adjectives to use in essay

400 Descriptive Words List to Make Your Writing Shine

Do you want to make your writing more engaging? Check out this descriptive words list with 400 words you can use today.

As you strive to be a more engaging writer, using  descriptive words  can help. It’s easy to overuse these words, but sprinkling them in here and there is a great way to colorize your writing.

Descriptive words are adjectives , which describe nouns and pronouns, or adverbs, which describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Identifying and using these will help you write stronger pieces and descriptive essays .

This descriptive word list is a good place to start. It also pairs nicely with our list of mood words .

Descriptive Words List: 400 Words to Make Your Writing More Colorful

Example sentences using adjectives, common endings for adjectives, list of adverbs in english, example sentences using adverbs, a final word on descriptive words list, what are some good descriptive words, what words describe movement.

Descriptive words take writing from boring to engaging. Consider this sentence:

• She swam across the water.

While this tells you what is happening, it has little to help you imagine the scene. If you add some adjectives and adverbs and transform the statement to this:

• She swam speedily across the choppy water.

Now you have a better picture of what happened. In order to transform your writing in this way, you need a number of descriptive words at the ready, and this list of descriptive words will help.

List of Descriptive Adjectives in English

Adjectives are the most common type of descriptive words, so first we will look at these. These words describe features like shape, texture, color, and size. They help differentiate between items in a group by calling out distinguishing features.

In  English  grammar, you can use the following to describe nouns and pronouns:

• Adventurous
• Accomplished
• Comfortable
• Embellished
• Enthusiastic
• Everlasting
• Fashionable
• Intelligent
• Quarrelsome
• Querulous 
• Questionable
• Thoughtless
• Uninterested

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many synonyms and other words that could be added. In addition, all colors are considered adjectives and describing words . Nationalities, like American or English, can also fit this list.

As you work on creating descriptive writing, get used to using these and similar words. You might also find our list of pronouns useful.

To better understand how adjectives look in sentences, consider these examples:

• The fuzzy red fox jumped over the tall fence. (red, tall)
• We like to visit the beautiful forest (beautiful)
• The garden shed feels damp this morning. (garden, damp)
• The trip to Disney World was magical. (Magical)
• The beautiful bird sat on the rough branch and sang. (beautiful, rough)
• The woman is short, but her husband is tall. (short, tall)
• I prefer cold climates. (cold)
• The luxurious hotel included soft robes for each guest. (luxurious, soft, each)

Because listing all adjectives in the English language is impossible, knowing their endings is helpful, especially for ESL language learners. Some of the common endings for adjectives include:

If you see a word ending in one of these, and you know it isn’t a noun, chances are high it is an adjective.

The English language also uses adverbs to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. These descriptive words show intensity, number, and extent. They often end in -ly.

• Accidentally
• Aggressively
• Apathetically
• Assertively
• Astronomically
• Beautifully
• Begrudgingly
• Blearily 
• Deceivingly
• Deliberately
• Differently
• Dramatically
• Emotionally
• Exceptionally
• Frightfully
• Frenetically
• Frivolously
• Hysterically
• Inquisitively
• Intelligently
• Impressively
• Ludicrously
• Methodically
• Mysteriously
• Neglectfully
• Obnoxiously
• Occasionally
• Pointlessly
• Significantly
• Splendidly 
• Substantially
• Technically
• Unexpectedly
• Victoriously
• Vitally 
• Vivaciously
• Voluntarily

Again, this is not an exhaustive list. As you learn to identify adverbs or use them in your writing, look for words that describe verbs and other descriptive words that end in -ly.

Editing tip: Sometimes adverbs can also serve as filler words that you can remove or use to slow down or speed up a piece.

To better understand how adverbs show up in sentences as descriptive words, consider these examples:

• The electric car drove so quietly we didn’t hear it coming. (so, quietly)
• My dog barked angrily at the intruder. (angrily)
• The girls sang beautifully. (beautifully)
• He swam across the pool quickly. (quickly)
• The box is surprisingly heavy for its size. (surprisingly) 
• The toddler walked very carefully across the slippery floor. (very, carefully)
• Language learning is incredibly easy for some students, and incredibly hard for others (incredibly)

As you learn how to become a better writer , descriptive language is a big part of the picture. Adjectives and adverbs are the parts of speech that allow you to describe other things vividly. While you can overuse them, they can add color and interest to your writing when used well.

Keep this list of descriptive words handy. When you have a need, pull it out and find one that fits your writing. Whether you’re writing a sentence, a short story, or an entire novel, you’ll find it easier to get descriptive when you have these words on hand.

Check Like this? Check out our list of sensory words .

FAQs on Descriptive Words List

Descriptive words are words that make something easier to identify by describing its characteristics. Some good words that fit this include: Bright Adventurous Jovial Charming Peaceful

Some descriptive words describe the movement of an object. These include: Swiftly Fluidly Gracefully Smoothly Disjointedly

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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List of Adjectives : Types and How They Are Used

Are you looking for the perfect word to describe someone, somewhere, or something? If so, there are many great words to choose from in the English language. Yet, without a list of adjectives on hand, it’s hard to remember every single word you know. 

Luckily, you have access to this helpful adjectives list ! Use it whenever you want a fresh and exciting way to talk about a noun or pronoun. Plus, if you study new words on this adjective list, you’ll expand your vocabulary. For a printable PDF to keep on your desk, visit this informative site.

There are many different words on a list of adjectives . Some are similar in nature or have identical meanings , while others are very different from one another. Because there are so many adjectives , it’s better to learn them all in their individual groups.

There are two main categories of words you’ll find on a list of adjectives : Descriptive words and limiting words . Each has its own adjective list subcategories. Here’s an overview of what is covered in this guide:

Attributive and Predicate Words

Cardinal adjective list, definite and indefinite articles, demonstrative adjective list, interrogative adjective list, nouns that function as limiting words, ordinal words, possessive words, proper words.

• Advanced Descriptive Adjectives List
• List of Adjectives for Kids
• Personality Adjectives List

General List of Positive Adjectives

A list of adjectives of sensory words.

Let’s begin with a descriptive adjectives list and the subcategories of descriptive words.

A Descriptive Adjectives List

In short, descriptive words describe things. Here are some common examples below. This could also be a list of adjectives for kids :

List of positive adjectives :

List of negative adjectives:

List of general adjectives (positive or negative depending on context):

You’ve probably heard all of the words on this descriptive adjectives list before. To learn a few more advanced descriptive words, go to the section “ A List Adjectives for…”

Many descriptive adjectives can also be paired as opposites of each other. Below is a descriptive adjectives list with pairs of opposite words. You’ll recognize a few words from the list of positive adjectives, list of negative adjectives, and list of general adjectives.

Within descriptive words, there are two subcategories: attributive and predicate words. Both subcategories are similar in that they both modify a noun. However, both do things a bit differently and have slightly different use s. 

Attributive and predicate words are like two sides of the same coin. You can find attributive words in a sentence directly beside a noun. Most of the time, it comes before the noun or pronoun. 

• The leaping lizard.
• An argumentative anteater.
• The humongous hippo.

Predicative words on the other hand come after a noun, following a verb. A predicate gets its name from being within the predicate of the sentence.

• She has wavy hair.
• Jeffrey is jovial .
• Is your crossword puzzle fun ?
• Our flight was exhausting .

Below is a good-sized adjectives list . Depending on the sentence, some of these words could function as either an attributive or predicative word. However, some can only function as one or the other. 

Can you figure out which words only fit as an attributive (before a noun) or predicative (after a noun and verb) word?

Finding this all a little challenging? Skip to the “A List of Adjectives for…” section. There is a general list of positive adjectives , a personality adjectives list , a li st of adjectives for kids , and more!

A Limiting Adjectives List

The second category of adjectives contains limiting words. Whereas some words describe nouns, many do not. These words instead restrict nouns and pronouns . Limiting words let a reader or listener know the exact thing you’re talking about, by defining it. 

There are many subcategories of limiting adjectives/words . But don’t worry, there’s a description of each type below, and there’s an adjectives list for each subcategory for you to review. Here’s a list of adjectives that features a few common limiting words:

This list of adjectives has words that don’t seem very similar to each other. However, each fits into a different subcategory of limiting words that we will explore next.

Cardinal words are easy to remember. Basically, they tell you the number of a noun.

• I have over fifty gel pens in my backpack.
• Is it possible for Tim to have three best friends?
• She’s seen this movie at least one hundred times already.

Here’s a short cardinal adjectives list:

• Eighty-seven
• One million five hundred thirty-six thousand seven hundred and forty-two.

That’s right! Any numbers you can think of can become cardinal words!

Before you move on to the next type of limiting word, learn a thing or two about APA format . Then afterward, if you need help checking your writing, visit this helpful paper checker .

The definite article defines a specific noun. An indefinite article points to a nonspecific noun. There’s one definite article, the , and two indefinite articles, a and an .+

• The cat on top of my hat.
• Is there a cat on top of my hat?
• But mommy, I want a crocodile for Christmas!

You may already know the demonstrative pronouns:  

If you do, then you already know all the demonstrative words. Each one makes the demonstrative adjectives list because each one can modify a noun or noun phrase.

• This music is amazing.
• That book is a best-seller.
• Those boys are twins.

Similarly, the interrogative list of adjectives contains the same words you find on an interrogative pronoun list. These words are what and which . Again, in this use, what and which modify a noun or noun phrase.

• Which glass is Frank’s? He’d like more water please.
• What movie would you like to watch? Peter Pan is a classic.

One of the most interesting occurrences is when one part of speech imitates another. That’s exactly what happens when you have nouns that function as limiting words.

• A production factory.
• Steven’s a showboat actor.
• I’m going to the video game museum.

An ordinal word tells you the order of a noun in a series.

• I enjoyed the first Karate Kid movie.
• I thought the second Back to the Future movie was best.

An ordinal adjectives list contains words like forth, sixtieth, and even seven hundred and first.

Possessive words explain who has ownership or possession of something.

A short adjectives list showing possession includes: my, your, our, his, her, its , and their .

• Please return my pen.
• Your hat is over there.
• Their food is getting cold.

You capitalize a proper word because it’s derived from a proper noun.

• I think I’ll try your American coffee blend.
• Can she try a slice of your homemade Russian honey cake?
• Would you like French fries with that?

A List of Adjectives for …

Now that you know the basics, further expand your adjective knowledge by checking out a few other lists below. We’ll cover more advanced descriptive adjectives, a list of adjectives for kids , a personality adjectives list , a list of positive adjectives , and finally a list of adjectives for sensory words. For another printable PDF, click to this site.

An Additional Descriptive Adjectives List

This list includes more advanced descriptive adjectives than listed previously.

• Comprehensive
• Efficacious
• Investigative

Are there any words that you don’t know? DoOn’t fret! It only takes a minute to look them up in a dictionary.

L ist of Adjectives for Kids

Words that are great for children include:

A Personality Adjectives List

There are many words that describe personality. We’ve divided up this list into two sections: A positive personality adjectives list , and a negative personality adjectives list . Let’s start with a few positive ones.

