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What is a adjectives for kids


Adjectives for Kids

by Craig Shrives

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  • Video
  • Printable & Sendable Test

What Are Adjectives? (for Kids)

Adjectives are describing words. In these examples, the highlighted words are all adjectives:

  • a tall man
  • a smelly street
  • a tasty apple

Adjectives help us to create vivid images about people, places, or things. The words "man," "street," and "apple" are nouns. So, adjectives are words that describe nouns.

It's Your Go!

Select the adjective in each sentence:

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.

These adjectives describe the nouns "dog," "lady," and "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 AdjectiveStronger Adjectives
talltowering, lanky
smellyrancid, reeking, putrid, foul
tastydelectable, scrumptious, delicious
happydelighted, elated, joyful, merry
angrybitter, annoyed, offended, enraged
coldfrigid, frosty, brisk, wintry

To find the perfect adjective, writers often use a thesaurus to look for a strong alternative to a simple adjective that isn't quite right. Let's try one:

  • You have a clean car.
    • ("Clean" is a simple adjective. A good writer would say it is a weak adjective.)

Here are some stronger alternatives from a thesaurus:

  • immaculate, spotless, unblemished, shiny, sparkling

Let's rewrite our sentence with a stronger adjective:

  • You have a spotless car.
Top Tip

Writers who find adjectives that fit perfectly do not use intensifiers like "very" and "extremely."

  • Bobby is a very hungry dog.
    • (This is not wrong, but it is poor writing. The writer used "very" because "hungry" is a weak adjective. It is too simple.)
  • Bobby is a ravenous dog.
    • (This time, the word "very" is not needed because "ravenous" is a strong adjective. It is more sophisticated. It is the exact word the writer wanted to express how hungry.)

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.)

Adjectives used like this are called predicate adjectives.

More about Predicate Adjectives

Predicate adjectives are used after linking verbs (e. g., "to be," "to seem," "to smell"). For example (linking verbs in bold):

  • The path is unsafe.
  • The sea seems calm.
  • The soup smells delicious.

Of interest, some adjectives (e.g., "afraid," "asleep," "alive," and "unable") are always predicate adjectives. In other words, they are only used after linking verbs.

  • Toby is afraid.
  • The troll looks asleep.

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.)

So, as well as looking for strong adjectives, you should also think about using comparisons like similes to provide vivid descriptions for your readers.

Video Lesson

Here is a video lesson giving more information about adjectives:

Printable Test

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See Also

adjectives for adult learnersa list of 2,000 adjectives to describe peoplea list of adjectives beginning with A, B, etc.Adverbs for kidsConjunctions for kidsNouns for kidsPrepositions for kidsPronouns for kidsInterjections for kidsVerbs for kids

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A Helpful Guide And List

While introducing your child to various language concepts, you might ask yourself why adjectives for kids are so important.

Words like “beautiful,” “fast,” “happy,” and “messy” are common adjectives your child might already know. But what makes them essential for language development? To answer this question, we must understand what role adjectives play.

Adjectives are words that add flavor to our sentences. They help make sentences more meaningful, they help us express the different qualities of an object or person, and, without them, our speech would be bland and boring.

In fact, adjectives are so important that children start using them from early in their language development (think “that’s good” and “that’s bad” and “I am sad…or happy”) and continue to expand on their understanding of them for years to come.

If you want to help your child make a richer use of adjectives in their talking and later their writing but don’t know where to begin, you’ve come to the right place. Our HOMER learning experts know a thing or two about teaching kids adjectives.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through all you need to know about adjectives and some of the most effective strategies for helping your child understand them.

What Are Adjectives?

What are some words you would use to describe yourself? Are you tall, short, funny, smart, or fast? These words are all adjectives.

However, adjectives don’t just describe people. They also help us describe animals, objects, and thoughts. In addition, we can express what something feels like to taste, touch, or smell because of adjectives.

By learning these types of words, children can create vivid images of what they are describing and give distinctions and comparisons. This is beneficial for building vocabulary and helping children clearly express their thoughts and feelings.

When Should Kids Learn About Adjectives?

Children’s use of adjectives changes over different stages of their language development. Here’s a closer look at what you can expect during early childhood.

