What Are Adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They tell us more about the quality, size, color, or feeling of a person, place, or thing.

• A noun is a person, place, or thing (e.g., film, book, friend).
• An adjective describes that noun (e.g., an interesting film, a boring book, an amazing friend).

Adjectives usually come before the noun they describe, or after verbs like be, seem, or feel.

Describing Good Things: Positive Adjectives

Here are some adjectives to describe things you like or find positive:

• Amazing: This means very surprising and wonderful. It's stronger than 'good'.
  Example: The view from the mountain was amazing.
• Awesome: This means extremely good or impressive. It's often used for things that are very exciting.
  Example: The band played an awesome song.
• Interesting: This means holding your attention; not boring. You want to know more about it.
  Example: I read an interesting article about space.

Describing Bad Things: Negative Adjectives

These adjectives help you talk about things you don't like or find negative:

• Boring: This means not interesting; it makes you feel tired or annoyed.
  Example: The lesson was boring, so I almost fell asleep.
• Horrible: This means very bad or unpleasant. It can describe feelings, tastes, or experiences.
  Example: The weather was horrible yesterday.
• Terrible: This also means very bad or of very poor quality. It's similar to 'horrible'.
  Example: The food at the restaurant was terrible.

Learning Opposites for A2 Key

Knowing opposites (antonyms) is very useful for your A2 Key exam. It helps you understand different meanings and express yourself more clearly. For example, in Part 2 of the A2 Key Speaking exam, you might need to describe two different pictures.

• Amazing is the opposite of terrible or horrible.
• Awesome is also the opposite of terrible or horrible.
• Interesting is the opposite of boring.

Examples

• That film was amazing; I loved every minute!
• We had an awesome time at the concert last night.
• The museum exhibition was very interesting.
• I found the book quite boring, so I didn't finish it.
• The traffic was horrible this morning.
• My internet connection is terrible today.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes with English adjectives:

• Word Order: In English, adjectives usually come before the noun. In Spanish, they often come after.
  Wrong: a film interesting
  Right: an interesting film
• Agreement: English adjectives do not change for plural or gender.
  Wrong: two amazings films
  Right: two amazing films
• Using very with strong adjectives: Adjectives like amazing, awesome, horrible, and terrible are already very strong. Do not use very with them. Instead, use words like really or absolutely.
  Wrong: The food was very terrible.
  Right: The food was really terrible. or The food was absolutely terrible.

Frequently asked questions

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. It tells you more about its qualities, like big, small, happy, or boring.

Where do I put adjectives in a sentence?

Most often, adjectives go before the noun they describe, like an amazing book. They can also come after verbs like be, seem, or feel, for example: The film was interesting.

Why are opposites important for the A2 Key exam?

Knowing opposites helps you understand a wider range of vocabulary and express contrasts. For example, in A2 Key Reading Part 2, you might need to match descriptions with different opinions, where understanding opposites like amazing vs. terrible is key.

Can I use 'very' with all adjectives?

No. You can use very with normal adjectives like good or bad. But for strong adjectives like amazing, awesome, horrible, or terrible, use words like really or absolutely instead.