Positive Personality Adjectives List:

• Hardworking
• Understanding

To complement the list of positive adjectives above, we’ve included a negative list of adjectives next.

Negative Personality Adjectives List:

• Irresponsible

The list of positive adjectives shares a few excellent describing words, including:

This list of adjectives touches upon words that relate to our five senses: Touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight. Each type gives a few adjective examples.

Touch List of Adjectives:

Taste List of Adjectives:

Smell List of Adjectives:

Hearing List of Adjectives:

• High-pitched

Sight List of Adjectives:

Congratulations on learning so many adjectives! You’ve gone from learning what descriptive and limiting words are, to memorizing a personality adjectives list, to revising a list of adjectives for kids. Now that you’re done, take a few minutes to learn about MLA format and more styles of citation for your next English paper!

Published March 9, 2019. Updated May 22, 2020.

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Adjectives: An Easy Guide with Examples

An adjective describes qualities or quantities of people, places, ideas, and things. There are negative adjectives and positive adjectives.

So, if I say the building was tall , tall is the adjective.

If we want to get a little more technical, adjectives modify or describe nouns .

A noun is a person, place, idea, or thing.

So, if you’ve used a word to describe something, like this:

• The dog was big .

... you’ve probably used an adjective.

Adjectives only modify (describe) nouns. You can’t use an adjective to modify verbs, adverbs, or other adjectives. Adverbs modify verbs.

What Are the Different Types of Adjectives?

There are a few different types of adjectives.

In this article, we'll look at:

• Qualitative and quantitative adjectives
• Absolute, comparative, and superlative adjectives
• Predicate adjectives
• Adjective phrases

Quantitive and Qualitative Adjectives

Adjectives can describe the qualities of nouns. This means that they describe a noun’s size , age , shape , color , origin , material , or purpose . Qualitative adjectives can also describe an opinion on something.

For example, if we say The tree was green or The painting was pretty , the adjectives green and pretty describe qualities of the nouns tree and painting .

Adjectives can also describe quantities of nouns. Quantitative adjectives describe the amount of something.

If we say There were many trees , the adjective many describes the quantity of the trees.

All adjectives—quantitative and qualitative—fall into three main categories, each with their own rules.

What Are the Three Main Types of Adjective?

The three types of adjective are absolute adjectives , comparative adjectives , and superlative adjectives .

Don’t worry if those terms aren’t familiar—you’ll recognize each of the types when you see them.

Let’s look at some examples.

Absolute Adjectives

Absolute adjectives cannot be intensified or used to compare.

For example, if something is perfect , something else cannot be more perfect than it.

With absolute adjectives, you usually can’t add the suffix -er . Someone can’t be perfect-er than someone else.

Here are some examples of absolute adjectives:

Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives compare two or more objects, ideas, people, or places. For example, larger is a comparative adjective.

Comparative adjectives usually end with the -er suffix, or include the words more and less .

One of the most common mistakes people make with comparative adjectives is incorrect formation.

Here are some examples of correct and incorrect formation for comparative adjectives:

Correct: The lake was larger than the pond. Incorrect: The lake was more large than the pond.

Correct: The book was more interesting than the movie. Incorrect: The book was interestinger than the movie.

But how do you know which comparative adjective formation to use? Here are a few handy rules:

• If the adjective you want to use only has one syllable, add -er to the end to make it comparative, e.g. smaller , wider , bigger , sadder , colder , rounder , brighter , sharper
• If the adjective has two syllables and doesn’t end in -y , or three or more syllables, add more or less to the start, e.g. more dangerous , more effective , more intelligent , less exciting , less important , less serious
• If the adjective ends in -y , change the y to an i and add -er , e.g. sunny → sunnier , funny → funnier , shiny → shinier , happy → happier

Here are some comparative adjectives in a sentence:

• The light was brighter than the sun.
• The math lesson was more boring than the English lesson.
• It is sunnier today than it was yesterday.
• She can run faster than him.
• The test was more important to her than having fun.

Superlative Adjectives

A superlative adjective describes something that is the most or least that it can be:

• It was the tallest tree in the forest.
• Our business was the fastest-growing in its field.
• We saw the most beautiful sunset.
• It was the least convincing argument I’ve ever heard.

Superlative adjectives end in -est , or are preceded by most or least .

Adjectives can have comparative and superlative forms.

Here’s an example:

Adjective: Tall

Comparative form: He was taller than her.

Superlative form: He was the tallest in the school.

How to Use Adjectives in a Sentence (with Examples)

Most adjectives can come before or after the noun in a sentence:

• The dark sky → The sky is dark
• The fluffy cat → The cat is fluffy
• The interesting book → The book is interesting

But in many cases, the adjective can’t come directly after the noun.

For example, if you want to describe someone’s hair as curly , you can’t say Their hair curly . You’ll need to add a verb, e.g. Their hair was curly .

Adjectives that come before a noun or after a noun and verb like this are called attributive adjectives .

When Can I Put an Adjective Directly After a Noun?

Short answer? Yes. Here’s why.

Some phrases, titles, or names of institutions will place an adjective directly after a noun:

• Time immemorial
• Queen consort
• Poet Laureate

The adjectives here (highlighted) are called postpositive adjectives . The word postpositive just means that the adjective comes directly after (post) the noun.

Here are some postpositive adjectives in a sentence:

• Something terrible has happened.
• It was the best job available at the time.
• I had the worst time imaginable .

These adjectives are postpositive because of where they are in the sentence. If we move them around, their type can change.

For example, if I wrote:

• I have a terrible headache.

... then the adjective terrible goes back to being an attributive adjective.

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When Does a Noun Become an Adjective?

Adjectives usually modify nouns. But sometimes, a noun can be used in place of an adjective to describe another noun .

Here are some examples of nouns being used as adjectives:

• Clothes shop
• Ladies room
• Ticket office
• Running shoes
• Tennis club

In these cases, the noun being used as an adjective always comes before the main noun in the phrase.

You can then use adjectives to describe these phrases:

• The busy clothes shop
• Her new running shoes
• The fastest race horse

Now you know how to identify the different types of adjectives. But what happens if you want to use more than one adjective together?

What Order Do Adjectives Go In?

If you use multiple adjectives before a noun, they need to go in the right order. We’re big fans of breaking grammar rules, but the order of adjectives is one that you pretty much always need to follow.

If you’re a native English speaker, you might not even notice that you put adjectives in a certain order. Check out this tweet:

For fun, let’s try messing up that order (yes, we said fun ; we’re grammar nerds here at ProWritingAid).

• I have a rectangular old little whittling lovely French green silver knife.

Sounds strange, right?

We will say, this is for illustrative purposes only. You shouldn’t use this many adjectives in one sentence. It will distract your reader and dilute your meaning rather than strengthen it. More on that later.

So, what order do adjectives go in?

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose

Examples of adjectives in the correct order:

• The pretty purple cotton dress.
• The gnarly old tree.
• The big green monster.

Examples of adjectives in the wrong order:

• The cotton purple pretty dress.
• The old gnarly tree.
• The green big monster.

Here’s a handy chart to help you get your adjective order right every time:

What Is an Adjective Phrase?

An adjective phrase is a group of two or more words (including an adjective) that describe a noun.

Adjective phrases can be made up of:

• A string of two or more adjectives
• An adverb and an adjective
• An intensifier and and adjective

The adjective can appear anywhere in the group.

Here are some examples of adjective phrases:

The apartment is as clean as a whistle.

What Is a Predicate Adjective?

Predicate adjectives modify the subject of a sentence. For an adjective to be a predicate adjective, the sentence must also contain a linking verb.

Let’s look at an example.

In the sentence "The cat is black," the subject of the sentence is "cat," the predicate adjective is "black" and the linking verb is "is."

Here are some more examples. The adjectives are highlighted and the linking verbs are in bold.

The music sounds jarring . The light appeared bright . His whining became unbearable . That gift would be perfect for Samantha.

Looking for more examples of adjectives? Check out this detailed list of adjectives starting with "a". We also have a full list of positive adjectives .

How Do Adjectives Make Your Writing More Effective?

Descriptive adjectives can help you convey ideas, images, and tone to your reader. However, if you rely on imprecise and overused adjectives, you could actually put your reader off.

Not all adjectives are equal. You should avoid using weak adjectives in your writing . But how do you spot a weak adjective?

Examples of Weak Adjectives

If you have used intensifiers like very or really to make your adjective stronger, you could probably be using a better adjective.

Take this sentence:

• She was very angry.

Your idea of very angry could be completely different to mine. I might imagine someone tearing their hair out, shouting, stomping around. You might see someone with a slightly furrowed brow and a frown.

However, if we change very angry to furious , we’re much more likely to imagine similar things.

Here are a few more examples of weak adjectives and how we can replace them with strong ones:

Weak: Happy + very = I’m very happy . Strong: I’m ecstatic .

Weak: Hot + very = It’s very hot out today. Strong: It’s sweltering out today.

Weak: Sleepy + very = She looks very sleepy . Strong: She looks exhausted .

Weak: Glad + very = He’ll be very glad to see you. Strong: He’ll be delighted to see you.

Weak: Funny + very = You’re very funny . Strong: You’re hilarious .

Weak: Dirty + very = That dog is very dirty . Strong: That dog is filthy .

Weak: Big + very = The elephant in the room is very big . Strong: The elephant in the room is enormous .

Imprecise vs. Precise Adjectives

You should also avoid using too many imprecise adjectives. Take this example:

• It was a beautiful warm day.

We don’t know what the writer means by beautiful here, and everyone’s idea of warm is different. Here’s how we could rewrite that sentence using more specific adjectives:

• The sun had drawn people out into the balmy air, and the sky was such a deep blue you could almost dive into it.

Now we have a better idea of the quality of the day. And we haven’t just added stronger adjectives.

If you spot weak adjectives in your writing, it’s often a sign that you need to rework your sentence to give your reader some more information. Why does it matter that the day was beautiful and warm?

How to Use Adjectives in Business Writing

Adjectives aren’t just for fiction writers. Let’s look at how this works in a business writing context.

• We made a good deal with them. We’ll be able to implement a better sales strategy going forward.

Good and better are both pretty vague. It’s not clear why the deal is good or how it will lead to better strategy. Let’s expand:

• We made a mutually beneficial deal with them. Now our sales strategies are aligned, and we can work together to target customers instead of sending conflicting messages.

Stuck for precise adjectives to use in your business writing? Here are 35 powerful business-focussed adjectives.

How to Avoid Weak Adjectives

Which adjectives should you avoid? Here are 100 common adjectives that could make your writing vague.

Remember, it’s fine to use these, but consider if you could replace them with something more powerful.

100 Most Common Adjectives

How to strengthen your adjectives.

You could pick out all of your adjectives with a highlighter and then come up with synonyms for each of them. Sound like a lot of work? We think so too.

ProWritingAid’s Thesaurus Report will highlight all of the adjectives in your document and show you synonyms for each of them.

