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Adjectives for Kids
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What Are Adjectives? (for Kids)
Adjectives are describing words. They help us to create vivid images about people, places, or things. For example:- a tall man
- a smelly street
- a tasty apple

Easy Examples of Adjectives
Here are some more examples of adjectives in sentences:- Barney is a happy dog.
- She was an angry lady.
- It will be a cold night.
Using Stronger Adjectives
All the adjectives we've seen so far have provided simple descriptions. However, there are thousands of different adjectives, and many of them are quite sophisticated and give the writer exactly the right description. Here are some examples of stronger alternatives for the adjectives we've used so far:Simple Adjective | Stronger Adjectives |
---|---|
tall | towering, lanky |
smelly | rancid, reeking, putrid, foul |
tasty | delectable, scrumptious, delicious |
happy | delighted, elated, joyful, merry |
angry | bitter, annoyed, offended, enraged |
cold | frigid, frosty, brisk, wintry |
- You have a clean car. ("Clean" is a simple adjective. A good writer would say it is a weak adjective.)
- immaculate, spotless, unblemished, shiny, sparkling
- You have a spotless car.
More about Adjectives
So far, all the adjectives we've seen have been positioned before nouns to describe them. However, as you learn to spot adjectives, you will soon notice that adjectives do not always go before nouns. Look at these examples:- That girl is elegant. (This time, the adjective "elegant" describes the noun "girl" even though it appears afterwards.)
- Alan was foolish. (This time, the adjective "foolish" describes the noun "Alan" even though it appears afterwards.)
- The view from the mountain top will be stunning on Saturday. (This time, the adjective "stunning" describes the noun "view" even though it appears afterwards.)
Other Ways to Describe Things
Choosing strong adjectives is an essential part of writing well. However, there are other ways to describe things. Let's look at some examples:- The children were hungry. ("Hungry" is a weak adjective.)
- The children were ravenous. ("Ravenous" is a stronger adjective.)
- The children descended on the sandwiches like locusts. ("Descended on the sandwiches like locusts" is an example of a simile. It is a comparison used to provide a description.)
- He had bad teeth. ("Bad" is a weak adjective.)
- He had rotten teeth. ("Rotten" is a stronger adjective.)
- He had teeth like smashed eagles' beaks. ("Like smashed eagles' beaks" is a simile.)
Video Lesson
Here is a video lesson giving more information about adjectives:Printable and Sendable Test
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