Welcome to your English grammar lesson! Today, we’re going to explore adjectives and modifiers. Don’t worry if these words sound a bit complicated – we’ll break it down in a simple and easy way. This lesson is perfect if you are learning English and want to make your sentences more descriptive and interesting. We will focus on how to use them in everyday speaking!

What are Adjectives?

Think of adjectives as describing words. They tell us more about nouns. Nouns are words for people, places, things, or ideas. Adjectives help us paint a clearer picture in our minds by describing qualities like:

• Size: big, small, tall, short
• Color: red, blue, green, yellow
• Shape: round, square, long, short
• Feeling/Quality: happy, sad, beautiful, interesting

For example, instead of just saying “car,” we can use an adjective to say “red car” or “fast car.” See how much more information we get?

Examples of Adjectives in Sentences:

• The big dog is playing in the park.
• She is wearing a blue dress.
• We ate delicious pizza for dinner.
• He is a happy boy.

In each of these sentences, the adjective (bolded) describes the noun that follows it.

What are Modifiers?

The word “modifier” might sound a bit technical, but it simply means something that changes or adds to another word. In English grammar, modifiers are words or phrases that describe other words in a sentence.

For now, at the A1+ level, we are going to focus on adjectives as modifiers. Adjectives are a very important type of modifier. They modify nouns – they give us extra information about nouns.

Think of it this way: Adjectives are describing words, and they act as modifiers for nouns.

How to Use Adjectives to Improve Your English Speaking

Using adjectives is a fantastic way to make your English speaking more interesting and understandable. When you use adjectives, you give more detail and make your descriptions clearer. This is very important for effective communication!

Describing People

Use adjectives to describe people’s appearance and personality:

• “She is a tall woman with blonde hair.”
• “He is a kind and funny person.”
• “They are friendly and helpful neighbors.”

Describing Places

Adjectives can help you describe places vividly:

• “It’s a beautiful beach with white sand.”
• “This is a quiet and peaceful park.”
• “The city is busy and exciting.”

Describing Things

Describe objects around you using adjectives:

• “I have a new phone.”
• “This is an old book.”
• “The coffee is hot and strong.”

Common Types of Adjectives (for A1+ Level)

Let’s look at some common types of adjectives that are very useful for beginners:

Descriptive Adjectives

These are the most common type. They describe the qualities of nouns. We’ve already seen examples like big, small, red, blue, happy, sad.

More examples:

• delicious food
• interesting story
• comfortable chair
• loud music
• soft pillow

Quantity Adjectives (Basic Introduction)

Quantity adjectives tell us about the amount or number of something. At the A1+ level, we’ll focus on very basic quantity adjectives like:

• some: “I have some apples.” (not many, but more than one or two)
• many: “There are many people at the park.” (a large number)
• few: “I have few friends who live here.” (not many, less than some)

Don’t worry too much about quantity adjectives for now. Focus on understanding descriptive adjectives first. But it’s good to know they exist!

Position of Adjectives in Sentences

Usually, in English, adjectives come before the noun they describe. This is called the attributive position.

Examples:

• a tall tree
• a red car
• happy children
• delicious food

Sometimes, adjectives come after linking verbs like “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “be,” “seem,” “look,” “feel,” “become,” etc. This is called the predicative position.

Examples:

• The tree is tall.
• The car is red.
• The children are happy.
• The food tastes delicious.

For A1+ level, focus on the more common position: adjective before the noun.

Let’s Practice!

Fill in the blanks with an appropriate adjective from the box below to describe the nouns. Think about what word makes the most sense.

Adjective Box: cold, sunny, big, happy, old, fast

1. The weather today is very __________. We can go to the beach!
2. My grandfather is an __________ man. He is 80 years old.
3. Elephants are very __________ animals.
4. She is a __________ girl. She is always smiling.
5. The ice cream is very __________. I am freezing!
6. That car is very __________. It can go very quickly.

Answers

1. The weather today is very sunny. We can go to the beach!
2. My grandfather is an old man. He is 80 years old.
3. Elephants are very big animals.
4. She is a happy girl. She is always smiling.
5. The ice cream is very cold. I am freezing!
6. That car is very fast. It can go very quickly.

Using Adjectives in Spoken English Practice with Lingofrnd

Now that you know about adjectives and modifiers, it’s time to practice using them in speaking! A great way to improve your spoken English and practice using adjectives and modifiers is with Lingofrnd.com.

Lingofrnd.com is your AI spoken English teacher. You can chat with it about anything! Try describing things around you using adjectives. For example, describe your room, your pet, your favorite food, or the weather. The AI can understand you and give you feedback, helping you to become more confident in using English adjectives in your daily conversations.

For example, you could say to Lingofrnd:

• “I see a blue sky today.”
• “My cat is small and fluffy.”
• “I like to eat sweet mangoes.”

The more you practice, the better you will become at using adjectives naturally and correctly. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s how we learn!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve taken your first steps in understanding adjectives and modifiers in English. Remember, adjectives are describing words that make your sentences more interesting and clear. Keep practicing using them when you speak and write in English. Using adjectives will significantly improve your English vocabulary and make you a more confident English speaker.

Ready to practice more and improve your spoken English? Visit Lingofrnd.com today!

Want to practice anytime, anywhere? Download App and start speaking English with AI now!

Keep learning and keep practicing! You are doing great!