As we said above, replacing your weak adjectives isn’t always the answer. If none of the synonyms look quite right for the tone you’re trying to set, consider re-working your sentence to get your point across more effectively.

Check out our complete guide to ProWritingAid’s Thesaurus Report and start improving your adjective use today.

What Are Some Examples of Adjectives to Describe People?

Taking the time to review your adjectives can help you write stronger, more specific content that helps you achieve your purpose faster. Whether that’s conveying findings in a report or creating a spellbinding scene in a novel, using adjectives carefully pays.

Now you know how adjectives work, and what to avoid, you’re ready to start using adjectives to enhance your points and create intricate descriptions. Happy writing!

Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips From Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas., this guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers., common questions about adjectives: an easy guide with examples, "worse" vs. "worst". what is the difference, what's the difference between a coordinate adjective and a hierarchical adjective, what is a compound adjective, what is a generic description and why shouldn't you overuse them, what are coordinate adjectives and why should you have a comma between them, why should i show emotions rather than telling them, when to use "some" and "any" in a sentence, how are "pretty" and "quite" used, where can you omit "to me" in a sentence, "more than" vs "over", why is it better to use "two" instead of "a couple of", what is a superlative, why should you omit "own" in the phrase "my own" used before a noun, why should you avoid using both "little" and "bit" in one sentence, when should i use "less" and when should i use "fewer", weak words series: why you should avoid weak adjectives and verbs, repeated synonyms, learn more about grammar:, your personal writing coach.

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Adjectives: Making Everything More Interesting

With its multiple types, forms and rules of use, the  adjective  can be a slippery element of language to master. Get a firm grip on it, however, and you’ll be rewarded with the power to elevate your work to a more engaging, interesting and expressive level.

Adjectives are words that modify (describe) nouns. Adjectives give the reader more specific information about an object’s color, size, shape, material, and more. This guide will help you understand their function so you can use them effectively in your essays and papers.

Additionally, EasyBib Plus’s easy grammar check solution can help improve your essays. With a subscription, you can upload your paper to check for structural or grammatical errors and receive suggestions that may help improve your writing style. It can also check for unintentional plagiarism, help you to cite sources, and generate MLA or  APA format  citations. If you need to create citations in a different format, our library of resources contains free guides for many  more styles .

For information on the structural role these modifiers play in a sentence, you may find this  further reading  helpful.

Guide Overview

• What is an adjective?
• Types of adjectives
• Which comes first?
• Why they’ll never be lonely
• The unspoken order
• If in doubt, take it out!
• What can an adjective add?
• The wonder word
• Flip reverse with adjectival opposites
• Cool, cooler or the coolest?
• A master of disguise
• Unusual adjective examples
• Still struggling?

What is an Adjective?

As a child, you might have learned that it is a describing word. This adjective definition is correct and, as mentioned above, it can be used to describe, modify or qualify a noun, essentially giving more information about the object, person, place, thing or idea in question.

In its most basic form, it is a single word. However, as the English language is anything but basic, you’ll also want to understand the adjectival clause and phrase—more on those later!

When used well, this essential part of the English language can become your most potent writing ally. They’ll make your writing more specific and lucid, enabling you to convey your ideas in a clear and appealing manner. They add the meat to the bare bones of a sentence!

Struggling with writing in general? Our  grammar checker , that comes with EasyBib Plus, can help. You’ll also find lots of additional free resources at EasyBib.com too, including guides for Chicago/Turabian, APA and  MLA format . It’s an easy, one-stop online toolkit that can help you understand tricky topics, such as creating an  MLA citation for a website or citing an image found online, to make sure that the work you’re handing in for marking doesn’t contain avoidable mistakes that could let you down.

Types of Adjectives

When it comes to learning the different types, some are more interesting than others—however, there’s no picking and choosing with grammar! Let’s take a look at both the fun and the functional, and the part they each play in the English language.

The Exciting

Descriptive adjectives are the grammatical icing on the cake or bubbles in the bathwater. They follow the classic adjective definition of a descriptive word that comes before or after a  noun  to modify it. Often, you can take them away and the sentence will still technically make sense, although it’s likely to be less informative, thought-provoking, and engaging for the reader.

For example:

The woman was wearing a dress. vs The  beautiful  woman was wearing a  long, white  dress.

When it comes before a noun it is known as an  attributive adjective .

When it comes after a noun it is known as a  predicate adjective . Note that these usually follow a linking verb.

• Attributive  — the  beautiful   woman
• Predicate (also known as predicative)  — the  woman  looked  beautiful

To learn more  click here  or check your paper with EasyBib Plus’s paper checker to ensure that you’re using different aspects of language, including spelling, punctuation, style and word choice, correctly. Otherwise, let’s continue on our exploration of describing words.

Did you know that describing words can also be  subjective  or  objective ?

Objective:  A descriptor, based in fact, that will often be quantifiable and measurable. Descriptors of age, color, pattern, size, shape, condition, type, purpose, origin and material are objective. For example:  old, red, checked, large, square, clean, four-sided, running  (to indicate purpose, e.g., running shoes),  French  and  paper .

Subjective:  These words provide opinion-based descriptions which may be open to interpretation. It could be an ‘in the eye of the beholder’ descriptor such as  beautiful  or  ugly . Or it could describe a relative measure such as  cheap, best, favorite  or  cold . Words used to describe an emotion or feeling such as  happy  or  hungry  are also subjective.

There are multiple objective and subjective sub-types, so you should be spoiled for choice when choosing that perfect describing word. Find a list of adjectives and the order they should follow further down.

The Essential

Words in this category are more likely to modify (or give information about) a noun than describe it. Take them away, and you’ll often find that you no longer have a fully formed sentence. These are the ‘toothbrush in the bathroom words’—nothing about them is exciting, but they perform an essential function, we use them daily, and we’d be lost without them.

Take  articles . They always come before the noun they’re indicating. There are three articles in the English language:  a, an,  and  the.   A  and  an  are used to denote non-specific things, while  the  indicates something specific.  The  is known as the definite article, while  a  and  an  are indefinite articles.

Pass me  the  book

The word  the  tells us that the request is for a specific book.

Pass me  a  book.

A,  however, shows that any book will do.

Demonstrative:  Similar to the definite article in that they indicate specific things. For example:  these, those, this  and  that.

Indefinite:  Similar to the indefinite article in that they indicate non-specific things. For example:  any, many, several  and  few.

Interrogative:  Used to ask questions. There are three in the English language:  which, what and  whose.

Possessive:  Indicate that a thing belongs to someone.  My, your, his , and  our  are examples of a possessive adjective.

Numerical:  Answer the question “how many?” in a sentence. For example:

She ate  six  cupcakes.

Which Comes First?

We’ve answered the question, ‘what is an adjective?’. Now let’s look at where they sit in a sentence. Typically, a describing word is a  pre-modifier , this means that it comes  before  the noun,  pronoun  or the noun phrase that it’s looking to modify. Also known as a prepositive (NOT a  preposition , that’s different!) or, as previously mentioned,  attributive.

A  lovely  day

In the case of an indefinite pronoun (someone, something, anybody), however, the descriptor comes  after .

Something  blue

We’ve also mentioned  predicatives  that come  after  the noun they modify and follow a linking verb.

The sky looked  blue .

Why They’ll Never Be Lonely

Although a describing word will always be singular (even if the noun is plural), it will never be lonely—it will always team up with a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

The  adjective phrase  is a phrase that performs the describing or modifying function in a sentence. It can be a string of describing words or it can be an intensifier plus descriptor.

String example:

It was a  cold but sunny  day.

Intensifier example:

She was  very happy.

Coordinates

When one just isn’t enough you can use  coordinate adjectives  separated by a comma or commas. These are a perfect pairing—or trio or full-on gang—of words used to describe or modify a single noun.

A  long, white, lacy  dress

Long, white  and  lacy  are coordinates: they are adjectives with a parallel function in describing the dress, and none carries more weight than the others. You can test this by replacing a comma with a  conjunction , such as  and  or  but , and checking if the sentence still makes sense.

A  long  and  white  and  lacy  dress A  beautiful  but  expensive  dress

Non-Coordinates

In some sentences, however, replacing the commas with conjunctions yields a sentence that no longer makes sense. When this occurs, the describing words are  non-coordinate.

If one word holds more weight than the other, they are non-coordinate—also known as cumulative. Another easy way to test this is to switch the words around to see if the sentence still makes sense.

My  two red  skirts were in the laundry. My  two  and  red  skirts were in the laundry. My  red two  skirts were in the laundry.

Non-coordinates don’t need to be separated by a comma.

The Unspoken Order (mess with this at your peril!)

Native English speakers intuitively follow a particular order when using describing words in a sentence. Intriguingly, many of us aren’t even aware that there is an order, let alone that we’re complying with it.

For those learning English as a foreign language, however, it’s a bit of an uphill battle. To help make sense of it, the following list of adjectives follows the order used when forming sentences:

• Determiner  —  a, an, the, that, some, six
• Opinion  —  beautiful, easy, expensive, happy, angry, boring, strange
• Size  —  large, small, tiny, deep, medium
• Condition/Physical Quality  —  broken, cold, smooth, rich, poor, sharp, slow, heavy, light
• Age  —  new, old, seven-year-old, modern, antique
• Shape  —  round, square, oval, flat
• Color  —  red, blue, monochrome, bright, dull
• Pattern  —  striped, spotty, flowery, chevron, plaid
• Origin  —  American, French, English, public, private
• Material  —  gold, silver, cotton, silk, wooden
• Type  —  general, four-sided, wireless
• Purpose/Qualifier  —  sleeping, frying, hunting, swimming
• Noun  —  bag, pan, hat, pool, woman, house
• That is a  beautiful American  house. (opinion + origin + noun)
• It’s a  tiny silver  ring. (size + material + noun)
• I love  smooth, round  pebbles. (condition + shape + noun)

Note, however, that the order isn’t entirely set in stone. For example, you might find a list of adjectives that places shape before age.

More  resources on this can be found online, including handy downloadable charts. You can also check your word choice, grammar and punctuation with EasyBib Plus.

If in Doubt, Take it Out!

Just because you can use several words to modify one noun doesn’t mean that you should. No one wants their work to be described as ‘wordy’ or ‘flowery’!

Exercise restraint with subjective descriptors like  lovely, interesting  and  beautiful.  The ‘show don’t tell’ rule is an oldie but a goodie—rather than telling your reader that something is beautiful, show them what makes it so and trust that they’ll reach the same conclusion.

What Can an Adjective Add?

When you’ve finished trying to say that tongue twister ten times fast, let’s look at what the right word can add to a sentence.

• Opinion  — a  beautiful  dress
• Relative information  — a  huge  house
• Factual information  — a  red  car
• Detail  — a  shiny  floor
• Context  —  old  toys
• Purpose  — the  dining  table
• Character traits  — a  patient  teacher

The Wonder Word

To define adjective solely as a describing word may, arguably, do it a disservice. Used correctly, it’s one of the most capable tools of the English language.

