The ability to use descriptive words when writing or talking is essential to clearly communicating thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Students who struggle to use descriptive words such as adjectives and adverbs may have difficulty effectively expressing their wants, needs, and opinions.

Often called a “describing word,” adjectives modify a noun or pronoun. They add more information to give a more detailed description of what the noun or pronoun is like. Adjectives typically answer the following questions:

Which? (The old cat jumped on my lap.)
What kind? (I like to eat spicy food.)
How many? (Nineteen students are in my class.)
Whose? (Becky’s car is the biggest.)

Adverbs modify a verb, adjectives, and other adverbs. They are easier to recognize because often they end with an –ly, as in friendly or clumsily. Most often, adverbs answer the question how, but can also answer when, where, and why questions, too.

Modifying verbs (The athlete ran quickly.)
Modifying adjectives (My grandmother is exceptionally nice.)
Modifying adverbs (It is almost always raining on the weekends.)

When? (I arrived early to work.)

Where? (The exit is over there.)

Why? (My parents made a chore chart so we could learn to be more responsible.)
*note – an adverbial phrase answers why my parents made a chore chart.

Kindergarten students are required to retell stories and describe people, places, and events with descriptive details. As early as second grade, students must write opinion pieces, informative texts, and narratives to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings. As students progress through school they develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills required for future success. Learning how to identify and use descriptive language builds the foundation to become a clear and cohesive communicator.