An adjective describes a noun — "a red ball". An adverb describes a verb — "she sings sweetly". Both are describing words, but they describe different things. Let's learn to tell them apart!
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An adjective tells us more about a noun — its size, colour, shape or quality.
a round ball
a tall tree
a sweet mango
a brave lion
a dark night
a soft scarf
Quick check: ask "What kind? How many? Which one?" about a noun — the word that answers is the adjective.
An adverb tells us more about a verb — how, when or where something is done. Many adverbs are made by adding -ly to an adjective.
| Adjective | Adverb (+ly) |
|---|---|
| quick | quickly |
| slow | slowly |
| loud | loudly |
| soft | softly |
| careful | carefully |
| happy | happily (y → ily) |
Naughty word! The adjective "good" does NOT become "goodly". Its adverb is a totally different word: well. "She sings well", not "she sings goodly".
Every word below describes either a noun (adjective) or a verb (adverb). Sort them into the right basket.
10 IEO-style questions on adjectives and adverbs. 🍀
