Order of Adjectives

Order of adjectives

We sometimes put more than one adjective before a noun. Their order is as follows:

1. Number or quantity (one, two…, a few, many…)
2. Opinion or quality (nice, ugly, beautiful)
3. Size (large, small, short)
4. Shape (round, square)
5. Age (two-year-old, young)
6. Color (yellow, brownish)
7. Origin (Italian, Medieval)
8. Material (wooden, glass)
9. Purpose (cooking, driving)

We normally separate adjectives with commas, and we use determiner (a, the, this, those, my, their, some…) before an adjective + noun phrase:

Two beautiful, tall, fifteen-year-old, Australian twin sisters.

A beautiful, small, wooden table.

This new, brownish, Italian piano.

Some round, green, metal, cooking spoons.

Exercise:

Put the adjectives in their natural order:

1. Silky / white / trousers.
2. Yellow and green / long / curtains.
3. Blond / tall / woman
4. Big / plastic / round / spoon.
5. Funny / three / black and white hats.

(Key: 1. White, silky trousers. 2. Long, yellow and green curtains. 3. Tall, blond woman. 4. Big, round, plastic spoon. 5. Three funny, black and white hats.)

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