A noun names a thing. A describing word tells more about it: what color, what size, what shape, how many, or what it is like. Describing words are called adjectives.
“A frog sat on a log.” is fine. “A tiny green frog sat on a big log.” helps the reader see it.
Key idea
An adjective describes a noun: what color, what size, what shape, how many, or what it is like.
Why it works
Your reader can’t see what you saw. A few good describing words put the picture in the reader’s mind: not just a dog, but a muddy dog.
Worked example: Which word describes?
“Dad wore a funny hat.”
- Find the nouns: Dad, hat.
- What kind of hat? A funny hat.
- So funny is the describing word, and it tells about the hat.
Answer: funny
Worked example: How many is describing too
“Mia has three fish.”
- How many fish? Three.
- Three tells about the fish, so it is a describing word.
Answer: three
Common mistake
Picking the noun instead of the word that describes it, or using the same tired words (nice, good, big) every time. Ask “what kind?” and try a sharper word: not a good cake, a sweet, sticky cake.
For the grown-up. Hold up an object, like an apple or a sock, and take turns saying a describing word for it until you run out. Then use the best two in a sentence.