English grammar · lesson 5 of 30 · free

Adjectives: describing words — English grammar for kids

An adjective describes a noun: a red kite, a heavy bag, an honest girl. It usually comes just before the noun. When “a” or “an” comes before an adjective, choose it by the first sound of the adjective, not the noun.

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The grammar rule

What kind? — “an adjective answers “what kind, which colour, how big?” about a noun”

  1. An adjective tells what kind, what colour or how big a noun is.
  2. It usually comes just before the noun (a big box) or after is/are (The box is big).
  3. Before an adjective, use “an” if it starts with a vowel sound (an old box, an honest girl) and “a” otherwise (a useful book).

Use it for: Making your writing colourful, describing people and places, and a/an questions in tests.

Worked example: Fill in a or an: Isha is ___ honest girl. → an

  1. The word after the gap is “honest”. Its h is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound (“onest”).
  2. A vowel sound needs “an”: an honest girl.

Check: Say it aloud: “an honest girl” flows, “a honest girl” does not ✓

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