives (1 syllable)

Add -er for comparative and -est for superlative.
tall → taller → tallest  |  fast → faster → fastest

Rule 2: Adjectives ending in -e

Add -r for comparative and -st for superlative.
large → larger → largest  |  brave → braver → bravest

Rule 3: Adjectives ending in consonant + y

Change y to i, then add -er / -est.
happy → happier → happiest  |  easy → easier → easiest

Rule 4: Short adjectives ending in single vowel + consonant

Double the final consonant, then add -er / -est.
big → bigger → biggest  |  hot → hotter → hottest

Rule 5: Long adjectives (2+ syllables)

Use more for comparative and most for superlative.
beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful
intelligent → more intelligent → most intelligent
📋 Full Comparison Table (20+ Adjectives)
# Positive Comparative Superlative Rule
1talltallertallestadd -er/-est
2fastfasterfastestadd -er/-est
3strongstrongerstrongestadd -er/-est
4shortshortershortestadd -er/-est
5youngyoungeryoungestadd -er/-est
6largelargerlargestadd -r/-st
7bravebraverbravestadd -r/-st
8wisewiserwisestadd -r/-st
9happyhappierhappiesty → ier/iest
10easyeasiereasiesty → ier/iest
11heavyheavierheaviesty → ier/iest
12prettyprettierprettiesty → ier/iest
13bigbiggerbiggestdouble consonant
14hothotterhottestdouble consonant
15thinthinnerthinnestdouble consonant
16beautifulmore beautifulmost beautifulmore/most
17dangerousmore dangerousmost dangerousmore/most
18intelligentmore intelligentmost intelligentmore/most
19carefulmore carefulmost carefulmore/most
20interestingmore interestingmost interestingmore/most
21goodbetterbest⚠️ irregular
22badworseworst⚠️ irregular
23much / manymoremost⚠️ irregular
24littlelessleast⚠️ irregular
25farfarther / furtherfarthest / furthest⚠️ irregular
26oldolder / elderoldest / eldest⚠️ irregular
💡 When to Use -er/-est vs more/most

Use -er / -est

  • One-syllable adjectives: tall, fast, old
  • Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, -le, -er, -ow: happy, simple, clever, narrow

Use more / most

  • Adjectives with two or more syllables: beautiful, expensive, comfortable
  • Adjectives ending in -ful, -less, -ous, -ing: careful, useless, famous, boring
🚨
Common Mistake: Never use double comparison!
❌ She is more taller than me. (WRONG)
✅ She is taller than me. (CORRECT)

❌ This is the most best answer. (WRONG)
✅ This is the best answer. (CORRECT)
🔧 Section 4: Order of Adjectives

When we use more than one adjective before a noun, they follow a specific order. English speakers naturally follow this order — and it sounds very wrong if you mix it up!

🧠

Remember: OSASCOMP

Use this mnemonic to remember the correct order!

OOpinion
SSize
AAge
SShape
CColour
OOrigin
MMaterial
PPurpose
Order Category Examples
1Opinionbeautiful, lovely, ugly, nice, wonderful
2Sizelarge, small, tiny, enormous, short
3Ageold, young, new, ancient, modern
4Shaperound, square, flat, triangular, oval
5Colourred, blue, green, golden, dark
6OriginIndian, French, Japanese, African, British
7Materialwooden, cotton, silk, metal, glass
8Purposedining, sleeping, running, cooking, writing
Full Example
A beautiful large old round red Indian wooden dining table.

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose → NOUN
📝 More Examples

✅ Correct

  • A lovely little old cottage
  • A big round red ball
  • An expensive new Japanese car
  • A beautiful long silk scarf

