What kinds of adjectives appear in 1st grade?

Colors, sizes, numbers, and feelings: red, big, three, happy. They sit right beside their nouns in short sentences, which makes them findable. Fancier describing words and comparisons (bigger, biggest) arrive in the next grades.

My child underlines the noun instead of the adjective. Help?

Ask the two questions in order: what's the thing? (hat), then what kind of hat? (red). Separating the naming job from the describing job usually clears it up within a few sheets.

1st grade identifying adjectives

1st grade identifying adjectives worksheets

An adjective describes a noun: the red hat, a big dog, three eggs. First graders find the describing word sitting next to the naming word, usually answering what kind or how many.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.1.1.f.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll get

Underline every adjective in each sentence.

The ant digs a deep hole in the dirt.
Answer: deep
Her room is neat and sunny.
The red bird sings to us.

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 1st grade sheet

1st grade sheets draw from 113 sentences, 12 to a page. 45 of the 113 aren't on 2nd grade sheets. The other 68 are. 2nd grade sheets print 10 to a page.

Some of the words to find:

bigsmallbluehotkindbig sweetbig coldsunnygraylast

Identify. Underline every adjective in each sentence. 12 questions per page.
Multiple choice. Circle the letter of the word that is an adjective. 10 questions per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Use the which-one test: say the noun alone (the hat), then ask which hat? The word that answers (red!) is the adjective. First graders love being noun detectives; keep sentences short and let them underline with confidence before you confirm.

Watch for: Adjectives usually come before the noun, but not always: in 'The soup is hot', hot still describes the soup. A, an, and the are their own small group (articles). We don't count them as describing words on these sheets.

Common questions about 1st grade identifying adjectives

What kinds of adjectives appear in 1st grade?: Colors, sizes, numbers, and feelings: red, big, three, happy. They sit right beside their nouns in short sentences, which makes them findable. Fancier describing words and comparisons (bigger, biggest) arrive in the next grades.
My child underlines the noun instead of the adjective. Help?: Ask the two questions in order: what's the thing? (hat), then what kind of hat? (red). Separating the naming job from the describing job usually clears it up within a few sheets.

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Aligned to Common Core L.1.1.f. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated October 2026.

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