2 – 3 Years

By the time a child reaches the toddler stage, their language skills have developed at an incredible rate. Children at this stage understand simple adjectives, like:

  • Small
  • Big
  • Messy
  • Soft
  • Sticky
  • Tiny

4 – 6 Years

When a child enters preschool and then kindergarten, they will continue developing their vocabulary as they interact with other kids and their teachers and are exposed to more books.

A significant part of their vocabulary will include adjectives. At this stage, children are likely to understand more descriptive adjectives, like:

  • Scratchy
  • Gentle
  • Polite
  • Shocking
  • Terrified
  • Clever
  • Damp
  • Impossible
  • Interesting

It’s important to note that there is no wrong or right time for children to start learning about adjectives.

Since these words form a part of our everyday vocabulary, as your child starts speaking, they will naturally pick up on them and start using them in their own speech.

When it comes to adjectives for kids, they may not always understand what each word means. That’s why it’s important to help your child not only know these words but also understand their meanings so they can use them appropriately.

How To Practice Adjectives For Kids

Helping your child improve their understanding of adjectives doesn’t have to be boring! Here are a few fun activities you can try at home.

1) Play Adjectives Charades

This is a fun activity that gets the whole family involved. Simply write adjectives on separate pieces of paper and take turns choosing a piece of paper and acting out the word on it.

If you have very young children, remember to use simple adjectives — weak, strong, nice, mean, angry, etc. And for children who haven’t yet learned how to read, you can read the words for them as needed.

Acting out adjectives is one of the best ways to help your child understand and remember the meaning of the words.

2) Describe A Person, Place, Or Thing

Since adjectives help us describe a person, place, or thing, why not create an activity centered around this concept?

To get started, make a list of six categories of nouns you can describe with an adjective. For example, your categories can include a person, tree, cat or dog, couch, ice cream, and music.

Once you have your categories, it’s time to roll your dice. The concept is simple — the number you roll will match a category, and you will need to come up with adjectives to describe that person, place, or thing.

For instance, if you roll a four and your fourth category is “couch,” you will need to come up with words to describe a couch (comfy, big, soft, etc.).

With younger children, you might come up with a single adjective, but as children’s vocabulary grows, you can make the game aim higher — up to six adjectives for each noun.

To make it more interesting for older kids, you can give them 30 seconds to come up with the adjectives. Each word earns them one point, and the adult would need to get twice as many points as the child to win the game.

3) Have Fun With Adjectives In Your Speech

Sometimes you don’t need to create complicated games to practice adjectives for kids. Since adjectives are a part of our everyday vocabulary, you can easily create moments throughout the day when you intentionally use descriptive words in conversation.

For example, instead of saying, “Have some strawberries,” you might say, “Have some juicy, bright-red strawberries.”

Or, instead of saying, “Cuddle in your blanket,” it’s more effective to say, “Cuddle in your soft, cozy, fluffy blanket. ”

This simple activity can help your child significantly improve their vocabulary as well.



4) Play The Adjective Switch Game

Another fun way to help your child practice adjectives is by playing the adjective switch game.

For this activity, name an animal — a bear, for example — and then use an adjective to describe it. Your child would then act out the adjectives.

For example, you could say:

  • Hungry bear
  • Unhappy bear
  • Angry bear
  • Silly bear
  • Sleepy bear

To make the game even more fun, you might go really fast from one adjective to the other as your child tries to keep up.

You can then turn the tables and let your child have a chance while you act out the adjectives they use to describe the bear.

List Of Adjectives For Kids

Now that you have a few fun activities to help your child continue practicing adjectives, you probably want to get started creating these right away.

But which adjectives can you include? Here’s a list of relevant describing words you can add to games. (Remember: Some of these may be challenging for younger children. Choose adjectives based on your child.)

