Adjectives of quality
610 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 61 tests of ten
The largest group: words that say what a thing is like. Position and order are what matter.
Practice this form
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Getting your first question ready.
Choosing the right one
An adjective has to fit the noun it describes. Salty works for soup and not for a voice; cheerful works for a voice and not for a blanket. That sounds obvious, but it is exactly what multiple-choice questions test: three of the four options are the wrong kind of word for that noun.
After linking verbs
These verbs describe rather than act, so an adjective follows:
be, seem, appear, look, sound, feel, taste, smell, become, get, turn, stay, remain
The milk smells sour. She seems tired. It got dark.
The trap is good and well: It smells good is correct, because smells is a linking verb. Well would describe the act of smelling.
Adjective order
With two or three adjectives, follow opinion — size — age — shape — color — origin — material:
a beautiful old stone bridge a small round table a cheap plastic chair
Native speakers cannot state the rule but notice at once when it is broken.
-ing and -ed
The most useful pair in this group:
- an interesting book — the book causes the interest
- an interested reader — the reader feels it
Common pairs: boring/bored, tiring/tired, surprising/surprised, confusing/confused, exciting/excited, frightening/frightened.
All forms
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| opinion | lovely, awful, useful, confusing |
| size | big, tiny, enormous, narrow |
| age | old, new, ancient, modern |
| shape | round, square, flat |
| color | red, dark green, pale |
| origin | Italian, northern, local |
| material | wooden, plastic, woollen |
Examples
Taken from the 610 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- Last night, we had a delicious dinner at a fancy restaurant.
- Her house is beautiful with colorful flowers and plants.
- The view from the top of the mountain is absolutely breathtaking.
- She looked absolutely stunning. Her red dress and matching accessories made her stand out.
- The book she recommended was captivating and I couldn't put it down.
- The fabric of this shirt is so soft and comfortable.
- The puppy was so adorable, always wagging its tail and eager to play.
- The old house they refurbished now looks amazing, with its fresh coat of paint.
- The dress is beautiful, it looks gorgeous on you.
- The movie I watched last night was extremely exciting, it kept me on the edge of my seat.
- The performance was spectacular and unforgettable.
- The espresso is strong enough to keep me awake.
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: a black big dog correct: a big black dog
Size comes before color in the fixed order.
Wrong: The soup tastes well. correct: The soup tastes good.
After a linking verb comes an adjective, not an adverb.