❌ Incorrect

  • A old little lovely cottage
  • A red round big ball
  • A Japanese new expensive car
  • A silk long beautiful scarf
💡
Practical tip: In daily writing, you will rarely need more than 2–3 adjectives before a noun. But knowing the correct order is important for exams and elegant writing!
🌟 Section 5: Quick Tips, Fun Facts & Common Mistakes
💡 Quick Tips
1️⃣
Adjective or Adverb? Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify verbs.
• She is a slow runner. (adjective — describes "runner")
• She runs slowly. (adverb — describes "runs")
2️⃣
Use "than" with comparative: Always use "than" when comparing two things.
• My bag is heavier than yours.
3️⃣
Use "the" with superlative: Always use "the" before a superlative adjective.
• She is the smartest girl in the class.
🤔 Fun Facts
🌎
The adjective order rule (OSASCOMP) is one of the rules that native English speakers follow without even knowing it! Try saying "a red big ball" — it sounds strange, doesn't it?
📚
The word "adjective" comes from the Latin word "adjectivum", which means "that is added to (a noun)".
🎯
Some adjectives look exactly like nouns! For example, "gold" can be a noun (a piece of gold) or an adjective (a gold ring).
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌
1. Double comparisons
❌ This flower is more prettier than that one.
✅ This flower is prettier than that one.
❌
2. Using "elder" and "older" wrongly
• Elder is used only for people in the same family: my elder brother.
• Older is used for general comparisons: She is older than me.
❌
3. Confusing "less" and "fewer"
• Fewer = for countable nouns: fewer books.
• Less = for uncountable nouns: less water.
❌
4. Missing "the" before superlatives
❌ She is tallest girl in the class.
✅ She is the tallest girl in the class.
✏️ Section 6: Exercises

🎨 Exercise A: Identify the Adjective and its Kind

Underline the adjective in each sentence and write its kind (Quality, Quantity, Number, Demonstrative, Interrogative, or Possessive).

  1. The clever student solved the puzzle quickly.
  2. There is enough food for everyone.
  3. She bought three notebooks from the shop.
  4. Those flowers are very beautiful.
  5. Whose pencil is lying on the desk?
  6. My grandmother tells wonderful stories.
  7. The lazy cat slept on the warm mat.
  8. I drank some milk in the morning.
  9. Several children were playing in the park.
  10. Which colour do you prefer for the walls?
Show Answers
  1. "clever" — Adjective of Quality It describes the quality of the student (what kind of student?).
  2. "enough" — Adjective of Quantity It tells how much food is there (uncountable sense).
  3. "three" — Adjective of Number It tells how many notebooks she bought (a definite number).
  4. "Those" — Demonstrative Adjective It points out which flowers are being talked about.
  5. "Whose" — Interrogative Adjective It asks a question and is followed by a noun ("pencil").
  6. "My" — Possessive Adjective It shows ownership/possession of the grandmother.
  7. "lazy" — Adjective of Quality It describes the quality/character of the cat.
  8. "some" — Adjective of Quantity It tells how much milk was drunk (not a specific number).
  9. "Several" — Adjective of Number It tells an indefinite number of children (how many).
  10. "Which" — Interrogative Adjective It asks a question and is followed by a noun ("colour").

📈 Exercise B: Fill in the Degrees of Comparison

Complete the table with the correct forms of the adjective.

#PositiveComparativeSuperlative
1sweet
2brighter
3thinnest
4good
5beautiful
6worse
7heavy
8most famous
9far
10larger
Show Answers
  1. sweet → sweeter → sweetest One-syllable adjective: add -er / -est.
  2. bright → brighter → brightest One-syllable adjective: add -er / -est.
  3. thin → thinner → thinnest Ends in single vowel + consonant: double the "n" and add -er / -est.
  4. good → better → best Irregular adjective: must be memorised.
  5. beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful Long adjective (3 syllables): use more / most.
  6. bad → worse → worst Irregular adjective: must be memorised.
  7. heavy → heavier → heaviest Ends in consonant + y: change y to i, add -er / -est.
  8. famous → more famous → most famous Two-syllable adjective ending in -ous: use more / most.
  9. far → farther / further → farthest / furthest Irregular adjective with two accepted forms.
  10. large → larger → largest Ends in -e: just add -r / -st.

🔧 Exercise C: Arrange Adjectives in Correct Order

Rearrange the adjectives in brackets to form correct sentences.