In addition to providing us with the super functional determiners ( a, her, those, that, some, etc.), they can also: clarify and articulate information; alter the meaning or context of a sentence; and turn tedious, flat tales into riveting, page-turning prose.

Here are some examples:

Alter the Meaning of a Sentence

The woman was wearing a dress.

The woman was wearing a  long, white wedding  dress.

The words  long, white  and  wedding  add meaning and clarity in the revised sentence. You could even take away the word  wedding  and the connotations of a  ‘long white dress’  would still remain.

Alter the Context of a Sentence

The girl was playing with  old, broken  toys.

The girl was playing with  shiny, new  toys.

These two sentences paint very different pictures, by merely changing the modifiers. If they were the first line of a story, they’d instantly conjure very different assumptions and set different moods.

Convey Information

John opened the door to his apartment.

John opened the door to his  expensive, new  apartment.

Transform Dull Prose

John opened the door to the house.

A  nervous  John opened the  heavy, creaking  door to the  spooky, old  house.

These wonder words have the power to change the impact of a sentence entirely!

Need more information on a determiner? Check out our  determiner  page from EasyBib Plus.

Flip Reverse With Adjectival Opposites

These words are masters of transformation, and you’ll see one of their most impressive tricks when you employ them to achieve the opposite meaning or, to add a degree of negativity.

• Positive  — my  favorite  show
• Negative  — my  least favorite  show
• Positive  — my teacher is  patient
• Negative  — my teacher is  not patient

Interestingly, you can convey a scale of meaning with this method.

My art teacher is  less patient  than my music teacher.

Prefixes can also be used to achieve the same result.

• Patient  —  impatient
• Alcoholic  —  non-alcoholic
• Kind  —  unkind

Cool, Cooler or the Coolest?

Not content to present themselves in only one form, the not-so-humble adjectives can also be used to compare two or more nouns. Adjectives have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.

Positive/Absolute:  This is the standard base form of the word. Positive adjectives don’t compare anything. These include words such as  sunny, messy,  and  great , which describe an object in its own right. Other examples are:  red, hot, angry .

Comparative:  Comparative adjectives compare two or more objects by degree. Adjectives such as sunnier, messier, and greater are comparative.

Most adjectives can be made comparative by adding  –er  or  –ier  to the end. You may also need to double the final consonants. For example:  Big, bigger, biggest .

In some cases, adjectives must be preceded by comparative terms like  more  or  less . For example:  more interesting, less intelligent .

Superlative:  Superlative adjectives indicate that a noun has the highest degree of the quality being described. Examples include  sunniest, messiest , and  greatest.

You can typically make adjectives superlative by adding  –est  or  –iest . Some adjectives, however, must be preceded by  most  to become superlative.

Irregulars:  As seen in the examples above, most degrees of comparison can be formed by adding:

• er  and  est  —  bright, brighter, brightest
• r  and  st  —  brave, braver, bravest
• Removing the  y  and adding  ier  and  iest  —  dry, drier, driest
• By adding words such as  more  and  most

Some, however, don’t like to follow the rules. These words, known as  irregulars , express degrees of comparison with sometimes drastic changes in form.

• Little, less, least
• Bad, worse, worst

Forming comparatives or superlatives of words that already express an extreme of comparison is also a sticky subject.

If something is already  perfect , can it be  more perfect  or the  most perfect ? There’s a puzzle for the language philosophers among you!

To learn more about and other parts of speech, review our  grammar quick guide .

A Master of Disguise

Now here’s where things can get really tricky! Grammar is full of sneaky double agents—a verb or a noun can become a describing word, and a describing word can become a noun or an adverb. Confused? Let’s break it down.

Noun as a Descriptor

Sometimes a noun is used to describe another noun. The first noun then functions as the descriptor.

• Thing  — a bar of  gold
• Descriptor  — a  gold  necklace
• Thing  — basketball
• Descriptor  — a  basketball  player

Compound Nouns

In some cases these then become  compound nouns , which are recognized as single words because they need both words to convey their meaning accurately.

• Thing  — wedding
• Descriptor  —  wedding  dress — the word wedding modifies the noun dress.
• Compound Noun  — wedding dress

Compound nouns can also be formed from a descriptor plus noun or a descriptor plus verb.

• dry -cleaning
• public -speaking

Participles

A participle is a word that has been formed from a verb but functions as a describing word.

• Verb  — to run
• Participle  —  running water  — the word running modifies the noun water.

Nominals precede a describing word with  the  and function as nouns.

• Descriptor  — the  best  singer
• Nominal  —  the best  is yet to come

You’ll notice that the word  best  is not modifying a noun in this sentence. Instead it is acting as the noun.

Collectives

Collectives are a sub-type of nominals that refer to a group sharing a certain characteristic.

• Descriptor  — the  old  man
• Collective  —  the old  may suffer health problems

Again,  the old  is acting as a noun to identify a group of people.

Flat Adverbs

A flat adverb doesn’t have the distinctive  ‘ly’  on the end of it, which allows it a double function as both adjectives and adverbs.

• the  fast  car
• he drove  fast

The Adjective Clause

This clause functions as a descriptor in a sentence, and includes a  verb  and a subject. It always begins with a relative pronoun ( who, whom, which, whichever, that, etc ) or a relative  adverb  ( where, when, why ). It’s a dependent clause, which means that it cannot stand alone as a sentence.

The jacket  that Todd bought yesterday  looked smart.

Notice that a descriptive clause doesn’t even have to contain a describing word—go figure!

Unusual Adjective Examples

If you’re still struggling with the question ‘what is an adjective?”, seeing examples may help! Or are you searching for a wonder-word that’s sure to impress your lecturer? Our unusual adjectives list might have the inspiration you need.

Adjectives That Start With A

• Abhorrent  — offensive
• Abject  — unfortunate
• Adamant  — unyielding
• Adroit  — skilful, clever
• Auspicious  — lucky

Adjectives Starting With D

• Decrepit  — worn out, ruined
• Dapper  — smart dress and mannerisms
• Decorous  — good manners and conduct
• Didactic  — instructive
• Draconian  — harsh

Adjectives That Start With E

• Effulgent  — radiant
• Efficacious  — having a striking effect
• Equanimous  — balanced, calm
• Erratic  — prone to sudden change
• Execrable  — detestable, very bad

Adjectives That Start With N

• Nebulous  — vague, lacking definition
• Necessitous  — poor and needy
• Nescient  — ignorant
• Nefarious  — wicked
• Noxious  — harmful, corrosive

Adjectives Starting With P

• Parsimonious  — frugal
• Pernicious  — harmful, deadly
• Piquant  — stimulates taste or mind
• Plucky  — brave
• Precipitate  — steep, sudden, hasty

Adjectives That Start With U

• Ubiquitous  — everywhere at once
• Unvanquishable  — invincible, unbeatable
• Uppity  — self-important
• Urbane  — courteous
• Utilitarian  — useful, practical

A thesaurus is your friend! Use one to find an adjective list and stop using the same tired words over and over. You can also check your word choice using EasyBib.

Still Struggling?

If you don’t have adjectives 100% nailed down just yet, or are still finding it difficult to answer the question ‘what are adjectives?’, don’t worry. Grammar is one of the most challenging aspects of the English language to learn, and it’s a long road to mastery. This guide is here to help you along your way, along with others such as our  research paper  and  interjection  pages.

An EasyBib Plus subscription comes with a useful online tool for checking grammar . If you want to try it before subscribing, simply upload your paper or essay for a free review with up to 5 grammar suggestions. An EasyBib Plus subscription also allows you to check for information that may need a citation, and offers tools and resources to help you create an  MLA annotated bibliography ,  MLA works cited , and  MLA in-text citation .

Don’t let grammar or unintentional plagiarism let you down. EasyBib Plus can help you ensure that you’re handing in your best work every time.

Adjectives starting with A-Z

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Adjectives made easy: 5 quick tips for using adjectives in writing

Understanding how to use adjectives naturally can make your writing come alive. In this article , learn what an adjective is , find out why they are importan t, and discover 5 handy tips on how to use adjectives in your writing.  

What is an adjective?  

You probably already know this, but just make sure we’re on the same page, an adjective is a word that describes how something or someone looks, feels, or behaves. Adjectives make your sentences more specific and interesting.   

For example, in the sentence “ The red apple is juicy ,” the word “red” is the adjective because it tells us the colour of the apple, and “juicy” is another adjective that describes how the apple tastes.

How to use adjectives naturally     

At times, English language learners tend to overuse adjectives in their written English, perhaps to showcase their vocabulary. However, this approach can backfire as it shows immat urity in their writing style. So, here are 5 helpful tips on how you can use adjectives naturally in written English and improve your descriptive writing skills.  

#1: Choose the most suitable ones  

When using adjectives in writing , it’s important to choose the right ones. Pick words that accurately describe what you want to talk about. By choosing the most suitable adjectives, you can make your writing stronger and more effective.  

For example, instead of saying “ The flower is nice ,” you could choose a more descriptive adjective like “beautiful” or “charming.” This helps paint a clearer picture in the reader’s mind and adds depth to your writing.  

Explore a list of descriptive adjectives    

#2: Use them in moderation

Try to avoid using too many adjectives in your writing. By using adjectives sparingly, you can make your writing clearer and more effective, allowing the main subject to stand out.  

For example, instead of saying “ The big, beautiful, colourful butterfly flew gracefully through the garden ,” you can simplify it to “ The beautiful butterfly flew gracefully through the garden .”  

#3: Capture the reader’s imagination  

When choosing adjectives, pick ones that make the reader feel something and spark their imagination.   

For example, instead of saying “ The sunset was beautiful ,” you could say “ The stunning sunset filled the sky with vibrant colours, filling me with awe .” By using descriptive adjectives and appealing to the reader’s senses, you can create a stronger emotional impact.  

#4: Experiment with adjectives to see what works  

When you’re writing, try out different adjectives to see what works best. Don’t be afraid to play with words and explore their impact on your writing.   

Experiment with different options to find an adjective that makes your writing stronger and that clearly expresses what you want to say. The more you experiment, the better you’ll become at selecting the perfect adjectives that bring your words to life.  

Here are three different adjectives for describing an old house: “Mysterious”, “spooky”, or “ancient”. Which of these options do you prefer and why? Tell us in the comments below.   

#5: Remember that context is key  

Context is important. Think about the specific situation or thing you’re describing and choose adjectives that fit well. The right adjective can change depending on whether you’re talking about a person, an object, or a particular scene.   

For instance, when describing a person, you might use different adjectives for a friendly neighbour than for a stern teacher. Keeping the context of your writing in mind will help you choose the most suitable adjectives to make your writing as effective as possible.  

Practise your descriptive writing skills in online classes     

Now you know more about using descriptive words for writing , why not put your new skills to the test with an online English class?   

English Online offers live classes taught by experienced British Council teachers who want to help you improve your English skills. You’ll get personalised feedback on your writing, speaking, and listening skills to help you understand what you’re good at and where you can improve. Plus, you’ll get the opportunity to practise your English with other learners at a similar learning level.  

Find out more >  

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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2.6 Adjectives and Adverbs

Learning objectives.

