TOEIC® Adjectives in English: The Complete Guide to Stop Making Mistakes
Flow Exam team
In English, adjectives modify a noun and are placed before it or after a linking verb.
In the TOEIC®, they mainly appear in Part 5, where you must choose between an adjective, an adverb, or a noun based on the sentence structure.
The main pitfall is confusing an adjective with an adverb when the context requires modifying a verb (for example, choosing "quick" instead of "quickly" after an action verb). In fact, this is where many people get tripped up because the 4 options provided look extremely similar.
The 3 Key Positions for Adjectives in the TOEIC®
In the TOEIC®, you need to identify the adjective's position to select the correct choice. Three cases come up constantly.
Position 1: Before the noun
The adjective is placed directly before the noun it modifies.
- "We need an experienced manager for this position."
Position 2: After a linking verb
Verbs like be, seem, become, remain, appear are followed by an adjective (not an adverb).
- "The results seem promising for the next quarter."
Position 3: After certain verbs with object complements
Certain verbs (make, keep, find, consider) can be followed by an object and then an adjective.
- "The new policy made employees confident about their future."
In Part 5, questions test your ability to identify which position is used in the sentence. If you see an action verb (work, perform, increase), you must choose an adverb, not an adjective.
Adjective Order (The Recurring Trap)
When multiple adjectives modify the same noun, they follow a specific order.
In the TOEIC®, this order is rarely tested directly, but it shows up in Part 7 (Reading Comprehension) sentences and can cause confusion if you aren't familiar with it.
The classic order is as follows:
| Position | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opinion | beautiful, excellent, impressive |
| 2 | Size | large, small, tiny |
| 3 | Age | new, old, recent |
| 4 | Shape | round, square, flat |
| 5 | Color | blue, red, green |
| 6 | Origin | French, Japanese, American |
| 7 | Material | wooden, plastic, metal |
- "We purchased a beautiful large new wooden desk for the office."
Most test takers don't know this order by heart. And that's normal.
What matters in the TOEIC® is not getting thrown off when you read a sentence with multiple adjectives. If it sounds strange, it's probably because the order is incorrect (but this is quite rare in official questions).
Adjectives vs. Adverbs: The Confusion That Costs Points
This is THE number 1 source of errors in Part 5 regarding adjectives. The 4 options often include the adjective, the adverb, and two derived forms (noun or verb).
Simple Rule:
- Adjective = modifies a noun or follows a linking verb
- Adverb = modifies an action verb, an adjective, or another adverb
Even among candidates who already have access to a preparation platform through their school, this confusion comes up constantly. The reason is simple: these tools emphasize the rule but rarely focus on developing the reflex needed under pressure.
With Flow Exam, you can practice directly on the "Adjectives" topic in the exact same format as the TOEIC®. So if you struggle with this topic, you will never make the same mistakes again.
The most common traps:
| Frequent Error | Correction | TOEIC® Context |
|---|---|---|
| The team worked efficient. | The team worked efficiently. | Action verb (worked) → adverb |
| She is highly skilled. | 's Correct | Adverb modifying an adjective (skilled) |
| The process was relatively quick. | 's Correct | Adverb (relatively) + adjective (quick) after "was" |
| He completed the task quick. | He completed the task quickly. | Action verb (completed) → adverb |
TOEIC® Tip: if you see an action verb in the sentence, look for the adverb (often ending in -ly 80% of the time). If you see "be/seem/become/appear," look for the adjective.
Hyphenated Adjectives in the TOEIC®
Hyphenated adjectives are formed by two words connected by a hyphen. They appear regularly in TOEIC® emails, announcements, and reports.
The cases you will see most often:
Adjective + noun + -ed
- "We offer full-time positions with benefits."
Number + noun (singular)
- "She signed a three-year contract with the company."
Warning: the noun remains singular even if the number is greater than 1. You say "a three-year contract," not "a three-years contract."
Adverb + past participle
- "The well-known consultant will attend the meeting."
Adjective + present participle
- "The fast-growing market attracts many investors."
Hyphenated adjectives are mostly tested in Part 7, where you need to understand descriptions of products, services, or internal policies. If you see a hyphen between two words before a noun, it is likely a hyphenated adjective.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The mistakes I see most often among candidates preparing for the TOEIC®, along with the correction and the reflex to adopt.
| Mistake | Why it's wrong | TOEIC® Reflex |
|---|---|---|
| The meeting was success. | "Success" is a noun, not an adjective. | After "was" → adjective: "successful" |
| She speaks English fluent. | "Fluent" is an adjective, but "speaks" is an action verb. | Action verb → adverb: "fluently" |
| It's a five-years plan. | The noun remains singular in a hyphenated adjective. | Number + singular noun: "five-year plan" |
| The report is high accurate. | "High" is an adjective; it cannot modify another adjective. | Adverb + adjective: "highly accurate" |
Based on our experience with the candidates we coach, most of these errors disappear after 50 to 100 targeted questions on adjectives.
The real problem isn't understanding the rule. It's applying it automatically when you only have 30 seconds per question.
Checklist before confirming your Part 5 answer:
- Have you identified the word to be modified (noun, verb, adjective)?
- If it's a verb, is it a linking verb (be, seem) or an action verb (work, increase)?
- If it's an action verb, have you chosen the adverb?
- If it's a noun or a linking verb, have you chosen the adjective?
What we regularly observe across our students: those who use this checklist gain precision and speed. After two weeks, the reflex becomes automatic.
Ready to Practice?
Adjectives make up a significant portion of Part 5 questions in the TOEIC®, and it's a topic where you can progress quickly with the right training.
On Flow Exam, you can practice this specific topic for Part 5, with thousands of questions in the exact format used in the official TOEIC®.
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