KS1 (Age 5-7)KS2 (Age 7-11)11 Plus (Age 7-11)KS3 (Age 11-14)GCSE (Age 14-17)PSHE A.I.ESL Spanish Specialist Games

Need help with Adjectives? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with Adjectives today?

now

Mike runs fast, but Henry runs faster than him. Anyway, Dave runs the fastest of all.

Adjectives

Adjectives add detail to nouns. For 11 Plus English, learn single and compound adjectives, and when hyphens keep meanings clear before a noun.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Use hyphens for compound adjectives before a noun. Example: a six-foot fence, a well-known author. No hyphen after the noun.

In 11 Plus English, adjectives describe or limit nouns: red balloon, five apples, talented singer. You’ll also meet compound adjectives like full-length or time-saving, which usually take a hyphen when placed before a noun to avoid confusion.

Key Terms

Adjective: A word that describes a noun, e.g. blue, happy, three.
Compound Adjective: Two or more words acting together to describe a noun, often linked with a hyphen.
Hyphen: The short line (-) used to join words in some compound adjectives before a noun.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is an adjective in 11 Plus English?

An adjective is a word that describes a noun, telling us more about its colour, size, number, quality, or other features, e.g. two large dogs.

When do I use a hyphen in compound adjectives?

Use a hyphen when the compound adjective comes before the noun, e.g. a well-known author. Usually drop the hyphen after the noun: the author is well known.

How can I spot a compound adjective quickly?

Look for two words working together before a noun that can cause ambiguity without a hyphen, e.g. small-animal vet vs a small animal vet.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
Peter saw two, big, black, scary dogs.

two

big, black

big, black, scary

two, big, black, scary

Numbers can be nouns as well as adjectives. When a number is used on its own it is a noun: 'The number of digits in a UK telephone number is eleven'. When it is used to describe a noun, it is an adjective: 'This is an eleven digit telephone number'

2 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
He was not only insolent and idle, he was also very mean.

insolent

insolent, idle

insolent, idle, mean

insolent, idle, very, mean

If you picked answer 4, you probably aren't sure about the word 'very'. Very can be used both as an adverb and as an adjective: it is an adverb if it is used before an adjective or adverb: 'He always does his homework very quickly'. 'Yellow is a very bright colour'. On the other hand, it is an adjective if it is used before a noun: 'He put his hand into the very bottom of the barrel'. By the way, here are some useful definitions: 'insolent' means very rude; 'idle' means lazy; and 'mean' means tightfisted or stingy

3 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
The cunning fox was trying to catch the clever, little, red hen.

cunning

cunning, clever

cunning, clever, little

cunning, clever, little, red

The words for colours are also adjectives. By the way, here's a useful definition: 'cunning' means sly, sneaky or foxy

4 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
She has the peculiar habit of playing the violin whenever there is a bright moon on a cloudless night.

peculiar, bright

peculiar, bright, cloudless

bright, cloudless

cloudless

That was easy. By the way, here's a useful definition: 'peculiar' means unusual, odd, strange or weird

5 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
"The reasoning of the strongest is always the best" (La Fontane, Fables)

strongest

best

strongest, best

strongest, always, best

'The strongest' is not an adjective in this example: it names the group of people whose reasoning is always the best. Think of it like 'the homeless', 'the blind', 'the rich', and so on: they are simply labels for groups of people. 'Best' is the superlative form of good. The superlative form describes the highest degree or value of the quality described. For example, 'He is the best man in the team'. Some adjectives have irregular forms: for example, 'good-better-best' and 'bad-worse-worst'. LEARN THESE IRREGULAR FORMS. 'Always' is an adverb: an adverb is a word that modifies (changes or varies) the meaning of a verb, adjective or adverb. In some cases, it modifies a noun or a pronoun. Here's an example: 'She sang beautifully'. Most adverbs end in -ly

6 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
He is hungry and thirsty.

hungry, thirsty

There are no adjectives in this sentence

hungry

thirsty

In this sentence, the adjectives come AFTER the pronoun 'he'

7 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
If you quickly finish your English homework, you can have a tasty treat.

quickly, English, tasty

tasty

English, tasty

finish, have

Be careful not to confuse adjectives with adverbs

8 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
She wrote quickly and neatly; she was truly a quick and neat writer.

quickly, neatly

quickly, quick

neatly, neat

quick, neat

Quickly and neatly are adverbs: an adverb is a word that modifies (changes or varies) the meaning of a verb, adjective or adverb. In some cases, it modifies a noun or a pronoun. Here's an example: 'She danced wonderfully'. Most adverbs end in -ly

9 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
Mike runs fast, but Henry runs faster than him. Anyway, Dave runs the fastest of all.

There are no adjectives in this sentence

fast, faster

fast

fast, faster, fastest

There are no adjectives in these sentences: they are all adverbs. An adverb is a word that modifies (changes or varies) the meaning of a verb, adjective or adverb. In some cases, it modifies a noun or a pronoun. Here's an example: 'They ate their food quickly'. Most adverbs end in -ly; unfortunately, 'fast' is one of those adverbs that doesn't end in -ly and whose form is the same as the adjective 'fast' - 'fast-faster-fastest'. Here 'fast' is used as an adverb because it describes how the people run: we say it modifies the verb 'to run'. Three other adverbs that fall into the same group as 'fast' are 'hard', 'early' and 'far'

10 .

In the sentence below, which words are adjectives?
Henry wrote well in his exams, but Susan wrote better: she is a really good student.

well, better, good

well, better, really, good

good

really, good

Just one adjective folks: the rest are adverbs. An adverb is a word that modifies (changes or varies) the meaning of a verb, adjective or adverb. In some cases, it modifies a noun or a pronoun. Here's an example: 'They fought bravely'. Most adverbs end in -ly. 'Well' is the adverb of 'good': 'well-better-best'. DON'T SAY: 'He wrote good'. Use 'well' to describe how someone does something

Author: Frank Evans (Specialist 11 Plus Teacher and Tutor)