Identifying Adjectives Worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve this worksheet step by step. The goal is to identify the word(s) used as adjectives in each sentence and circle them. Adjectives describe nouns (people, places, things, or ideas), while adverbs often describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

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1. When John saw the gigantic spacecraft hovering over his house, he nearly passed out.

- gigantic → describes *spacecraft* (a noun) → adjective
- hovering → describes *spacecraft* but is a present participle acting as a verb (part of the phrase "hovering over") → not an adjective here
- nearly → modifies *passed out* (a verb) → adverb
- spacecraft → noun

✔ Adjective: gigantic

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2. Mary slumped at the keyboard. Would she never master this difficult piece?

- keyboard → noun
- difficult → describes *piece* (a noun) → adjective
- master → verb
- never → adverb modifying *would master*

✔ Adjective: difficult

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3. With its flashing lights and blaring sirens, the police car was not easy to miss.

- flashing → describes *lights* → adjective
- blaring → describes *sirens* → adjective
- easy → describes *to miss* — but it's describing the action ("not easy to miss"), so it's modifying a clause. However, "easy" is an adjective describing how something is (the difficulty of missing the car). It's an adjective used in a subject complement.
- sirens → noun

✔ Adjectives: flashing, blaring, easy

> Note: “Flashing” and “blaring” are participles used as adjectives. “Easy” is an adjective in the phrase “not easy to miss.”

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4. The light rain was pleasant as it misted her face.

- light → describes *rain* → adjective
- rain → noun
- pleasant → describes *rain* (subject complement) → adjective
- misted → verb (past tense)

✔ Adjectives: light, pleasant

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5. No meal is complete without a spectacular dessert to go with it.

- meal → noun
- complete → describes *meal* (subject complement) → adjective
- spectacular → describes *dessert* → adjective
- dessert → noun

✔ Adjectives: complete, spectacular

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6. When Rhonda woke the next morning she was in an awful temper.

- work → not in sentence
- next → describes *morning* → adjective
- awful → describes *temper* → adjective
- temper → noun

✔ Adjectives: next, awful

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✔ Final Answers:

1. gigantic
2. difficult
3. flashing, blaring, easy
4. light, pleasant
5. complete, spectacular
6. next, awful

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🔍 Explanation Summary:

- Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.
- Words like *light*, *difficult*, *gigantic*, *flashing*, *blaring*, *pleasant*, *complete*, *spectacular*, *awful*, and *next* all modify nouns.
- Words like *nearly*, *never*, *misted* are not adjectives — they are adverbs or verbs.

You should circle the correct words in each sentence on the worksheet.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version with answers circled!