• Identify adjectives and adverbs.
• Use adjectives and adverbs correctly.

Adjectives and adverbs are descriptive words that bring your writing to life.

Adjectives and Adverbs

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. It often answers questions such as which one , what kind , or how many?

1. The green sweater belongs to Iris.

2. She looks beautiful .

• In sentence 1, the adjective green describes the noun sweater .
• In sentence 2, the adjective beautiful describes the pronoun she .

An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs frequently end in -ly . They answer questions such as how , to what extent , why , when , and where .

3. Bertrand sings horribly . 4. My sociology instructor is extremely wise.

5. He threw the ball very accurately.

• In sentence 3, horribly describes the verb sings . How does Bertrand sing? He sings horribly .
• In sentence 4, extremely describes the adjective wise . How wise is the instructor? Extremely wise.
• In sentence 5, very describes the adverb accurately . How accurately did he throw the ball? Very accurately.

Complete the following sentences by adding the correct adjective or adverb from the list in the previous section. Identify the word as an adjective or an adverb (Adj, Adv).

• Frederick ________ choked on the piece of chicken when he saw Margaret walk through the door.
• His ________ eyes looked at everyone and everything as if they were specimens in a biology lab.
• Despite her pessimistic views on life, Lauren believes that most people have ________ hearts.
• Although Stefan took the criticism ________, he remained calm.
• The child developed a ________ imagination because he read a lot of books.
• Madeleine spoke ________ while she was visiting her grandmother in the hospital.
• Hector’s most ________ possession was his father’s bass guitar from the 1970s.
• My definition of a ________ afternoon is walking to the park on a beautiful day, spreading out my blanket, and losing myself in a good book.
• She ________ eyed her new coworker and wondered if he was single.
• At the party, Denise ________ devoured two pieces of pepperoni pizza and a several slices of ripe watermelon.

Comparative versus Superlative

Comparative adjectives and adverbs are used to compare two people or things.

1. Jorge is thin .

2. Steven is thinner than Jorge.

• Sentence 1 describes Jorge with the adjective thin .
• Sentence 2 compares Jorge to Steven, stating that Steven is thinner . So thinner is the comparative form of thin .

Form comparatives in one of the following two ways:

• If the adjective or adverb is a one syllable word, add -er to it to form the comparative. For example, big , fast , and short would become bigger , faster , and shorter in the comparative form.
• If the adjective or adverb is a word of two or more syllables, place the word more in front of it to form the comparative. For example, happily , comfortable , and jealous would become more happily , more comfortable , and more jealous in the comparative.

Superlative adjectives and adverbs are used to compare more than two people or two things.

1. Jackie is the loudest cheerleader on the squad.

2. Kenyatta was voted the most confident student by her graduating class.

• Sentence 1 shows that Jackie is not just louder than one other person, but she is the loudest of all the cheerleaders on the squad.
• Sentence 2 shows that Kenyatta was voted the most confident student of all the students in her class.

Form superlatives in one of the following two ways:

• If the adjective or adverb is a one-syllable word, add -est to form the superlative. For example, big , fast , and short would become biggest , fastest , and shortest in the superlative form.
• If the adjective or adverb is a word of two or more syllables, place the word most in front of it. For example, happily , comfortable , and jealous would become most happily , most comfortable , and most jealous in the superlative form.

Remember the following exception: If the word has two syllables and ends in -y , change the -y to an -i and add -est . For example, happy would change to happiest in the superlative form; healthy would change to healthiest .

Edit the following paragraph by correcting the errors in comparative and superlative adjectives.

Collaboration

Share and compare your answers with a classmate.

Irregular Words: Good , Well , Bad , and Badly

Good , well , bad , and badly are often used incorrectly. Study the following chart to learn the correct usage of these words and their comparative and superlative forms.

Good versus Well

Good is always an adjective—that is, a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. The second sentence is correct because well is an adverb that tells how something is done.

Incorrect: Cecilia felt that she had never done so good on a test.

Correct: Cecilia felt that she had never done so well on a test.

Well is always an adverb that describes a verb, adverb, or adjective. The second sentence is correct because good is an adjective that describes the noun score .

Incorrect: Cecilia’s team received a well score.

Correct: Cecilia’s team received a good score.

Bad versus Badly

Bad is always an adjective. The second sentence is correct because badly is an adverb that tells how the speaker did on the test.

Incorrect: I did bad on my accounting test because I didn’t study.

Correct: I did badly on my accounting test because I didn’t study.

Badly is always an adverb. The second sentence is correct because bad is an adjective that describes the noun thunderstorm .

Incorrect: The coming thunderstorm looked badly .

Correct: The coming thunderstorm looked bad .

Better and Worse

The following are examples of the use of better and worse :

Tyra likes sprinting better than long distance running.

The traffic is worse in Chicago than in Atlanta.

Best and Worst

The following are examples of the use of best and worst :

Tyra sprints best of all the other competitors.

Peter finished worst of all the runners in the race.

Remember better and worse compare two persons or things. Best and worst compare three or more persons or things.

Write good , well , bad , or badly to complete each sentence. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.

• Donna always felt ________ if she did not see the sun in the morning.
• The school board president gave a ________ speech for once.
• Although my dog, Comet, is mischievous, he always behaves ________ at the dog park.
• I thought my back injury was ________ at first, but it turned out to be minor.
• Steve was shaking ________ from the extreme cold.
• Apple crisp is a very ________ dessert that can be made using whole grains instead of white flour.
• The meeting with my son’s math teacher went very ________.
• Juan has a ________ appetite, especially when it comes to dessert.
• Magritte thought the guests had a ________ time at the party because most people left early.
• She ________ wanted to win the writing contest prize, which included a trip to New York.

Write the correct comparative or superlative form of the word in parentheses. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper.

• This research paper is ________ (good) than my last one.
• Tanaya likes country music ________ (well) of all.
• My motorcycle rides ________ (bad) than it did last summer.
• That is the ________ (bad) joke my father ever told.
• The hockey team played ________ (badly) than it did last season.
• Tracey plays guitar ________ (well) than she plays the piano.
• It will go down as one of the ________ (bad) movies I have ever seen.
• The deforestation in the Amazon is ________ (bad) than it was last year.
• Movie ticket sales are ________ (good) this year than last.
• My husband says mystery novels are the ________ (good) types of books.

Writing at Work

The irregular words good , well , bad , and badly are often misused along with their comparative and superlative forms better , best , worse , and worst . You may not hear the difference between worse and worst , and therefore type it incorrectly. In a formal or business-like tone, use each of these words to write eight separate sentences. Assume these sentences will be seen and judged by your current or future employer.

Key Takeaways

• Adjectives describe a noun or a pronoun.
• Adverbs describe a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
• Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
• Comparative adjectives and adverbs compare two persons or things.
• Superlative adjectives or adverbs compare more than two persons or things.
• The adjectives good and bad and the adverbs well and badly are unique in their comparative and superlative forms and require special attention.

Writing Application

Using the exercises as a guide, write your own ten-sentence quiz for your classmate(s) using the concepts covered in this section. Try to include two questions from each subsection in your quiz. Exchange papers and see whether you can get a perfect score.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Open Your World

Know How to Use Adjectives Effectively

Adjectives are words that can make your essay interesting, beautiful, and informative. Oh, yes, these words – “interesting”, “beautiful”, “informative” – are adjectives, and notice how they added flavor to the preceding sentence. To write essays that work, know how to use adjectives effectively.

An adjective is a word that describes a noun (or a pronoun). That’s fairly easy to remember, right?

Go ahead and describe yourself, your best friend, your house, and your country. Below are sample sentences with adjectives:

“I am very ambitious and imaginative.”

“Ronaldo, my best friend, is so athletic he’d rather play than eat.”

“My house is the largest in our neighborhood.”

“The United States of America is rich and powerful.”

“ambitious”, “imaginative,” “best”, “athletic”, “largest”, “rich”, “powerful.”

Use your adjectives to add color, flavor, or life to your sentence.

For example, notice that this sentence is very plain and simple: “My dog ran behind the store.”

See what happens after we add adjectives: “My loyal dog ran behind the red store.”

The adjective “loyal” gives character to my pet, making him more relatable to readers, while “red” triggers the imagination so that readers could see the store in their mind.

Adjective Clause

Let’s make adjectives more interesting by talking about the adjective clause . In many cases, you need more than one word to describe a noun. An adjective clause makes use of a relative adverb or relative pronoun ( who, where, when, which, whom, whose , or  that ), a subject, and a verb to modify a noun. Take a look:

“America,  which is proud of its democracy,  always promotes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“Professional athletes,  who practice the most,  always turn up winners.”

“I am always happy  when I’m among friends .”

These sentences still have a complete thought without the adjective clause, but you have to agree that they make more sense with it.

“America always promotes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“Professional athletes always turn up winners.”

“I am always happy.”

An adjective clause provides more information to your readers. If you want to practice more by writing your own examples of sentences with an adjective clause, visit LingualBox and let one of their online tutors guide you. Also, ask about the adjective phrase, which is quite similar to the adjective clause.

Going back to adjectives, know that there are levels of description. Not all things are alike, and so you need different levels of descriptive adjectives to say exactly what you mean. For example, if you are describing two people, you will say this:

“John is a nice person, but Cynthia is much nicer.”

“I am good enough, but my cousin is definitely better.”

“Lebron James is a great basketball player, but fans agree that the late Kobe Bryant is greater.”

Comparative Form

Nicer, better, and greater – did you see what these words did to the sentence? These are adjectives in comparative form . You need them when comparing two nouns. However, when comparing a noun to more than two people or objects, you need to use adjectives in the superlative form . They are at the top of the scale.

“Among all my friends, I consider Jamal the nicest.”

“When it comes to math, my uncle is the best.”

“Many sports experts agree that Michael Jordan is the greatest NBA player ever.”

Regular Adjectives

Keep in mind, adjectives always come in scales: descriptive, comparative, superlative. For regular adjectives , you simply add a suffix or the words “more” and “most” before them to complete the scale.

Tall, taller, tallest

Short, shorter, shortest

Happy, happier, happiest

Amazing, more amazing, most amazing

Difficult, more difficult, most difficult

Beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful

Irregular Adjectives

Irregular adjectives, on the other, take on completely different words when going up the scale:

Good, better, best

Bad, worse, worst

Little, less, least

There are so many adjectives in the English vocabulary that we can’t write all of them here. Visit LingualBox to see more adjectives and how they look in their comparative and superlative forms.

There are indeed so many adjectives in the English vocabulary, and in most cases, you use more than one adjective to describe a noun. In such cases, keep in mind that you cannot just place a series of adjectives in the order you want them to come. Know the correct and proper adjective order. Here it is: determiner – opinion – size – shape – age – color – origin – material – purpose.

For example: “The pretty, large, square, 8-year-old, black, American, silver, running car belongs to me.”

This sentence is too long, and you may not need all of these adjectives most of the time, but just in case you do, this is the order they should come.

“A funny and lovely, gigantic, red, and blue French mascot.”

