Identifying adjectives that add information about nouns or pronouns and adverbs that modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs, then choosing the form that fits a sentence.
Where your child meets this in real life: Choosing precise descriptions and modifiers so that writing clearly conveys what people, places, things and actions are like.
Grammar is questions 6 to 10 of the English section in each SEAG paper. They are multiple choice, such as choosing the word that correctly completes a sentence.
SEAGReady breaks adjectives and adverbs into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Identify adjectives that add information about a noun or pronoun, including adjectives before a noun and after a linking verb, while tracking the exact word being described.
Identify adverbs that modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs and may express manner, time, place, frequency or degree, using meaning and sentence function rather than an ending alone.
Choose an adjective or adverb form by checking what the gap modifies and how the verb functions, including linking-verb complements, adverbs without -ly and adjectives ending in -ly.
Try three free questions from our adjectives and adverbs course. They start easy and get harder, so you can see where your child's confidence runs out. If they manage the last one without a hint, this topic is probably secure. If not, the steps above show where to start.
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Read this sentence: 'Although the footpath was narrow, it looked surprisingly safe.'
Which adjective after 'looked' describes the footpath?
The pronoun 'it' refers back to the footpath, so the words after 'looked' tell us about that footpath.
Step 1 of 5
Read this sentence: 'Although the footpath was narrow, it looked surprisingly safe.'
Which adjective after 'looked' describes the footpath?
'Safe' is the adjective after 'looked'; it describes the footpath referred to by 'it'.
The key insight: An adjective may sit before a noun or follow a linking verb such as 'be', 'feel', 'look', 'smell' or 'seem'. Track the noun or pronoun it describes instead of relying on position.
Common mix-up: Choosing 'surprisingly' because it ends in -ly and sits beside the description. 'Surprisingly' modifies the adjective 'safe'; it does not supply the description itself. The footpath looked safe, so 'safe' is the requested adjective.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in adjectives and adverbs, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with adjectives and adverbs? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
Sitting the SEAG test this November? Read our last-month revision plan, Paper 1 vs Paper 2 and test day guide.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.
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