Describing Words

Describing Words (Adjectives)

NCERT anchor

English (Mridang) — Rain / My Family stories use describing words for people, animals, and things (big tree, red kite, soft toy).

What you'll learn

A describing word (adjective) tells us more about a noun — its size, colour, shape, or feeling.
How to find the adjective in a simple sentence.
That adjectives usually come before the noun they describe.

Key concepts

Verbal: An adjective describes a noun — it tells what kind, how big, what colour, or how it feels.

Symbolic: Noun + Question (What kind? How big? What colour?) → Adjective answers it.

Level 1 — Adjectives describe nouns

Adjective	Example sentence
big	The big elephant walked slowly.
red	She wore a red frock.
soft	I have a soft toy.

Level 1 — Adjectives can describe feelings

Happy, sad, tired, hungry — these describe how someone feels.

Level 2 — Where adjectives sit

Adjectives usually come before the noun: the tall boy, a sweet mango.

Level 2 — Not adjectives

Run, jump, teacher — run and jump are action words (verbs); teacher is a naming word (noun).

Worked example

Find the adjective: 'The tiny ant carried a big leaf.'

Step 1 — Read: The tiny ant carried a big leaf.
Step 2 — Ask: What kind of ant? → tiny
Step 3 — Tiny describes the ant → adjective
Answer: tiny (big also describes leaf)

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why	Fix
Picking 'ant'	That is the noun	Ask "what kind of ant?"
Picking 'carried'	Action word, not describing word	Adjectives describe, don't show action
Missing a second adjective	Sentences can have more than one	Check every noun for its describing word

Quick check

Name two adjectives that describe your school bag.
Find the adjective: 'The cold wind blew hard.'
Is jump an adjective?

Stretch: Write one sentence using two adjectives, like 'The small, brown puppy slept.'

Revision tip: Look around your room and say one adjective for three different things you see.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Describing Words.

Describing Words