Nouns as Adjectives Worksheet – 99 Items, Answer Key

Q: Is there an answer key?

Yes. It prints as the last page unless you untick Add an answer key as the last page under More options. It circles the right answer under every item of the sheet you print.

All 99 items

Make it short 49

a bag for school = a ___ bag
a basket for picnics = a ___ basket
a bed for flowers = a ___ bed
a bell on a bike = a ___ bell
a book about birds = a ___ book
a bottle for water = a ___ bottle
a box for toys = a ___ box
a bus for school trips = a ___ bus
a cake for a wedding = a ___ cake
a cake made with carrots = a ___ cake
a class about music = a ___ class
a club for reading books = a ___ club
a coach for tennis = a ___ coach
a coat made of wool = a ___ coat
a cup made of paper = a ___ cup
a dish for soap = a ___ dish
a doctor for animals = an ___ doctor
a fair about science = a ___ fair
a farm with chickens = a ___ farm
a game played with cards = a ___ game
a garden full of roses = a ___ garden
a glove for baseball = a ___ glove
a jar for cookies = a ___ jar
a lamp for the desk = a ___ lamp

Show all 99 items (75 more)

Make it short, continued

a lesson about history = a ___ lesson
a light on the street = a ___ light
a map of the city = a ___ map
a park for dogs = a ___ park
a party for a birthday = a ___ party
a pie made with apples = an ___ pie
a pie made with pumpkin = a ___ pie
a race run by horses = a ___ race
a ring for keys = a ___ ring
a salad of fruit = a ___ salad
a sandwich made with cheese = a ___ sandwich
a shirt for summer = a ___ shirt
a shop that sells shoes = a ___ shop
a stop for the bus = a ___ stop
a store that sells toys = a ___ store
a story about ghosts = a ___ story
a table in the kitchen = a ___ table
a teacher of piano = a ___ teacher
a team that plays soccer = a ___ team
a ticket for the train = a ___ ticket
a tree that grows oranges = an ___ tree
a trip to the zoo = a ___ trip
a truck that fights fires = a ___ truck
a vacation in winter = a ___ vacation
soup made with chicken = ___ soup

Noun or adjective? 50

The big bus is yellow. (big)
The birthday party was noisy. (birthday)
The bright light is on. (bright)
The cheese sandwich was good. (cheese)
The clean cup is on the table. (clean)
The cold bottle is full. (cold)
The fire truck was loud. (fire)
The fresh pie smells sweet. (fresh)
The garden hose is long. (garden)
Grandma baked a sweet pie. (sweet)
Grandma baked an apple pie. (apple)
The green hose is in the yard. (green)
He read a ghost story. (ghost)
He read a scary story. (scary)
The heavy coat is warm. (heavy)
I lost my house key. (house)
I lost my shiny key. (shiny)
I love chicken soup. (chicken)
I love hot soup. (hot)
The kitchen table is round. (kitchen)
The loud party kept us up. (loud)
My gentle teacher smiled. (gentle)
My piano teacher is kind. (piano)
The new store is closed. (new)
Our soccer team won. (soccer)
Our strong team won. (strong)
The paper cup is empty. (paper)
The pumpkin pie smells sweet. (pumpkin)
The red truck was loud. (red)
The round table is in the kitchen. (round)
The school bus is yellow. (school)
The science fair is today. (science)
She wore a warm hat. (warm)
She wore a wool hat. (wool)
The small fair is today. (small)
The street light is on. (street)
The tasty sandwich was gone. (tasty)
The toy store is closed. (toy)
The water bottle is full. (water)
We planted a rose bush. (rose)
We planted a tiny bush. (tiny)
We played a card game. (card)
We played a long game. (long)
We took a short ride. (short)
We took a train ride. (train)
We visited the city zoo. (city)
We visited the large zoo. (large)
We waited at the bus stop. (bus)
We waited at the busy corner. (busy)
The winter coat is warm. (winter)

How this list was compiled: Written by hand for this page: 99 items. In one set a phrase (a shop that sells shoes) is shortened to a noun that describes another noun, and only the singular form without an apostrophe fits (a shoe shop). In the other set the word in brackets is tagged as a noun doing an adjective's job (the bus stop) or a true adjective (the big bus). The rule that a noun used this way is usually singular follows Wikipedia's Noun adjunct article, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun_adjunct, read 2026-09-23. No person, brand or character is named. Licence: own work

How it works

A noun can describe another noun: chicken soup, a bus stop, a toy store. Each sheet draws 8 of our 99 items, and the noun that describes almost always stays singular: a shoe shop, not a shoes shop.

Read the full guide

Two sets

Set picks one. Make it short (49 items) turns a phrase into two nouns: a box for toys = a toy box, with toy, toys and toy's to choose from. Noun or adjective? (50) asks about the word in brackets: the bus stop against the big bus.

The very test

Put very in front of the word. A true adjective still works (a very big bus); a noun does not (a very bus stop).

Questions and answers

What is a noun used as an adjective?

A noun that sits in front of another noun and tells what kind: apple pie, winter coat, science fair. Grammar books also call it a noun adjunct or a noun modifier.

Why is it a shoe shop and not a shoes shop?

A noun that describes another noun usually stays singular, even when it means more than one: a toy box holds many toys. A few set phrases keep a plural, which is why our items avoid them.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. It prints as the last page unless you untick Add an answer key as the last page under More options. It circles the right answer under every item of the sheet you print.