“An amazing, 10-year-old Swiss equipment.”

“The brave, young, American soldier.”

“A new gold shimmering coin.”

“The flat and round, Asian silver bullet.”

These are just some of the basic things you should know to begin using adjectives effectively in your sentences and compositions. Keep working on it by practicing, writing, and composing in English. There are more things to discover about adjectives, and so it is helpful if you stay connected with LingualBox .

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100+ Useful Words and Phrases to Write a Great Essay

By: Author Sophia

Posted on Last updated: October 25, 2023

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How to Write a Great Essay in English! This lesson provides 100+ useful words, transition words and expressions used in writing an essay. Let’s take a look!

The secret to a successful essay doesn’t just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points.

Useful Words and Phrases to Write a Great Essay

Overview of an essay.

Useful Phrases for Proficiency Essays

Developing the argument

• The first aspect to point out is that…
• Let us start by considering the facts.
• The novel portrays, deals with, revolves around…
• Central to the novel is…
• The character of xxx embodies/ epitomizes…

The other side of the argument

• It would also be interesting to see…
• One should, nevertheless, consider the problem from another angle.
• Equally relevant to the issue are the questions of…
• The arguments we have presented… suggest that…/ prove that…/ would indicate that…
• From these arguments one must…/ could…/ might… conclude that…
• All of this points to the conclusion that…
• To conclude…

Ordering elements

• Firstly,…/ Secondly,…/ Finally,… (note the comma after all these introductory words.)
• As a final point…
• On the one hand, …. on the other hand…
• If on the one hand it can be said that… the same is not true for…
• The first argument suggests that… whilst the second suggests that…
• There are at least xxx points to highlight.

Adding elements

• Furthermore, one should not forget that…
• In addition to…
• Moreover…
• It is important to add that…

Accepting other points of view

• Nevertheless, one should accept that…
• However, we also agree that…

Personal opinion

• We/I personally believe that…
• Our/My own point of view is that…
• It is my contention that…
• I am convinced that…
• My own opinion is…

Others’ opinions

• According to some critics… Critics:
• believe that
• suggest that
• are convinced that
• point out that
• emphasize that
• contend that
• go as far as to say that
• argue for this

Introducing examples

• For example…
• For instance…
• To illustrate this point…

Introducing facts

• It is… true that…/ clear that…/ noticeable that…
• One should note here that…

Saying what you think is true

• This leads us to believe that…
• It is very possible that…
• In view of these facts, it is quite likely that…
• Doubtless,…
• One cannot deny that…
• It is (very) clear from these observations that…
• All the same, it is possible that…
• It is difficult to believe that…

Accepting other points to a certain degree

• One can agree up to a certain point with…
• Certainly,… However,…
• It cannot be denied that…

Emphasizing particular points

• The last example highlights the fact that…
• Not only… but also…
• We would even go so far as to say that…

Moderating, agreeing, disagreeing

• By and large…
• Perhaps we should also point out the fact that…
• It would be unfair not to mention the fact that…
• One must admit that…
• We cannot ignore the fact that…
• One cannot possibly accept the fact that…

Consequences

• From these facts, one may conclude that…
• That is why, in our opinion, …
• Which seems to confirm the idea that…
• Thus,…/ Therefore,…
• Some critics suggest…, whereas others…
• Compared to…
• On the one hand, there is the firm belief that… On the other hand, many people are convinced that…

How to Write a Great Essay | Image 1

How to Write a Great Essay | Image 2

Phrases For Balanced Arguments

Introduction

• It is often said that…
• It is undeniable that…
• It is a well-known fact that…
• One of the most striking features of this text is…
• The first thing that needs to be said is…
• First of all, let us try to analyze…
• One argument in support of…
• We must distinguish carefully between…
• The second reason for…
• An important aspect of the text is…
• It is worth stating at this point that…
• On the other hand, we can observe that…
• The other side of the coin is, however, that…
• Another way of looking at this question is to…
• What conclusions can be drawn from all this?
• The most satisfactory conclusion that we can come to is…
• To sum up… we are convinced that…/ …we believe that…/ …we have to accept that…

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Best Words to Use in Good College Essays

Why is using good vocabulary so important in an essay?

Using strong vocabulary in college admissions essays is crucial to articulating your skills and competencies, but also central in showing admissions officers that you can express yourself clearly in written English. Although vocabulary may not be the main aspect of your essay that the admissions committee pays attention to, using appropriate and sophisticated vocabulary will nearly always make your essay more compelling. 

Choosing which vocabulary or words to use can be difficult for anyone but it can be even more challenging if English is not your first language. This article suggests some useful words to effectively describe yourself and your experiences when writing college admissions essays.

Table of Contents 

• How to Choose Vocabulary for College Admissions Essays

How to Choose Vocabulary Terms for College Applications Essays

Writing a college essay is all about describing who you are and how you fit into the school you are applying for. Therefore, an important question to ask yourself here would be “Who are you?” rather than trying to boast with elevated and “sophisticated” words that do not quite fit in your essay. It is recommended to first brainstorm and outline the aspects you would like to highlight about yourself in order to choose the right words to use.

Best Words to Use in College Admissions Essays

The following list of adjectives , verbs and nouns are the words commonly used in college admissions essays. Using these words will help you to effectively express yourself in a short essay of about 650 words. Let’s find out why they are effective terms using some specific examples within admissions essays. 

Adjectives to Use in Essays

Adjectives are words that provide information about a noun. When it comes to formatting college admissions essays , using strong adjectives will not only make your essay more visual and distinctive but also help you demonstrate that you can communicate well in English. The following adjectives signal to admissions officers that you are both a good college candidate and a capable writer.

Definition : Able to express ideas and feelings clearly in words

Example : I am an articulate writer and I always aim to intrigue audiences with my message using precise words.

Definition: Able to do things well

Example : Having part-time jobs during the semester helped me become capable at handling multiple things at once. 

Detail-oriented

Definition : Interested in and paying great attention to detail

Example : When working on a scientific report, taking a detail-oriented approach is crucial.

Definition : Giving a lot of attention to one particular thing

Example : My mentor encouraged me, saying that I would do well in college because I am very focused on my studies.

Goal-oriented

Definition : Laser-focused on achieving good results on given tasks

Example Today’s society is goal-oriented , requiring problems to be resolved quickly.

Inspirational

Definition : Making people feel full of hope or encouraged

Example : Students who share their stories of how they successfully completed degrees in foreign country are often inspirational to those who are planning to study abroad.

Definition : Very enthusiastic or determined out of a strong desire to do something

Example : Colleges often seek highly motivated people who will not readily drop out of courses.

Definition : Arranged according to a particular system

Example : My father is one of the most organized people I know, and there is no doubt that I inherited this attitude from him.

Definition : Based on or acting on good judgment and practical ideas or understanding

Example : My colleagues strongly agreed to adopt the sensible suggestions I made. 

Definition : Giving encouragement and/or providing support in the form of action

Example : Knowing that I am a supportive member of the student council, the teachers used to ask me to advocate on behalf of other students.

Verbs to Use in Essays

Verbs are used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. In college admissions essays, it is essential to choose verbs that would most appropriately describe your past experiences. Similar to verbs in resume and CVs , using appropriate verbs in your admissions essay can add to the detail and action, enthralling your reader and improving your chances of acceptance.

Definition : To succeed in finishing something or reaching an aim, especially following a significant amount of work or effort

Example : I aim to achieve my goals through continual academic and extracurricular efforts. 

Definition : To express a thought, feeling, or idea so that it is understood by other people

Example : I carefully chose my words to convey the proper amount of urgency about the matter.

Definition : To effectively organize so that all the parts work well together

Example : My role was to coordinate the reports from each department in school and send them to the principal.

Demonstrate

Definition : To clarify something by way of doing it in front of others

Example : As the leader of the after-school cooking club, I demonstrated each step of the recipe to introduce new menus. 

Definition : To improve or increase (especially a skill, feeling, or metric)

Example : Studying abroad was a great opportunity for me to enhance my communication skills.

Investigate

Definition : To examine a crime, problem, statement, etc. carefully, especially in order to discover the truth

Example : It is always important to investigate the terms and conditions before signing any contract.

Definition : To succeed in doing or dealing with something, especially something difficult

Example : After engaging in numerous debates, I managed to learn how to effectively communicate.

Definition : To (cause to) work, be in action or have an effect

Example : Having the ability to operate machines and systems is crucial for systems engineers.

Participate

Definition : To take part in an event or become involved in an activity or group

Example : Students are encouraged to actively participate in discussions and decision-making during the student council meeting.

Definition : To watch a person or activity to ensure that everything is done correctly, safely, and/or according to the rules or guidelines.

Example : I was responsible for supervising students during the event to prevent any possible accidents.

Nouns to Use in Essays

Many strong nouns exist that can be introduced in college admissions essays to help students better express their abilities, talents, achievements, etc. The following nouns will help you articulate the valuable experiences you had in the past and the abilities you gained accordingly. Be careful not to use nouns that you do not understand or that might not sound natural in your essay.

Definition : Something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person’s ability

Example: My challenge was to motivate the survey participants to provide honest responses.

Definition : Understanding of or information about a subject that you get by experience or study, either known by one person or by people generally

Example: Having relevant knowledge in a given field is a power that can only be unlocked through extended hands-on experiences. 

Opportunity

Definition : An occasion or situation that makes it possible to do something that you want to do or have to do, or the possibility of doing something

Example: I am honored to be given the opportunity to apply for this faculty position.

Definition : An ability to do an activity or job well, especially because you have practiced it

Example: Through various projects, I learned that communication skills are key when working with others. 

Definition : The action of working together in a group with other people; especially used when the action is successful

Example: Seamless teamwork can drive the most satisfactory outcomes.

If you are currently writing a college admissions essay, see our Admissions Resources page for articles on writing application essays to get into any school, including How to Answer the Common App Essay Prompts. And don’t forget to receive professional English proofreading services , including essay editing services for any of your application documents.

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Strong Words to Use in an Essay

Table of Contents

There are various strong words to use in an essay to make it a substantial piece of writing. These words are occasionally seen in academic papers assigned to students.

Writers can make writing memorable without resorting to clichés and trite phrases that pad the piece with fluff and cheap sentimentality.

Here are some strategies and strong words to use in an essay to make it a substantial piece of writing.

Words to Use in the Essay Introduction

Writing an engaging introduction can be daunting. This is because you need to grab the attention of your reader right away. The reader may decide not to continue reading the essay if the opening is weak.

That’s why it’s so crucial to consider the words you use in the introduction of your essay.

1. Hook for the introductory paragraph

Many students employ a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the entire essay.

Try some of these phrases when referring to another writer or speaker:

• To use the words of X
• According to X
• As X states

Near the conclusion of the introduction, you should present the thesis statement to describe the paper’s central argument.

2. How to start your thesis

If you are unsure of how to start your thesis, consider one of the following phrases:

• In this essay, I will
• The purpose of this essay
• This essay discusses
• In this paper, I put forward the claim that
• There are three main arguments for

Following your thesis’s introduction, you should introduce the evidence that will support it.