Colors

  • Bright
  • Beaming
  • Bold
  • Dark
  • Radiant
  • Colorful
  • Glistening
  • Glowing
  • Radiant
  • Vibrant

Numbers

  • One
  • All
  • Many
  • Every
  • First
  • Second
  • Third
  • Double
  • Few
  • Each

Shapes

  • Curvy
  • Straight
  • Circular
  • Triangular
  • Flat
  • Hollow
  • Deep
  • Square
  • Narrow
  • Sizes
  • Big
  • Average
  • Buff
  • Tall
  • Short
  • Petite
  • Skinny
  • Slim
  • Fit
  • Broad

Emotions

  • Angry
  • Furious
  • Upset
  • Disappointed
  • Content
  • Joyful
  • Frustrated
  • Exhausted
  • Cranky
  • Jolly

Weather

  • Sunny
  • Cloudy
  • Wet
  • Dry
  • Foggy
  • Humid
  • Windy
  • Clear
  • Breezy
  • Rainy

Textures

  • Smooth
  • Rough
  • Soft
  • Furry
  • Bumpy
  • Coarse
  • Dry
  • Fleecy
  • Hairy
  • Mushy

Since there are so many adjectives in the English language, it’s essential to take your time introducing your child to them.

It’s also important to note that simply expanding your child’s vocabulary bank shouldn’t be the focal point. While it can be great to hear your child reciting the many words they’ve learned, a problem may arise when they know the words themselves but don’t understand their meanings.

Instead, as you introduce adjectives to your child, focus on helping them understand the words. An improvement in your child’s vocabulary will be a natural byproduct of that.

It’s Time To Describe!

Adjectives are words that help us describe people, places, or things. Without them, it would be difficult to distinguish between a red and green apple or a stormy and sunny day. This is why we’re passionate about adjectives for kids!

As much as we may use these describing words in our everyday language, it’s not always so simple to help our children understand them. But with the right plan, it’s definitely possible, and the above activities can help you introduce adjectives for kids in a fun and engaging way.

Whether you choose to act things out, be extra descriptive in your everyday language, create a fun word game, or all the above, remember to focus on helping your child understand the meaning behind the words.

Language development is a significant part of early childhood education. Check out the HOMER Learn & Grow app for more information on how to help your child thrive!

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Adjective

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Regular site version

  • Educational activity

    Date: 03/26/2009
    Author: Popovtseva Natalya Vasilievna

    Item: Russian.
    Class: 3.
    EMC: "Primary school of the XXI century".
    Subject: adjective.
    Lesson type: learning new material.
    Lesson objectives:

    1. Introduce a new part of speech - the adjective.
    2. Learn to classify adjectives, to see the connection between an adjective and a noun.
      3. nine0056 Continue work on the formation of cognitive (cognitive), communicative, organizational and activity competencies.

    Technology: TKM (theory of development of critical thinking):
    Methods used:

    • ZHU table (I know - I want to know - I found out),
    • cluster,
    • cinquain.

    Lesson progress :

    1. Challenge stage (activation of children's knowledge)

    - We have a lot of guests, and they asked me to tell about the students of my class. Choose the words that characterize you: lazy, attentive, stubborn, stubborn, persistent, hardworking, smart .

    - Is it possible to unite these words on any basis?
    - Formulate the topic of our lesson. (Subject: adjective)
    I suggest you work in the ZHU table.

    I know nine0102 I want to know found out

    Generalization according to the textbook p.68

    - Looking at the second column of the table, try to formulate a learning task. And now let's turn to the textbook (p. 68)
    Let's look at adjectives. Think about what will serve as a source of information? (textbook, own observations, Internet, etc.)
    - Let's turn to the textbook for help.

    1. The stage of understanding.
    1. Front work. (p.68, exercise 1) (written comment)

    - Try to read the text without adjectives. (ORAL)

    Output:

    What part of speech is the adjective associated with? - Meaning of adjectives? (accuracy of use in speech) (the 3rd column of the table is filled in)

    PHYSMINUTE (kinesiology techniques)

    1. Work in groups.

    1 group. Exercise 2 (p. 69) (Instruction: select groups of adjectives by meaning: color, size, material).
    2nd group. Exercise 2 (p. 69) (Instruction: select groups of adjectives by meaning: time, belonging to someone).
    3.4 groups. Exercise 3 (p. 69)
    Group 5 (a group of children with a high level of creativity)
    - You will work as fashion designers. (Children are given clothing models and instructions).
    (Instruction.

