List of Adjectives with Articles (Usage and Examples)

Discover how small words like “a,” “an,” and “the” can make a big difference. Learn how to describe things clearly with adjectives. Explore the list of adjectives with articles, along with their examples in sentences.

Use of articles with adjectives

Articles are little words (like “a,” “an,” and “the”) that we use with nouns to give more information about them. When we want to use an adjective (a word that describes or gives more details about a noun) with the noun, we usually need to put the right article before the adjective and the noun.

1. A/An (Indefinite Articles): We use “a” before singular countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound, and we use “an” before singular countable nouns that begin with a vowel sound.

The choice of whether to use “a” or “an” depends on the first sound of the adjective following the article. If the adjective starts with a consonant sound, use “a.” If the adjective starts with a vowel sound, use “an.”

Examples:

a big house (using “a” with the adjective “big” and the noun “house”)
an old book (using “an” with the adjective “old” and the noun “book”)

2. The (Definite Article): We use “the” before a noun when we are talking about a specific thing or when both the speaker and the listener know which thing we are referring to.

In the case of adjectives, the definite article “the” is used with adjectives when the adjective is referring to something specific or unique.

Examples:

the tall boy (using “the” with the adjective “tall” and the noun “boy,” referring to a specific tall boy)
the blue car (using “the” with the adjective “blue” and the noun “car,” referring to a specific blue car)

Some examples of adjectives with a proper article

1. an adorable puppy – The adjective “adorable” modifies the noun “puppy,” and the article “an” is used because “adorable” starts with a vowel sound.

2. an interesting movie: The adjective “interesting” modifies the noun “movie,” and the article “an” is used because “interesting” starts with a vowel sound.

3. the tall tree: We use “the” before the adjective “tall” and the noun “tree” because we are talking about a specific tree, the tall one that we probably mentioned or both the speaker and listener already know about.

4. the beautiful flowers: Here, “the” is used before the adjective “beautiful” and the noun “flowers” to refer to specific flowers that are beautiful. The context or previous conversation likely establishes which flowers are being discussed.

5. an old house: We use “an” before the adjective “old” and the noun “house” to refer to any old house, not a specific one. We use “an” because the adjective “old” starts with a vowel sound (“o”).

6. a delicious cake: In this example, “a” is used before the adjective “delicious” and the noun “cake” to refer to any delicious cake, not a specific one. “Delicious” starts with the consonant sound (“d”).

Examples of adjectives with articles in sentences

Here are some sentences using adjectives with articles along with nouns:

Indefinite Articles (a, an):

I saw a big elephant at the zoo.

She has a small dog as a pet.

It’s an interesting movie; you should watch it.

He lives in an old house in the countryside.

My brother bought a new car yesterday.

She wore a beautiful dress to the party.

He is a clever student who always gets good grades.

She’s an intelligent woman with a lot of knowledge.

The cheetah is a fast animal that can run incredibly quickly.

The tortoise is a slow creature that moves at a leisurely pace.

Definite Article (the):

The tall giraffe reached for leaves on the tree.

The short man greeted us with a smile.

I love the blue color of the sky on a sunny day.

The gardener takes care of the green plants in the botanical garden.

The young children played happily in the playground.

The old oak tree has been standing for centuries.

We were impressed by the happy faces of the kids at the party.