  1. She wore a (silk / beautiful / red) dress to the party.
  2. They live in a (stone / old / large) house near the river.
  3. He drives a (new / German / expensive) car.
  4. I bought a (wooden / small / round) table for my room.
  5. The chef prepared a (Italian / delicious / hot) meal.
  6. My aunt gifted me a (silver / lovely / antique) necklace.
  7. We saw a (young / spotted / cute) puppy at the shelter.
  8. The museum displayed a (Egyptian / ancient / gold) mask.
Show Answers
  1. She wore a beautiful red silk dress to the party. Opinion (beautiful) → Colour (red) → Material (silk).
  2. They live in a large old stone house near the river. Size (large) → Age (old) → Material (stone).
  3. He drives an expensive new German car. Opinion (expensive) → Age (new) → Origin (German).
  4. I bought a small round wooden table for my room. Size (small) → Shape (round) → Material (wooden).
  5. The chef prepared a delicious hot Italian meal. Opinion (delicious) → Quality/temperature (hot) → Origin (Italian).
  6. My aunt gifted me a lovely antique silver necklace. Opinion (lovely) → Age (antique) → Material (silver).
  7. We saw a cute young spotted puppy at the shelter. Opinion (cute) → Age (young) → Colour/pattern (spotted).
  8. The museum displayed an ancient gold Egyptian mask. Age (ancient) → Material (gold) → Origin (Egyptian). Note: some may accept "ancient Egyptian gold mask" since origin and material are close.

📝 Exercise D: Fill in the Blanks with Suitable Adjectives

Choose an appropriate adjective from the box to complete each sentence.

brave enough few this whose their delicious several
  1. The soldier fought fearlessly in the battle.
  2. Do we have time to finish the project?
  3. Only a students passed the difficult exam.
  4. painting looks more realistic than the others.
  5. jacket was left behind in the classroom?
  6. The students completed homework on time.
  7. My mother cooked a meal for the guests.
  8. people complained about the noise last night.
Show Answers
  1. The brave soldier fought fearlessly in the battle. Adjective of Quality: describes the soldier's courage.
  2. Do we have enough time to finish the project? Adjective of Quantity: tells how much time.
  3. Only a few students passed the difficult exam. Adjective of Number (indefinite): tells how many students.
  4. This painting looks more realistic than the others. Demonstrative Adjective: points out which painting.
  5. Whose jacket was left behind in the classroom? Interrogative Adjective: asks a question about the jacket.
  6. The students completed their homework on time. Possessive Adjective: shows who owns the homework.
  7. My mother cooked a delicious meal for the guests. Adjective of Quality: describes the meal.
  8. Several people complained about the noise last night. Adjective of Number (indefinite): tells how many people.

⚠️ Exercise E: Correct the Errors

Each sentence has one error related to adjectives. Find and correct it.