    1. Look at the clothes.
    2. Try to create a winter or summer collection.
    3. Describe the completed model using adjectives only. Report of all groups on the work done.)
    1. Reflection .

    - What groups of adjectives can be distinguished by meaning? What is the role of adjectives in speech? What part of speech is the adjective associated with?
    (WORK IN TABLE)

    I know I want to know found out
    The adjective is an independent part of speech. Indicates the attribute of an object. Answers questions what? which? which? which? nine0102 What part of speech is associated with? What groups is it divided into? What is the role of adjectives in speech? The adjective is related to the noun. Indicates the accuracy of use. Name adjective color shape size belonging to someone material time

    Diagnosis (three levels)
    Rate your work on a scale (whether it was difficult).
    Work in pairs. - Make a cinquain about the adjective. nine0003

    Homework (optional)

    1. p.71, exercise 5.
    2. come up with 6 - 8 adjectives about any subject.

    Next news

    news

    Adjective as a part of speech. Changing adjectives by gender and number

    Objectives of the lesson: To generalize knowledge about the adjective as a part of speech; develop the ability to recognize adjectives in the text, to establish a connection adjectives with nouns, determine the gender and number of names adjectives, write generic endings correctly. nine0003

    Equipment: interactive equipment (personal computer, whiteboard, projector), presentation for lesson (Appendix 1).

    Course of the lesson

    1. Organizational moment, (psychological mood), (Slide 1 .

    Teacher: Guys, look carefully at the clouds. Which do you prefer Like? Children's answers.

    I'm glad that most of you are in a good mood. Hope by the end everyone will be in a good mood during the lesson. nine0003

    2. Actualization of acquired knowledge.

    Teacher: Guys, today is an unusual lesson, we will travel around island of adjectives. But in order to reach it, we it is necessary to stop on the island of nouns and remember that we are talking about them we know. (Slide 2).

    Well done I see that you are ready to leave the Island nouns to visit another, no less mysterious island is the Island of adjectives. Find out what role adjectives perform in our language, we will practice in determining the gender and number of adjectives to be able to speak correctly and beautifully. With you to journey take three nouns cornflower, cloud, river. But in order to get to the island of the Adjective, we need to remember which questions are answered by adjectives.

    Children: These are the questions: Which one? Which? Which? Which? (Slide 3).

    Teacher:

    So, let's go!

    Paper boat,
    But we are brave!
    Dear parts of speech,
    Get ready to meet again! nine0003

    (Slide 4).

    Teacher: We are on the island of adjectives. To loose on it move, answer the question: what do adjectives mean?

    Children: A sign of an object.

    Teacher: Look, adjectives came out to meet us. Read them. ( Children, looking at the slide, they read.)

    Children: Ferocious, small, impudent, crooked, passerine, blue, black, bold, sad, magical, old, strong. nine0003

    Teacher: What do all these adjectives have in common?

    Children: All adjectives answer the question what? They stand in singular, masculine - this is the initial form of the adjective.

    Teacher: Right. But we completely forgot about the nouns that arrived with us to this island. Let's remember them...

    Children: Cornflower, river, cloud

    Teacher: So that the objects that these words stand for acquire a certain color, size, it is necessary to name their features using adjectives that came out to meet us. To which of the three names nouns can we pick up adjectives from this group?

    Children: By the way cornflower.

    Teacher: Why?

    Children: Noun cornflower is singular, it is masculine, like adjectives in the initial form. nine0003

    Teacher: Write down the noun cornflower in your notebook and add appropriate adjectives to it on your own. At highlight the endings of adjectives, indicate the gender.

    An entry appears in the notebooks: (Slide 5).

    When checking, the table of generic endings of adjectives is filled in (Slide 6) endings scattered around the island appear in their respective castle windows (Slide 7).

    Teacher: Look, our cornflower has become not any, but very much even what? He blue, small, magical! So who will say what role they play in our language adjectives?

    Children: We name the signs of objects in order to accurately describe the object itself: its color, size, shape (Slide 8).

    Teacher: What should be done to make these adjectives fit noun river (cloud)!

    Children: It is necessary to change the endings of adjectives.

