Adjective Order

Introduction
In English, it is common to use more than one adjective before a noun for example, He's a silly young fool, or She's a smart, energetic woman. When you use more than one adjective, you have to put them in the right order, according to type. This page will explain the different types of adjectives and the correct order for them.

1. The basic types of adjectives

An opinion adjective explains what you think about something

Opinion

(other people may not agree with you). For example: silly, beautiful, horrible, difficult A size adjective, of course, tells you how big or small

Size

something is. For example: large, tiny, enormous, little An age adjective tells you how young or old something or

Age

someone is. For example: ancient, new, young, old

Shape

A shape adjective describes the shape of something. For example: square, round, flat, rectangular A colour adjective, of course, describes the colour of

Colour

something. For example: blue, pink, reddish, grey

Origin

An origin adjective describes where something comes from. For example: French, lunar, American, eastern, Greek A material adjective describes what something is made from. For example: wooden, metal, cotton, paper

Material

A purpose adjective describes what something is used for.

Purpose

These adjectives often end with -ing. For example: sleeping (as in sleeping bag), roasting (as in roasting tin)

2. Some examples of adjective order

Opini on
a silly hu ge sm all

Siz e

Age
you ng

Sha pe

Colo ur

Orig in
Engli sh

Mate rial

Purp ose
ma n

rou nd red

metal sleep ing

bo wl ba g

When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.

Choose the correct answer for each sentence.

Choose the correct word-order for each noun phrase. Show questions one by one 1. Which is the correct order? A. B. C. D. ? ? ? ? a cotton dirty old tie a dirty old cotton tie a dirty cotton old tie an old cotton dirty tie

2. Which is the correct order?

A. B. C. D.

? ? ? ?

a serving small Japanese bowl a small Japanese serving bowl a small serving Japanese bowl a Japanese small serving bowl

3. Which is the correct order? A. B. C. D. ? ? ? ? an old wooden square table a wooden old square table an old square wooden table a square wooden old table

4. Which is the correct order? A. B. C. D. ? ? ? ? a thin small Canadian lady a small Canadian thin lady a Canadian small thin lady a small thin Canadian lady

5. Which is the correct order? A. B. C. D. ? ? ? ? a bit plastic red hat a big red plastic hat a red big plastic hat a plastic big red hat

6. Which is the correct order? A. B. C. D. ? ? ? ? a blue beautiful sailing boat a beautiful blue sailing boat a sailing beautiful blue boat a blue sailing beautiful boat

7. Which is the correct order?

A. B. C. D.

? ? ? ?

an exciting new French band a French new exciting band an exciting French new band an new French exciting band

8. Which is the correct order? A. B. C. D. ? ? ? ? a new carving steel knife a new steel carving knife a steel new carving knife a carving steel new knife