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Year 1 English — Describing words

Find the word that tells you what someone or something is like.

Name: ________________________

Before you start

Four shapes, and each one has a describing word in its name. Find out how each shape is described.

1234
  1. 1. A big square
  2. 2. A small square
  3. 3. A tall triangle
  4. 4. A short triangle

Take the describing word away and nobody knows which shape you mean.

  1. 1.Write the describing word: "She wore a yellow hat."

  2. 2.Match each describing word to the thing it fits.

    • sour
    • sweet
    • salty
    • spicy
    • a chilli
    • a lemon
    • honey
    • the sea

  3. 3.Match each describing word to what it tells you.

    • red
    • round
    • huge
    • sour
    • a taste
    • a colour
    • a shape
    • a size

  4. 4.Which one is a describing word?

    • a) shiny
    • b) jump
    • c) chair
    • d) run

  5. 5.Sort each describing word.

    Groups: How it feels · How it tastes

    • smooth
    • soft
    • sour
    • rough
    • bitter
    • sweet

  6. 6.Which word describes the ball? "I have a red ball."

    • a) I
    • b) red
    • c) ball
    • d) have

  7. 7.Which word describes the dog? "The big dog barked."

    • a) The
    • b) barked
    • c) big
    • d) dog

  8. 8.Sort each word by the job it does.

    Groups: Naming word · Describing word

    • tiny
    • river
    • soft
    • green
    • cat
    • table

Answer key — Year 1 English — Describing words

  1. 1. yellow
  2. 2. sour → a lemon; sweet → honey; salty → the sea; spicy → a chilli
  3. 3. red → a colour; round → a shape; huge → a size; sour → a taste
  4. 4. a) shiny
  5. 5. soft → How it feels; sweet → How it tastes; rough → How it feels; sour → How it tastes; smooth → How it feels; bitter → How it tastes
  6. 6. b) red
  7. 7. c) big
  8. 8. cat → Naming word; soft → Describing word; table → Naming word; green → Describing word; river → Naming word; tiny → Describing word