  1. She is the most tallest girl in our school.
  2. My elder sister is older than your elder sister.
  3. This is the more interesting book I have ever read.
  4. He has less friends than I do.
  5. A wooden beautiful old box was kept on the shelf.
  6. She is more smarter than her brother.
  7. That is the baddest movie I have ever watched.
  8. He is the elder member of the committee.
Show Answers
  1. ❌ She is the most tallest girl → ✅ She is the tallest girl in our school. Double comparison error: "tallest" is already superlative. Don't add "most".
  2. ❌ No error! The sentence is correct as written. "Elder" is used for family (elder sister), and "older" is used for general comparison. Both usages are correct here.
  3. ❌ This is the more interesting book → ✅ This is the most interesting book I have ever read. "Ever read" implies comparison among all books (superlative), so use "most" not "more".
  4. ❌ He has less friends → ✅ He has fewer friends than I do. "Friends" is countable, so use "fewer", not "less".
  5. ❌ A wooden beautiful old box → ✅ A beautiful old wooden box was kept on the shelf. Correct order: Opinion (beautiful) → Age (old) → Material (wooden).
  6. ❌ She is more smarter → ✅ She is smarter than her brother. Double comparison: "smarter" already means "more smart". Don't use both.
  7. ❌ That is the baddest movie → ✅ That is the worst movie I have ever watched. "Bad" is an irregular adjective: bad → worse → worst. "Baddest" is not standard English.
  8. ❌ He is the elder member → ✅ He is the eldest / oldest member of the committee. "Elder" is comparative (used for two people in a family). For a group (superlative), use "eldest" or "oldest".
  1. sweet → sweeter → sweetest One-syllable adjective: add -er / -est.
  2. bright → brighter → brightest One-syllable adjective: add -er / -est.
  3. thin → thinner → thinnest Ends in single vowel + consonant: double the "n" and add -er / -est.
  4. good → better → best Irregular adjective: must be memorised.
  5. beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful Long adjective (3 syllables): use more / most.
  6. bad → worse → worst Irregular adjective: must be memorised.
  7. heavy → heavier → heaviest Ends in consonant + y: change y to i, add -er / -est.
  8. famous → more famous → most famous Two-syllable adjective ending in -ous: use more / most.
  9. far → farther / further → farthest / furthest Irregular adjective with two accepted forms.
  10. large → larger → largest Ends in -e: just add -r / -st.
  1. She wore a beautiful red silk dress to the party. Opinion (beautiful) → Colour (red) → Material (silk).
  2. They live in a large old stone house near the river. Size (large) → Age (old) → Material (stone).
  3. He drives an expensive new German car. Opinion (expensive) → Age (new) → Origin (German).
  4. I bought a small round wooden table for my room. Size (small) → Shape (round) → Material (wooden).
  5. The chef prepared a delicious hot Italian meal. Opinion (delicious) → Quality/temperature (hot) → Origin (Italian).
  6. My aunt gifted me a lovely antique silver necklace. Opinion (lovely) → Age (antique) → Material (silver).
  7. We saw a cute young spotted puppy at the shelter. Opinion (cute) → Age (young) → Colour/pattern (spotted).
  8. The museum displayed an ancient gold Egyptian mask. Age (ancient) → Material (gold) → Origin (Egyptian). Note: some may accept "ancient Egyptian gold mask" since origin and material are close.
  1. The brave soldier fought fearlessly in the battle. Adjective of Quality: describes the soldier's courage.
  2. Do we have enough time to finish the project? Adjective of Quantity: tells how much time.
  3. Only a few students passed the difficult exam. Adjective of Number (indefinite): tells how many students.
  4. This painting looks more realistic than the others. Demonstrative Adjective: points out which painting.
  5. Whose jacket was left behind in the classroom? Interrogative Adjective: asks a question about the jacket.
  6. The students completed their homework on time. Possessive Adjective: shows who owns the homework.
  7. My mother cooked a delicious meal for the guests. Adjective of Quality: describes the meal.
  8. Several people complained about the noise last night. Adjective of Number (indefinite): tells how many people.
  1. ❌ She is the most tallest girl → ✅ She is the tallest girl in our school. Double comparison error: "tallest" is already superlative. Don't add "most".
  2. ❌ No error! The sentence is correct as written. "Elder" is used for family (elder sister), and "older" is used for general comparison. Both usages are correct here.
  3. ❌ This is the more interesting book → ✅ This is the most interesting book I have ever read. "Ever read" implies comparison among all books (superlative), so use "most" not "more".
  4. ❌ He has less friends → ✅ He has fewer friends than I do. "Friends" is countable, so use "fewer", not "less".
  5. ❌ A wooden beautiful old box → ✅ A beautiful old wooden box was kept on the shelf. Correct order: Opinion (beautiful) → Age (old) → Material (wooden).
  6. ❌ She is more smarter → ✅ She is smarter than her brother. Double comparison: "smarter" already means "more smart". Don't use both.
  7. ❌ That is the baddest movie → ✅ That is the worst movie I have ever watched. "Bad" is an irregular adjective: bad → worse → worst. "Baddest" is not standard English.
  8. ❌ He is the elder member → ✅ He is the eldest / oldest member of the committee. "Elder" is comparative (used for two people in a family). For a group (superlative), use "eldest" or "oldest".
🌟💪🏆

Great Job! You Have Mastered Adjectives!

Now move on to Topic 6: Adverbs to learn about words that describe verbs!