3. Introduction to Body Paragraph

The following phrases can be used to introduce the initial argument in a chain:

• To begin with
• First and foremost

You can use these phrases and words to write an engaging beginning that compels readers to keep reading.

4. Substantive Essay Words

In the essay’s body, you develop your main points and provide supporting details.

For the essay’s body, pick terms and phrases that clarify your stance and convince the reader that you’ve done the necessary research.

Let’s examine a variety of terms and phrases that can be used in the main body of an essay.

5. Transitional Words and Phrases

A strong essay will smoothly progress from one point of argument to the next.

You must smoothly transition between thoughts to avoid confusing your reader. Transitional phrases and linking words let readers move smoothly between arguments. They add a polished air to your writing.

The best transition is to go from one notion to another that serves the same purpose in the larger argument. When introducing a new related idea, try one of these phrases:

• In addition
• Another critical thing to remember
• In the same way

The transitional technique of restatement is another option. Restating complex concepts in less technical language can be helpful for the reader. Use the following phrases when restating an idea:

• In other words
• To put it another way
• That is to say
• To put it more simply

6. Strong words to give examples

Providing examples is a great way to make your message clear to the reader. Use the following phrases to illustrate what you have just said:

• To give an illustration of
• For instance
• To exemplify
• As evidence
• To demonstrate

There will be occasions when you need to elaborate on the meaning of your words.

7. Conclusion based on evidence

Use these phrases when forming a conclusion based on the data you’ve presented:

• As a result
• As you can see
• For this reason
• For all of those reasons
• Consequently

8. Supporting Phrases & Words

Use the following phrases to introduce a concept that reinforces one you’ve already mentioned or adds another vital element to the same argument:

• What’s more
• To say nothing of
• Another key point

9. Strong words to use when contrasting viewpoints

It isn’t uncommon to want to give an opposing viewpoint on a contentious issue. The following phrases can be used when contrasting two concepts:

• On the one hand / on the other hand
• In contrast to
• On the contrary
• By contrast
• In comparison

10. For fresh perspective

Finally, you can use the following sentences to provide a new perspective that conflicts with your earlier argument:

• Having said that
• Differing from
• With this in mind
• Provided that
• Notwithstanding

Essays that succeed use various logical arguments. In the body of your essay, you can employ any number of the transitions mentioned above to establish a firm, understandable framework.

Great Verbs for Use in Academic Writing

Clear essays rely heavily on the use of strong verbs. Often, a subtle message can be communicated by using the appropriate verb.

Use active, specific verbs to give your writing power and movement. Avoid using a generic verb in favor of a more specific one wherever possible. Here are some strong verbs to employ in your next paper.

• Accommodate

Best Adjectives and Adverbs to use in Academic Essays

As they tend to fill sentences with extraneous detail, you should use adjectives and adverbs sparingly in essays.

Nonetheless, adjectives and adverbs can elevate your writing from merely enough to very outstanding if you pick them carefully.

Adjectives can be helpful when trying to convince readers that your research or argument is worthwhile . Several adverbs that put the attention in the right place are as follows:

• Significant

Sometimes you’ll need an adverb to emphasize how unhelpful or ineffectual a discovery or argument is. To emphasize the negative, consider the following adjectives:

• Controversial
• Insignificant
• Questionable
• Unnecessary
• Unrealistic

Words to Use in Your Essay Conclusion

You should summarize the points you’ve made and restate your thesis in the final paragraph of your paper.

Try incorporating some of the following essay words into your last paragraph:

• In conclusion
• To summarize
• On the other hand
• Given the above
• All things considered

In the conclusion of your essay, you should not only restate the main points you made in the body. You can also add any last thoughts or findings. Provide your concluding thoughts and some food for the reader’s imagination.

Use the following essay words to draw attention to a specific idea or piece of evidence:

• Unquestionably
• Undoubtedly
• Particularly
• Importantly
• Conclusively
• On the whole

Use these final phrases to wrap up your essay with authority and conviction.

Wrapping Up

Academic essays require a certain amount of formality. This means that we can’t always utilize the same word choices we would use daily.

The correct words may make or break an essay. If you can use appropriate strong words throughout your essay, you will demonstrate that you can deliver a well-organized essay.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Word of the day

Word of the Day: rancorous

This word has appeared in 40 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?

By The Learning Network

rancorous \ ˈræŋkərəs \ adjective

: showing deep-seated resentment

Listen to the pronunciation.

The word rancorous has appeared in 40 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 18 in “ The Department of Homeland Security Is Embracing A.I. ” by Cecilia Kang:

The Department of Homeland Security has seen the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence firsthand. It found a trafficking victim years later using an A.I. tool that conjured an image of the child a decade older. But it has also been tricked into investigations by deep fake images created by A.I. … The plan to incorporate generative A.I. throughout the agency is the latest demonstration of how new technology like OpenAI’s ChatGPT is forcing even the most staid industries to re-evaluate the way they conduct their work. Still, government agencies like the D.H.S. are likely to face some of the toughest scrutiny over the way they use the technology, which has set off rancorous debate because it has proved at times to be unreliable and discriminatory.

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the word rancorous in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

If you want a better idea of how rancorous can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com . You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes .

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com . Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary . See every Word of the Day in this column .

7 Cara Terbaik untuk Mempersingkat Esai

• Tim Redaksi Smodin
• Diterbitkan: 14 Mei 2024

Apakah Anda menghapus banyak kata dan paragraf dari esai Anda tetapi masih tidak melihat perubahan jumlah kata? Baik Anda memenuhi jumlah kata yang ketat atau menyempurnakan pesan Anda, mengurangi panjang esai tanpa mengorbankan kualitas konten dapat menjadi tantangan.

Untungnya, selain hanya menargetkan jumlah kata minimum, ada beberapa solusi yang cukup sederhana, seperti menggunakan kecerdasan buatan, melakukan penelitian menyeluruh, dan memangkas kata-kata yang tidak perlu. Tapi masih ada lagi.

Dalam panduan ini, kami akan membongkar beberapa tips praktis untuk membantu Anda membuat esai Anda ringkas dan berdampak. Saatnya membuat setiap kata berarti!

7 Cara Terbaik Untuk Mempersingkat Esai

Berikut rincian rinci tentang cara terbaik untuk mempersingkat esai Anda:

1. Gunakan kecerdasan buatan

Ketika kita berbicara tentang penulisan akademis, kecerdasan buatan (AI) dapat membawa perubahan besar, terutama dalam hal mengurangi panjang esai Anda.

Alat seperti Smodin dapat membantu membuat konten Anda lebih ringkas sekaligus meningkatkan kualitas secara keseluruhan. AI dapat membantu Anda mempersingkat esai Anda melalui metode berikut:

• Penulisan ulang otomatis : Alat penulisan ulang AI dapat memformulasi ulang konten yang ada agar lebih lugas dengan tetap mempertahankan makna aslinya.
• Penyederhanaan kalimat : Algoritma dapat menganalisis kalimat Anda dan menyarankan alternatif yang lebih sederhana, membantu menghilangkan informasi yang berlebihan dan mengurangi jumlah kata.
• Bantuan penelitian : Platform tertentu memiliki alat penelitian bertenaga AI yang memungkinkan Anda mengumpulkan informasi paling relevan dengan cepat. Ini memastikan bahwa setiap kata dalam esai Anda berkontribusi pada argumen Anda tanpa bahan pengisi yang tidak perlu.
• Pemeriksaan plagiarisme : Memastikan esai Anda bebas plagiarisme sangatlah penting. Misalnya, alat pendeteksi plagiarisme Smodin membantu Anda mengidentifikasi dan mengganti konten yang disalin dengan ekspresi asli dan ringkas.
• Umpan balik instan : Menerima saran real-time tentang cara menyederhanakan teks Anda, dengan fokus pada hal-hal penting untuk mengomunikasikan pesan Anda secara efektif.
• Pembuatan referensi : Secara otomatis menghasilkan dan menyisipkan kutipan dalam format yang benar, yang membantu menghemat waktu Anda sekaligus menjaga integritas akademis esai Anda dan membuatnya tetap singkat.

2. Identifikasi Kata-kata yang Tidak Perlu dan Hapus

Salah satu cara paling sederhana namun efektif untuk mempersingkat esai Anda adalah dengan mengidentifikasi dan menghilangkan kata-kata yang tidak perlu.

Pendekatan ini membantu mengurangi jumlah kata dan mempertajam argumen Anda, sehingga membuat tulisan Anda lebih menarik. Anda dapat mengidentifikasi dan menghapus kata tambahan dengan melakukan hal berikut:

• Temukan frasa yang bertele-tele : Seringkali, frasa dapat diringkas tanpa kehilangan makna. Misalnya, frasa “karena” dapat diganti dengan “karena”. Waspadai frasa bertele-tele yang menambah jumlah kata secara sia-sia.
• Hapus frasa preposisi yang tidak perlu : Frasa preposisi bisa jadi berlebihan atau menambahkan detail yang tidak perlu. Evaluasi apakah frasa ini menambah nilai atau hanya kata tambahan. Memotongnya dapat membuat kalimat menjadi lebih lugas.
• Hindari redundansi : Pasangan yang berlebihan seperti “sangat penting” atau “rencana masa depan” dapat direduksi menjadi satu kata tanpa kehilangan nilai informasinya.
• Pangkas kata sifat dan kata keterangan yang berlebih : Kata sifat dan kata keterangan dapat membuat tulisan menjadi lebih baik tetapi juga dapat menyebabkan deskripsi yang berlebihan. Gunakan dengan hemat, terutama jika kata-kata tersebut tidak memberikan arti tambahan pada kata benda dan kata kerja yang diubahnya.
• Lebih sedikit kata; dampak yang lebih besar : Bertujuan untuk singkatnya dengan menggunakan lebih sedikit kata untuk mengungkapkan ide yang sama. Ini akan membantu mengurangi jumlah kata sekaligus membuat tulisan Anda lebih bermakna dan jelas.

3. Kencangkan Struktur Kalimat

Memperketat struktur kalimat sangat penting untuk membuat esai Anda lebih ringkas dan mudah dibaca. Gunakan suara aktif untuk membuat tulisan Anda lebih jelas dan dinamis. Hal ini sangat penting dalam penulisan akademis, karena Anda harus langsung pada pokok permasalahan dengan cepat.

Dalam esai akademis, peralihan dari kalimat pasif ke kalimat aktif dapat mempersingkat dan memperkuat kalimat Anda. Misalnya, daripada menulis, “Percobaan dilakukan oleh siswa”, Anda dapat mengatakan, “Siswa yang melakukan percobaan.” Hal ini mengurangi jumlah kata dan menempatkan tindakan langsung dengan subjek, sehingga membuat kalimat Anda lebih langsung.

Menggabungkan dua kalimat terpisah menjadi satu dapat menyederhanakan ide Anda dan mengurangi redundansi. Carilah peluang di mana kalimat-kalimat dapat digabungkan tanpa kehilangan maknanya. Misalnya, “Dia yang menulis buku itu. Itu menjadi buku terlaris.” dapat diutarakan ulang menjadi “Dia menulis buku yang menjadi buku terlaris.”

