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English grammar

Describing a thing

A0 · Starter Nouns and describing Questions 10

The rule

An English describing word goes BEFORE the noun and never changes: a red bag, red bags, two red bags. This is the opposite of Arabic, where the description follows the noun and agrees with it. The same word can also come after be: The bag is red. Both are correct; the difference is only where the noun is.

Pattern

a red bag · two red bags | The bag is red.

Examples

  1. I want the red bag.

  2. I need a white shirt for work.

  3. The green apples are cheaper.

  4. This soup is delicious.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: a bag red

    Right: a red bag

    The description comes first in English, always.

  • Wrong: two reds bags

    Right: two red bags

    An English adjective never takes -s.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Choose the correct sentence.

    1. I want the bag red.
    2. I want the bag of red.
    3. I want the red bag.
    4. I want red the bag.
    Show answer

    Answer: C I want the red bag.

    Adjective before noun.

  2. 2Choose the correct sentence.

    1. The green apples are cheaper.
    2. The green apple are cheaper.
    3. The greens apples are cheaper.
    4. The apples green are cheaper.
    Show answer

    Answer: A The green apples are cheaper.

    The adjective takes no -s in the plural.

  3. 3Choose the correct sentence.

    1. The soup is too hot.
    2. The soup too hot is.
    3. The hot soup is too.
    4. Too hot the soup is.
    Show answer

    Answer: A The soup is too hot.

    After be, the adjective stands on its own.

  4. 4Fill in the gap.

    I live in a _____ city.

    1. big
    2. the big
    3. bigs
    4. a big
    Show answer

    Answer: A I live in a big city.

    The describing word goes between a and the noun.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    These trousers are too _____.

    1. big ones
    2. bigs
    3. a big
    4. big
    Show answer

    Answer: D These trousers are too big.

    After are the adjective stands alone.

  6. 6Put the words in the right order.

    I need a small bag

    Show answer

    Answer: I need a small bag.

    a, adjective, noun.

  7. 7Put the words in the right order.

    The window is dirty

    Show answer

    Answer: The window is dirty.

    After is, the description comes last.

  8. 8This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. My jacket is grey.
    2. I have a jacket grey.
    3. I have a grey jacket.
    4. I want the grey one.
    Show answer

    Answer: B I have a jacket grey.

    English does not put the adjective after the noun.

  9. 9Choose the correct sentence.

    1. My very bag is heavy.
    2. My bag is very heavy.
    3. My bag is heavy very.
    4. Very my bag is heavy.
    Show answer

    Answer: B My bag is very heavy.

    very comes before the adjective.

  10. 10Fill in the gap.

    It is very _____ in this room.

    1. a cold
    2. colds
    3. the cold
    4. cold
    Show answer

    Answer: D It is very cold in this room.

    A temperature word after is.

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