TIP SHEET

Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe a noun or pronoun. There are different kinds of
adjectives.

• Most adjectives tell what kind or how many.

The chilly rain made me shiver. (what kind)
Ten inches of snow fell. (how many)

• Adjectives usually come before the nouns they describe. But they can also
follow linking verbs.
The stars were bright.
The movie was great.

• The words a, an, and the are special adjectives. They are called articles. Use a
before a noun that starts with a consonant. Use an before a noun that starts
with a vowel sound. Use the before specific persons, places, or things.
Have a sandwich for lunch.
Here is an apple for a snack.
I had the tomato soup for lunch.

• When used before nouns, the words this, that, these, and those are demonstrative
adjectives. This and that come before singular nouns. These and those come
before plural nouns.
This book is interesting.
These books are interesting.
That tree is tall.
Those trees are tall.

• Proper adjectives are adjectives formed from proper nouns.

Proper Noun Proper Adjective

America American students
© Gary Robert Muschla

Mexico Mexican food

Japan Japanese cars

114
Copyright © 2007 by Gary Robert Muschla. Click here for terms of use.
 Name ______________________________________________ Date __________________

5.1 Great Athlete

This woman was an Olympic gold medal winner. She also became a cham-
pion golfer. Although she died in 1956, she is still thought to be one of the
greatest woman athletes of all time. Who was she?
To answer the question, find the adjective in each set of words below.
Write the letter of the adjective in the space above its line number at the
bottom of the page.

1. K. field E. draw O. chilly W. from

2. H. thin A. try S. line V. need

3. Y. when L. moon C. about E. clear

4. K. icy T. and M. walk J. night

Adjectives
5. N. windy M. bring R. with E. hill

6. N. star T. river S. tall P. yard

7. V. bird H. swim R. branch I. wonderful

8. J. into I. forest Z. snowy O. animal

9. U. day A. tiny O. evening L. sun

10. B. strong N. end C. fish R. below

11. J. now D. children N. there R. big

12. C. weather K. begin D. bright F. mouth

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
10 9 10 3 12 7 12 11 7 4 6 1 5
© Gary Robert Muschla

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

8 9 2 9 11 7 9 6

115
 TIP SHEET

Comparing with Adjectives

Many adjectives have three forms. These forms are used when nouns or pronouns
are compared.

• To compare two things, add -er to most adjectives. To compare three or more
things, add -est.
young younger youngest
tall taller tallest

• For adjectives that end in -e, drop the final -e and add -er or -est.
large larger largest
wide wider widest

• For adjectives that end with a consonant and -y, change the -y to -i and add -er
or -est.
happy happier happiest
early earlier earliest

• For adjectives of one syllable that end with a single vowel and a consonant,
double the consonant and add -er or -est.
wet wetter wettest
thin thinner thinnest

Here is an example of comparing with adjectives.

The brown puppy is big.

The white puppy is bigger than the brown puppy.
The black puppy is the biggest puppy of the litter.
© Gary Robert Muschla

119
Copyright © 2007 by Gary Robert Muschla. Click here for terms of use.
 TIP SHEET

Special Adjectives and Comparing

With some adjectives of two or more syllables, use more or most when comparing
nouns or pronouns.

• Use more to compare two things and most to compare three.

serious more serious most serious
helpful more helpful most helpful
enjoyable more enjoyable most enjoyable
Sara is a helpful person.
Nan is more helpful than Sara.
Justine is the most helpful person I know.

• Do not use more or most with the -er or -est form of an adjective.
This tree is more taller than that tree. (incorrect)
This tree is taller than that tree. (correct)

• The words good and bad are adjectives. They have special forms.
good better best
bad worse worst
John is a good soccer player.
Martin is a better soccer player than John.
Tom is the best player on the soccer team.

© Gary Robert Muschla

120
Copyright © 2007 by Gary Robert Muschla. Click here for terms of use.
 Name ______________________________________________ Date __________________

5.5 Radio Signals

In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi sent the first international radio signals. What
country did he send the signals from? And what country did he send the
signals to?
To answer the question, find the correct adjective form. Choose the
correct form from the words following the numbered adjective. Only one of
the choices for each adjective will be correct. Write the letter of the correct
form in the space above the adjective’s number at the bottom of the page.
You will need to divide the letters into words.

Comparing Comparing
Two Things Three Things

1. short T. shorter C. shortiest

Adjectives
2. wet M. weter R. wettest

3. bright D. brighter L. brightliest

4. hungry C. hungrier R. hungryiest

5. wide A. wider E. wideest

6. happy U. happyier O. happiest

7. full G. fuller N. fullerist

8. narrow N. narrower T. narrowerest

9. pretty D. prettyer L. prettiest

10. strange A. strangier E. strangest

11. funny K. funnyer F. funniest

© Gary Robert Muschla

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
10 8 7 9 5 8 3 1 6 11 2 5 8 4 10

121