What is an adjective?

Adjectives are words that modify, or describe, nouns and pronouns; the category includes the articles "a," "an" and "the." Adjectives tell the shape or size of an object, as in a round ball or a large bear. Age may be used as an adjective, such as old or new.

Adjectives can describe colors of nouns or pronouns, such as a red dress or a blue one. Adjectives may be used as opinions to describe something, as an interesting story, a funny joke or a beautiful garden. English tea and Canadian money contain adjectives that describe origins. Adjectives may show degrees of modification, such as poor, poorer and poorest.