We use adjectives to describe words - modify nouns and pronouns in order to provide more information about a person, thing, or place. This also makes your writing more interesting and helps you be more specific in expressing your thoughts.
Generally, we place 2-3 adjectives in front of a noun, but there are some rules that help us decide on the order of these adjectives.
Rule 1: We place opinion adjectives (nice, good, beautiful, etc. - those that express one's opinion) before fact adjectives (old, big, metal, etc. - those that provide factual information).
Rule 2: We place general adjectives (old, hot, small, etc.) before more specific or identifying adjectives (wooden, Irish, layered, etc.).
Rule 3: We connect the final two adjectives with the word and if they come after a linking verb (be, become, feel, seem, etc.).
Rule 4: We connect two adjectives of the same type with the word and if they come before a noun.
Note: The order of the adjectives black and white is fixed.
Although we rarely use more than 3 adjectives in a row, here's the complete rule on how to place them in order:
| Order | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | opinion | beautiful |
| 2 | size | small |
| 3 | physical quality | blond |
| 4 | shape | round |
| 5 | age | young |
| 6 | color | blue |
| 7 | origin | Italian |
| 8 | material | paper |
Quiz
1/4Place the adjectives in the correct order. A ___ (big, red) car.