Color, size, and shape words: what you learned
A describing word tells more about a naming word. Older students call it an adjective.
| Kind | Words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| color | red, blue, brown, grey | a brown rock |
| size | big, tiny, tall, long | a tall ladder |
| shape | round, flat, pointy, straight | a flat stone |
Two places a describing word can go
| In front of the naming word | After is or are |
|---|---|
| a red kite | The kite is red. |
| wet shoes | My shoes are wet. |
Both do the same job. Missing the second one is the most common slip in this course.
Three things to keep straight
| What people think | What is true |
|---|---|
| A describing word always comes first. | It can follow is or are. “The soup is hot.” has one. |
| Any order works when you use two. | Size comes before color. “a brown big bear” sounds wrong. |
| A describing word names something. | It does not. You cannot hold a “red” on its own. |
Quick warm-up before the check
Name the describing word.
- “a flat grey stone”
- “The rope is long.”
- “a tiny green frog”
Answers
- “flat” and “grey” are both describing words.
- “long”
- “tiny” and “green” are both describing words.
Now take the final check below.
Where to go next
- Describing Words for Taste, Smell, Sound, and Touch: the other senses
- Describing Words That Tell How Many: number words
- Comparing with -er and -est: bigger and biggest
- Nouns: People, Places, Animals, and Things: the words being described