Describing a desert: adjectives and adverbs
An adjective describes a noun: a huge dune, a hot day, an empty desert. An adverb describes a verb. It tells us how something is done: the camels walked slowly, the men spoke quietly. Many adverbs are an adjective plus -ly: slow becomes slowly, quiet becomes quietly, silent becomes silently. Writers use adjectives and adverbs to help the reader see, hear and feel a place. A desert can be beautiful, but it can also be dangerous, so we always go with a guide and take plenty of water and shade. Read our text and find the adjectives and adverbs.
| Adjective (describes a noun) | Adverb (describes a verb) |
|---|---|
| slow camels | The camels walk slowly. |
| quiet men | The men speak quietly. |
| silent night | The wind blows silently. |
| careful guide | The guide drives carefully. |
Last winter we visited the Western Desert with a guide. The dunes were huge and golden. The sky was clear and the sun was hot, so we drank water often and sat in the shade. In the afternoon, a small caravan of camels walked slowly past us. The camels were calm and the men spoke quietly. At night the desert was silent, and the sky was full of bright stars. It was a magical place, and our guide told us never to walk alone.
Guess my place. The child thinks of a place and describes it with three adjectives and one adverb, for example: It is big and green. People walk slowly there. The grown-up guesses. Then change places.