Descriptive adjectives add information about a noun by telling what it is like. They can describe qualities such as size, color, shape, age, condition, value, or personality. They help make meaning more precise by narrowing which noun you mean or by adding extra detail. In English, descriptive adjectives usually appear before the noun or after certain linking verbs.

Most descriptive adjectives come before the noun in the noun phrase, often in a specific order when you use more than one. Descriptive adjectives can also come after a linking verb such as be, seem, look, feel, sound, smell, or taste. Pre-noun position is common for identification, while after-linking-verb position often emphasizes a state or impression.

Rule	Example
Adjective before a noun is most common	a quiet street
Adjective after a linking verb describes the subject	The street is quiet.
Do not place descriptive adjectives after the noun in standard English	a quiet street | ❌ a street quiet

An adjective is attributive when it comes directly before the noun inside the noun phrase. Attributive adjectives are often used to classify or identify the noun, especially in fixed combinations like a wooden table or a medical student. When an adjective is attributive, it typically sits close to the noun it describes, and other words like determiners come before the adjective.

Rule	Example
Determiners usually come before attributive adjectives	those old books
Attributive adjectives commonly form noun phrases that feel like categories	an electric car
Multiple attributive adjectives can stack before one noun	a small bright room

An adjective is predicative when it follows a linking verb and describes the subject. This use commonly describes temporary states, impressions, or evaluations, though many adjectives can be used both ways. Predicative adjectives are especially common with verbs of perception like look and feel, and with be to describe condition.

Rule	Example
Use linking verbs to connect the adjective to the subject	She looks tired.
Predicative adjectives can describe condition or evaluation	The plan seems risky.
Predicative position often works well for emphasis in statements	The room is absolutely silent.

When several descriptive adjectives come before a noun, English usually follows a natural order so the phrase sounds correct. A common pattern is opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, then the noun. This order is a guideline, not a strict law, but changing it can make speech sound unnatural. Purpose is often closest to the noun because it works almost like a classifier.

Rule	Example
Opinion usually comes before factual descriptors	a beautiful red dress
Size often comes before age	a big old house
Color usually comes before origin or material	a black Italian leather bag
Purpose is commonly nearest the noun	a new sports car

Many descriptive adjectives are gradable, meaning they can show different degrees. Gradable adjectives commonly use very, quite, rather, or a bit, and they form comparisons with -er and -est or with more and most. Some adjectives are not naturally gradable, especially when they describe absolute categories. Choosing the right degree helps you sound accurate and natural.

Rule	Example
Use intensifiers with gradable adjectives	very cold
Use -er and -est for many short adjectives	colder | the coldest
Use more and most for many longer adjectives	more expensive | the most expensive
Avoid grading absolute adjectives in formal English	unique | ⚠️ very unique

Comparatives describe a difference between two people or things. Use than to show what you are comparing to, and use the correct comparative form: -er or more. Some adjectives are irregular and must be memorized. Comparatives can also be used with structures like much, far, or a lot to strengthen the comparison.

Rule	Example
Use than to introduce the comparison target	This route is shorter than the other one.
Use more with many multi-syllable adjectives	This option is more practical than that one.
Use irregular comparative forms when required	good → better
Use modifiers to strengthen a comparative	much better

Superlatives identify the extreme within a group, usually with the and the -est form or most. The group can be stated with in for places or organizations and of for sets of people or things. Like comparatives, some superlatives are irregular. Superlatives often appear in descriptions, opinions, and rankings.

Rule	Example
Use the with most superlatives	the tallest building
Use in for a place or organization	the best restaurant in town
Use of for a set or group	the youngest of the three
Use irregular superlative forms when required	good → the best

Descriptive adjectives often fall into common meaning groups such as color, size, shape, texture, condition, and personality. Recognizing these groups helps you build natural multi-adjective noun phrases and choose accurate words. Some adjectives refer to measurable facts like tall or heavy, while others express opinion like amazing or boring. Mixing factual and opinion adjectives is common, but the order affects naturalness.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
red	having the color red	a red scarf
tiny	very small in size	a tiny apartment
rough	not smooth to the touch	a rough surface
clean	not dirty	a clean kitchen
friendly	kind and pleasant to others	a friendly neighbor

Descriptive adjectives can describe a pronoun, but they usually appear after a linking verb rather than directly next to the pronoun. This is especially common with personal pronouns like I, you, he, she, we, and they. In some fixed patterns, an adjective can follow an indefinite pronoun like someone or nothing. Understanding this prevents unnatural word order.

Rule	Example
Use a linking verb to describe personal pronouns	She is calm.
Adjectives can follow some indefinite pronouns	something interesting
Avoid placing adjectives directly before personal pronouns	He is tired. | ❌ tired he

When two or more adjectives appear before a noun, punctuation depends on whether the adjectives are coordinate or cumulative. Coordinate adjectives have equal weight and can often be separated by and, so they may take commas. Cumulative adjectives build toward the noun and typically do not take commas. Hyphens are common in compound adjectives before a noun to show they act as one unit.

Rule	Example
Use commas for coordinate adjectives	a long, boring meeting
No comma for cumulative adjectives	a small wooden box
Hyphenate many compound adjectives before a noun	a well-known author
Many compound adjectives are not hyphenated after a linking verb	The author is well known.