Selain itu, hindari kualifikasi dan pengubah yang tidak perlu yang tidak menambahkan informasi penting. Kalimat sering kali terhambat oleh tambahan-tambahan ini, membuatnya berantakan dan panjang.

4. Lakukan Riset Menyeluruh

Saat menulis esai, penelitian ekstensif dapat membuat hasil akhir menjadi jauh lebih singkat. Riset yang efektif membantu Anda mengumpulkan informasi tepat yang relevan dengan topik Anda. Ini berarti Anda akan menulis lebih langsung dan menghindari elaborasi yang tidak perlu. Inilah cara Anda dapat melakukan penelitian secara efektif:

• Tentukan ruang lingkup penelitian Anda : Tentukan informasi apa yang penting untuk argumen. Langkah awal ini akan membantu Anda memfokuskan upaya penelitian dan mencegah data yang tidak relevan.
• Identifikasi sumber-sumber utama : Mulailah dengan database ilmiah dan jurnal akademis yang menawarkan artikel tinjauan sejawat. Sumber-sumber ini memberikan informasi yang kredibel dan otoritatif yang penting untuk penulisan akademis.
• Gunakan kata kunci yang tepat : Saat mencari informasi, gunakan kata kunci spesifik yang berkaitan dengan topik esai Anda. Ketepatan di sini akan membantu menemukan artikel dan studi yang paling relevan, sehingga mengurangi waktu yang dihabiskan untuk membaca yang tidak perlu.
• Evaluasi sumber : Menilai relevansi dan keandalan setiap sumber. Periksa tanggal publikasi untuk memastikan informasi terkini dan relevan dengan topik Anda.
• Buat catatan secara efisien : Saat Anda meneliti, catat poin-poin penting, kutipan, dan referensi. Atur catatan ini sesuai dengan bagian esai Anda untuk mempercepat penulisan.
• Sintesis informasi : Gabungkan informasi dari berbagai sumber untuk membangun argumen yang kuat. Ini akan memungkinkan Anda menulis secara komprehensif dan dengan lebih sedikit kata, karena setiap kalimat memiliki bobot lebih.

5. Perbaiki Struktur Paragraf Anda

Merampingkan paragraf dapat membuat esai Anda lebih pendek dan lebih mudah dicerna oleh pembaca. Dengan paragraf yang terstruktur dengan baik, Anda dapat fokus pada satu ide yang didukung oleh pernyataan yang ringkas.

Mulailah setiap paragraf dengan kalimat topik yang dengan jelas menyatakan gagasan utama. Kalimat ini menentukan arah dan nada, memberi tahu pembaca apa yang diharapkan. Ini juga membantu memastikan bahwa setiap kalimat berikutnya berhubungan langsung dengan gagasan utama.

Padatkan informasi pendukung dengan menggabungkan ide-ide yang hidup berdampingan secara logis dalam satu kalimat atau frasa. Setelah itu, evaluasi setiap kalimat kontribusinya terhadap gagasan utama paragraf. Hapus semua informasi yang diulang-ulang atau terlalu detail.

Fokus pada pemberian bukti dan penjelasan yang secara langsung mendukung poin utama. Anda juga harus mengakhiri setiap paragraf dengan kalimat yang memperkuat gagasan utama dan berpotensi menghubungkan ke paragraf berikutnya. Hal ini menciptakan transisi yang mulus dan menjaga esai tetap fokus dan kohesif.

6. Sempurnakan Pendahuluan dan Kesimpulan

Bagian-bagian ini membingkai esai Anda dan memengaruhi persepsi argumen Anda. Berikut beberapa cara untuk membuatnya tetap ringkas namun efektif.

Pendahuluan harus menarik dan ringkas, dengan jelas menyatakan tujuan dan ruang lingkup esai Anda. Mulailah dengan sebuah hook yang menarik perhatian pembaca, diikuti dengan informasi latar belakang yang menentukan konteksnya. Gabungkan pernyataan tesis Anda sejak awal, idealnya di akhir pendahuluan.

Kesimpulannya perlu memperkuat tesis. Ringkaslah poin-poin penting dalam esai dan tunjukkan bagaimana poin-poin tersebut mendukung tesis. Berikan pemikiran akhir yang membuat pembaca memiliki sesuatu untuk direnungkan.

Selain itu, ingatlah untuk tetap rapat – kesimpulan bukanlah tempat untuk memperkenalkan ide-ide baru. Ini harus merangkum apa yang Anda sajikan dan mendorong pembaca untuk mengajukan pertanyaan mereka sendiri.

7. Edit dan Koreksi

Jaga agar esai Anda tetap ringkas dan bebas kesalahan dengan mengalokasikan waktu yang cukup untuk mengedit dan mengoreksi. Proses ini mengamati pekerjaan Anda pada tingkat yang berbeda, mulai dari keseluruhan struktur hingga pilihan kata dan tanda baca. Inilah cara Anda melakukannya:

Mulailah dengan membaca keseluruhan makalah Anda untuk merasakan alur dan koherensinya. Periksa apakah semua paragraf mendukung pernyataan tesis Anda dan apakah transisi bagian berjalan lancar. Hal ini akan membantu Anda menemukan area di mana argumentasinya mungkin lemah, atau kata-katanya bisa lebih jelas.

Fokus selanjutnya pada struktur paragraf. Pastikan setiap paragraf melekat pada satu gagasan utama dan semua kalimat secara langsung mendukung gagasan tersebut. Hapus kalimat yang berulang atau tidak relevan yang tidak memberi nilai tambah.

Kemudian, carilah kejelasan dan gaya. Ganti kata-kata rumit dengan alternatif yang lebih sederhana untuk menjaga keterbacaan. Jaga nada bicara Anda tetap konsisten di seluruh makalah. Sesuaikan panjang dan struktur kalimat untuk meningkatkan alur dan membuatnya lebih menarik.

Koreksi cetakan percobaan

Proofreading dilakukan setelah pengeditan. Fokusnya di sini adalah menangkap kesalahan pengetikan, kesalahan tata bahasa, dan format yang tidak konsisten. Yang terbaik adalah mengoreksi dengan pandangan yang segar, jadi pertimbangkan untuk istirahat sebelum langkah ini.

Gunakan alat seperti pemeriksa ejaan, tetapi jangan hanya mengandalkan alat tersebut. Bacalah esai Anda dengan lantang atau mintalah orang lain mengulasnya. Mendengar kata-katanya dapat membantu Anda menangkap kesalahan yang mungkin Anda lewatkan.

Terakhir, periksa kesalahan tanda baca dan pastikan semua kutipan dan referensi diformat sesuai dengan gaya akademik yang disyaratkan. Hal ini dan semua hal di atas adalah area di mana AI dapat membantu menyelesaikan pekerjaan dengan cepat dan tepat.

Mengapa Anda Mungkin Perlu Mempersingkat Esai Anda

Pernah mendengar ungkapan “less is more”? Kalau soal penulisan akademis, biasanya begitu. Menjaga esai Anda tetap ringkas menawarkan beberapa manfaat:

• Meningkatkan kejelasan : Esai yang lebih pendek memaksa Anda untuk fokus pada poin utama dan argumen kritis, sehingga mengurangi risiko keluar topik. Kejelasan ini membuat tulisan Anda lebih berdampak dan mudah diikuti pembaca.
• Memenuhi batas kata : Banyak tugas akademik yang memiliki jumlah kata maksimal. Belajar mengekspresikan pikiran Anda secara ringkas membantu Anda tetap berada dalam batasan ini tanpa mengorbankan konten penting.
• Menghemat waktu : Bagi penulis dan pembaca, esai yang lebih pendek membutuhkan waktu lebih sedikit untuk ditulis, direvisi, dan dibaca. Efisiensi ini sangat berharga dalam lingkungan akademis dimana waktu biasanya terbatas.
• Meningkatkan keterlibatan : Pembaca cenderung tetap tertarik dengan dokumen yang langsung pada intinya dengan cepat. Teks yang panjang dapat menghalangi pembaca, terutama jika konten tersebut memiliki kata-kata yang tidak perlu atau poin-poin yang mubazir.
• Meningkatkan keterampilan menulis : Memperpendek esai membantu menyempurnakan keterampilan menulis Anda. Anda menjadi lebih baik dalam mengidentifikasi dan menghilangkan kesalahan, dengan berfokus pada apa yang benar-benar memberi nilai tambah pada makalah Anda.

Secara keseluruhan, menerapkan gaya penulisan yang lebih ringkas membantu Anda memenuhi persyaratan akademis dan memoles keterampilan komunikasi Anda.

Mengapa Menggunakan Smodin Untuk Mempersingkat Esai

Menggunakan platform bertenaga AI seperti Smodin untuk mempersingkat esai Anda adalah metode paling sederhana dan paling tidak memakan waktu. Inilah mengapa Anda mungkin harus menjadikan Smodin sebagai penyingkat esai Anda:

• Efisiensi : Smodin memudahkan proses pengeditan, menggunakan algoritma canggih untuk dengan cepat mengidentifikasi area di mana konten dapat diringkas tanpa kehilangan makna.
• Ketepatan : Dengan AI-nya yang kuat, Smodin memastikan esensi esai Anda tetap utuh sekaligus menghilangkan kata-kata yang tidak perlu, membuat tulisan Anda lebih tepat.
• Mudah digunakan : Smodin mudah digunakan, sehingga dapat diakses bahkan oleh mereka yang tidak terlalu paham teknologi. Antarmukanya yang mudah dipahami memungkinkan navigasi dan pengoperasian yang lancar.

persembahan Smodin

• Penulis ulang : Tersedia dalam lebih dari 50 bahasa, alat ini membantu menulis ulang teks menjadi lebih ringkas.
• Penulis Artikel : Membantu menyusun artikel yang tajam dan to the point.
• Plagiarisme dan Kutipan Otomatis : Memastikan esai Anda asli dan dikutip dengan benar, yang merupakan hal penting dalam penulisan akademis.
• Deteksi Bahasa : Mengidentifikasi bahasa teks, memastikan penyesuaian yang tepat dilakukan untuk kejelasan.

Semua alat ini dan banyak lagi yang menjadikan Smodin pilihan tepat bagi akademisi yang ingin mempersingkat panjang esai mereka.

Final Thoughts

Jumlah kata bisa sangat memusingkan, terutama ketika Anda perlu mengatakan banyak hal dengan sedikit kata. Untungnya, dengan mengidentifikasi kata-kata yang tidak perlu, memperketat kalimat, dan menggunakan alat seperti Smodin, Anda dapat membuat esai Anda ringkas tanpa kehilangan maknanya. Ingat, esai yang lebih pendek tidak hanya memenuhi batasan kata; dan jelas, lebih menarik, dan lebih mungkin membuat pembaca Anda tetap terlibat.

Tetap singkat, tetap manis, dan buat setiap kata berarti! Memulai secara gratis sekarang dengan Smodin.