    Similar work with words river and cloud (Slides 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16).

    The same adjectives are attached to these nouns as attributed to the word cornflower, changing the endings accordingly.

    Children highlight the endings of adjectives, indicate the gender. nine0003

    Teacher: Why are adjectives that refer to a noun river, feminine, and adjectives that refer to noun cloud, neuter?

    Teacher: Listen to what the inhabitants of this island say about themselves.

    When reading a poem (Slide 17) words displayed on the board, children read in chorus.

    nine0002 For nouns sometimes
    Not life, but just boredom!
    They have no color without us,
    No smell, no sound.
    But if we apply them to us,
    Then they will live more cheerfully:
    Here is Loud knock,
    Here is Blue ball,
    Here is Crowning blow,
    Here0263 VILE CHAND,
    Spring garden, native speech. nine0264

    Teacher: Which of you was very attentive and noticed which part of speech related adjectives.

    Children: With nouns.

    Teacher: The title itself - an adjective - already contains a hint of the fact that the word should be “applied” to something, attached. Names adjectives are “attached” to nouns. All over with them agreeing: in gender, number, case, display their most important features, such like color, taste, quality. .. Continue this list (Slide 18).

    3. Physical education.

    Slide 19.

    Teacher: Get up from your desks, hands on your belt. I will call features of this subject. If I name adjectives that indicate appearance, girls squat, boys in mood. Hands in front of you.

    Words are pronounced: cheerful, eared, sad, sad, tailed, joyful, spotty, thoughtful. nine0003

    4. Work with the offer.

    Teacher: Listen to how many sentences I read.

    Wonderful in the forest in winter! Trees stand in silver frost.

    Children write down sentences with comments. The second proposal is being parsed by members of the sentence, indicate the parts of speech under the words.

    Teacher: Are there any adjectives in the sentence?

    Children: Yes.

    nine0238

    Teacher: What role does the adjective play in this sentence?

    Children: This adjective decorates the sentence.

    (Slide 20).

    Teacher: Which part of the sentence is an adjective?

    Children: Minor.

    Teacher: Which noun is this adjective related to in offer?

    Children: With word frost.

    Teacher: Determine the gender and number of the adjective.

    Children: This is a masculine singular adjective.

    Teacher: How did you define it?

    Children: Put the noun in the initial form (singular, I.p.), y nouns have gender and number.

    Frost - m.s., s.ch. So an adjective that agrees with given noun will be m.r., singular. nine0003

    Teacher: So, in order to determine the gender and number of an adjective, you need to ...

    Children read in chorus memo (Slide 21).

    Definition of generic endings for adjectives.

    There are yellow and green cards on the tables. Children work in pairs options. (Annex 3)

    Teacher: Indicate the gender of adjectives.
    The student reads the phrases, clearly highlighting the missing endings with his voice. nine0003

    6. Development of observation, logical thinking.

    Teacher: The Rulers of the Island of Adjectives Gender and Number ask you complete two tasks:

    Task 1. Read the words in the columns. What part of speech is this? Determine which word in each column is “extra” explain why? (Slide 22).

    Children: Words frosty and cold close in meaning. These words are synonyms. The word blizzard has a different meaning.

    Teacher: Write down the synonyms in your notebook. Can they determine the genus?

    Children: No, because adjectives are plural.

    Task 2. On the board you see proverbs in which the words are missing large , small . What is the meaning of the words?

    Children: These are words that are opposite in meaning - antonyms.

    Teacher: Write down proverbs, insert appropriate meanings instead of dots adjectives. Determine the gender of adjectives. (Slide 23).

    Children complete the task on their own, after which they check. Goes to the board the student inserts words suitable in meaning, indicates the gender of adjectives. nine0003

    7. Game “Recognize an object by its attribute”.

    Teacher: Now let's play. Take each green card from the table colors, read to yourself the words that are written in them. (Appendix 4.)

    Teacher: What are these parts of speech?

    Children: These are nouns.

    Teacher: Attention! The game is as follows. I call adjective. Each of you must choose the correct noun, which suits him, make up a phrase and write it down in a notebook, indicating the gender of the adjective.

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