Order of Adjectives

Order of Adjectives in English (the Complete Guide with Examples)

The order of adjectives in English follows a clear pattern, but many learners are unsure how to use multiple adjectives correctly. Why do we say a beautiful old stone house and not a stone old beautiful house? In this complete guide, you’ll learn the correct adjective order rules, clear examples, and practical tips for B2 First and C1 Advanced exams.

Let’s break it down clearly and thoroughly.

Why Does Adjective Order Matter?

Adjectives describe nouns. When we use more than one adjective before a noun, English follows a fairly fixed order.

Incorrect order sounds unnatural — even if the grammar is technically correct.

Compare:

• She bought a lovely small French wooden table. ✅
• She bought a wooden French small lovely table. ❌

The second sentence isn’t grammatically “wrong” in structure — but it sounds strange.

That’s because English follows a specific pattern.

The Standard Order of Adjectives

When multiple adjectives appear before a noun, they usually follow this order:

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose → Noun

Let’s look at each category carefully.

Opinion

This is how someone feels about something. These adjectives are subjective.

Examples: beautiful, lovely, horrible, fantastic, boring, interesting, delicious

Example:

• a wonderful film
• a terrible mistake

Opinion adjectives usually come first.

Size

These describe how big or small something is.

Examples: big, small, tiny, huge, tall, short, enormous

Example:

• a small cottage
• a huge crowd

Age

How old something is.

Examples: old, young, new, ancient, modern, medieval

Example:

• an old castle
• a new car

Shape

Examples: round, square, rectangular, flat, thin, narrow

Example:

• a round table
• a long corridor

Colour

Examples: red, blue, green, black, white, golden

Example:

• a black jacket
• a white horse

Origin

Where something comes from.

Examples: British, Italian, French, Asian, African

Example:

• an Italian restaurant
• a British writer

Material

What something is made of.

Examples: wooden, metal, plastic, silk, cotton, stone

Example:

• a wooden chair
• a silk dress

Purpose

This tells us what something is used for. It often acts like a noun used as an adjective.

Examples: sleeping (bag), running (shoes), dining (room), washing (machine)

Example:

• a sleeping bag
• running shoes

Purpose usually comes just before the noun.

Let’s Put It All Together

Example:

She bought a

beautiful (opinion)

small (size)

old (age)

round (shape)

brown (colour)

Italian (origin)

wooden (material)

coffee (purpose)

table (noun).

That sounds natural. Change the order — and it sounds awkward.

A Simpler Memory Trick for Order of Adjectives

Many learners use the acronym:

OSASCOMP

Opinion

Size

Age

Shape

Colour

Origin

Material

Purpose

It’s not poetic — but it works.

Important Notes (Advanced Level)

Not All Adjectives Follow Strictly

In real life, speakers sometimes vary the order for emphasis.

For example:

• a big beautiful house
• a beautiful big house

Both are possible, but one may sound slightly more natural depending on rhythm and emphasis.

Commas and Adjective Types

When adjectives belong to the same category, we separate them with commas.

• a long, exhausting, stressful day

But when adjectives belong to different categories, we don’t use commas.

• a beautiful old house
  (not: beautiful, old house)

Limiting Adjectives Come First

Words like: my, your, this, that, some, three come before descriptive adjectives.

• my beautiful old house
• those small wooden boxes

Common Mistakes Learners Make

❌ a red big car

✅ a big red car

❌ a leather black jacket

✅ a black leather jacket

❌ an Italian delicious meal

✅ a delicious Italian meal

Notice how opinion usually comes first.

Order of Adjectives in Exams

In B2 First and C1 Advanced, adjective order appears in:

• Writing tasks (descriptions)
• Use of English
• Key Word Transformations
• Open Cloze

Incorrect adjective order won’t usually cause total loss of marks, but it can reduce your score for “Language” and “Accuracy”.

Natural order signals advanced control.

Practice Examples

Which is correct?

1. a charming little old village
2. a little old charming village

Correct answer: 1

Why? Opinion → Size → Age → Noun

Another:

1. a French beautiful painting
2. a beautiful French painting

Correct answer: 2

Opinion → Origin → Noun

Final Thoughts

Order of adjectives may seem like a small detail — but it makes a big difference.

It’s one of those areas where fluent speakers don’t think… they just know. But now you know the system behind it.

Once you start noticing it in books, films, and conversations, you’ll see the pattern everywhere.

And when you use it correctly, your English will sound smoother, more confident, and more natural.

Order of Adjectives in English – Practice Worksheet downloadable PDF 

FAQ – Order of Adjectives

What is the correct order of adjectives in English?

The standard order is: Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose → Noun.

What is the OSASCOMP rule?

OSASCOMP is a memory aid that helps learners remember adjective order categories.

Is adjective order important in Cambridge exams?

Yes. Incorrect adjective order can reduce your score for accuracy in writing tasks.

Related posts:

Adjectives ending in -ed and -ing

Adjectives to describe people’s character

Adjectives to describe places

Word order in English

How to write about your hometown

How to write an essay for C1 Advanced

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