Adjectives 形容詞
BasicAdjectives are describing words.
- Adjectives describe nouns: big, small, red, new, old, happy.
- Put them before nouns: a red bag, a big desk.
- Or after is, am, are: The bag is big.
文體小知識：Learn basic grammar.
§Text Passage
1May has a red school bag. The bag is big and new. Her brother has a small blue bag. It is old but clean. Every morning, May walks to school with her big red bag.
2On the way, she sees a small dog. The dog has a short tail. It wags its tail at her. May gives it a little pat. At school, she sees many colours. The flags are red and yellow. Her friend's bottle is green.
3In class, Miss Lee says, "Words like big, small and red tell us more about things. They are adjectives." May looks around. Big desk, small chair, red bag! She is very happy at school. Learning adjectives is fun.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
May has a red school bag.
May 有一個紅色的書包。
The bag is big and new.
這個書包又大又新。
Her brother has a small blue bag.
他弟弟有一個小一點的藍色書包。
It is old but clean.
袋子舊一些，但很乾淨。
Every morning, May walks to school with her big red bag.
May 每天早上背着大紅書包走路上學。
On the way, she sees a small dog.
途中，他見到一隻小狗。
The dog has a short tail.
那隻狗有一條短短的尾巴。
It wags its tail at her.
他向 May 搖了搖尾巴。
May gives it a little pat.
May 輕輕摸他。
At school, she sees many colours.
到了學校，他見到好多顏色。
The flags are red and yellow.
那些旗是紅色同黃色的。
Her friend's bottle is green.
他朋友的水瓶是綠色的。
In class, Miss Lee says, "Words like big, small and red tell us more about things. They are adjectives."
上課的時候，李老師說：「像 big、small 同 red 這些字，可以告訴我們東西是什麼樣的，他們是形容詞。」
May looks around.
May 到處看了看。
Big desk, small chair, red bag!
大書桌、小椅子、紅書包！
She is very happy at school.
他在學校好開心。
Learning adjectives is fun.
學形容詞好好玩。
1Summary 重點摘要
Adjectives are describing words.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A word that tells us more about a thing.
Large, not small.
Little, not big.
The colour of apples and blood.
The colour of the sky.
Just bought, not old.
Used for a long time.
Feeling glad.
Not dirty.
3Step by step Steps
- What is an adjectiveMiss Lee says words like big, small and red tell us more about things — whether something is large or little, red or blue. These words are adjectives. Adjectives describe what people and things are like. Look at your school bag: what colour is it? Is it big or small? The answers are adjectives.
- Paragraph 1: two bagsMay has a red school bag, and it is big and new. Her brother's small blue bag is old but clean. One bag can take several adjectives at once: one for colour, one for size, and one for age. Together they paint a clear picture of the bag.
- Paragraph 2: the dogA small dog with a short tail. Small tells us the size of the dog, and short tells us the length of the tail; both adjectives sit before the nouns. Try describing a little animal you know: say the size first, then the colour, and the picture appears in one sentence.
- Where do adjectives goAdjectives have two possible places: before a noun, like a big desk or a red bag; or after is, like The desk is big. Both are correct. Before a noun it is a quiet description; after is it sounds more emphatic. Practise both ways when you make sentences.
- Learn opposites togetherAdjectives are easiest to learn in pairs: big and small, new and old, happy and sad, long and short, clean and dirty. When you remember one, immediately think of its opposite, and you learn two words at the same time. That makes learning twice as fast.
- No s on adjectivesNouns add s for plurals, but adjectives never change: two big dogs, never bigs. Whether there is one thing or ten things, the adjective stays the same. Compare one big dog and two big dogs: only dog changes; big does not change at all.
- Sentence practiceDescribe your things with two patterns: My bag is red. and I have a small cat. Choose two of your favourite things and describe each one with two or three adjectives: colour first, then size. When you finish, let a classmate guess what the thing is.
5Worked example Example
Describe your school bag: pick three adjectives, write two full sentences, and finish with a feeling.
- Read the seven adjectives first: big, small, red, blue, new, old, happy. Think of each meaning as you read.
- Answer the colour question: What colour is your bag? Reply with It is red. — red is the adjective.
- Answer size and age: It is big. It is new. One adjective per sentence, placed after is.
- Join the adjectives into one sentence: I have a big red bag. The adjectives sit before bag and take no s.
- End with a feeling: I am happy. Happy is also an adjective, and here it describes you.
- Read the three sentences together: I have a big red bag. It is new. I am happy. Check the adjective places.
- Answer: Full answer: I have a big red bag. It is new. I am happy. The adjectives are big, red, new and happy. Remember: adjectives go before a noun or after is/am, and they never take s.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Which one is an adjective: bag, red or run?
Q2Do adjectives go before or after the noun?
Q3What is the opposite of big?
Q4Fill in: a ___ tail (not long)
Q5What colour is May’s school bag?
8Recap Recap
- Adjectives describe nouns: big, small, red, new, old, happy.
- Put them before nouns: a red bag, a big desk.
- Or after is, am, are: The bag is big.
- Adjectives never take s: two big dogs.
- Learn opposites in pairs: big ↔ small, new ↔ old, happy ↔ sad.