Adjectives and adverbs are parts of speech and are used to provide additional information about other words.

Adjectives and adverbs are also known

as content words - words that provide important information in sentences. Sometimes students are not sure when to use an adverb or an adjective.
This short guide provides an overview and rules to using both adjectives and adverbs.
Adjectives
Adjectives Modify Nouns
Adjectives are placed directly before a noun:
Examples:
Tom is an excellent singer.
I bought a comfortablechair.
She's thinking about buying a newhouse.
Adjectives are also used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be'. In this case, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence:
Examples:
Jack is happy.
Peter was very tired.
Mary'll be excited when you tell her.
Adjectives are used with sense verbs or verbs or appearance (feel, taste, smell, sound, appear and seem) to modify the noun which comes before
the verb:
Examples:
The fish tasted awful.
Did you see Peter? He seemed very upset.
I'm afraid the meat smelled rotten.
Adverbs
Adverbs Modify Verbs, Adjectives and Other Adverbs
Adverbs are easily recognized because the end in '-ly' (with a few exceptions!):
Examples:
Adjective -> careful / Adverb -> carefully
Adjective -> quick / Adverb -> quickly
Adverbs are often used at the end of a sentence to modify the verb:
Examples:
Jack drove carelessly.
Tom played the match effortlessly.
Jason complained about his classes constantly.
Adverbs are used to modify adjectives:
Examples:
They seemed extremelysatisfied.
She paid increasinglyhigh prices.
I was suddenlysurprised by Alice.
Adverbs are also used to modify other adverbs:
Examples:
The people in the line moved incrediblyquickly.
She wrote the report unusuallyneatly.
Adjective Placement
Adjectives describe nouns. Often, writers use only one adjective to describe a noun either by placing the adjective in front of the noun or by using
a stative verb and placing the adjective at the end of the sentence. For example:
He's an excellent teacher.
She seems very shy.
Sometimes, more than one adjective is used to describe a noun. In this case, English speakers use a specific adjective order when placing each
adjective. Each adjective is separated by a comma. For example:
He drives an big, expensive, German car.
Her employer is an interesting, old, Dutch man.
When using more than one adjective to describe a noun place the adjectives in the following order before the noun.
NOTE: We usually use no more than three adjectives preceding a noun.
1. Opinion
Example: an interesting book, a boring lecture
2. Dimension
Example: a big apple, a thin wallet
3. Age
Example: a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin
4. Shape
Example: a square box, an oval mask, a round ball
5. Color
Example: a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat
6. Origin
Example: some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car
7. Material
Example: a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy
Here are some examples of nouns modified with three adjectives in the correct order based on the list above. Notice that the adjectives are not
separated by commas.
A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin)
A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - color)
A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - color - material)
Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)