Adjective order is the order of adjective in which
two or more adjectives appear in front of a noun phrase. These adjectives have
specific order to place in a sentence when more than one adjective are supposed
to be used. See the following table to understand the adjective order. The
table follows solution of class 12 unit 20 English text book prescribed by NEB.
Table to understand order of
adjective
|
S.N. |
Adjectives |
Example |
|
1. |
Determiner |
A, an, the, his, her, etc. |
|
2. |
Quantity or number |
Some, few, many, one, two, fifty, etc. |
|
3. |
Quality or opinion |
nice, beautiful, excellent, etc. |
|
4. |
Size |
Big, enormous, large, great, huge, etc. |
|
5. |
Age |
old, elderly, senior, ancient, young, matured, etc. |
|
6. |
Shape |
Circular, curved, flat, square, straight, vertical, etc. |
|
7. |
Color |
Green, red, violet, yellow, blue, etc. |
|
8. |
Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin,
or material) |
Japanese, French, American, Nepalese, plastic, wooden, etc. |
|
9. |
Purpose or qualifier |
running shoes, sleeping bag, cooking, etc |
Grammar
Adjective order
|
A. Study the following qualifiers
used with the word ‘house.’ |
A house
A large
house
A large
white house
A large
old white house
A beautiful
large old white house
A beautiful
large old rectangular white house
|
B. Choose the correct alternative. |
a. an old foreign car/a foreign old
car
Ans: an old foreign car
[age + nationality + noun]
b. a beautiful white dress/ a white
beautiful dress.
Ans: a beautiful white dress
[opinion + color + noun]
c. a nice tall young man/a tall nice
young man
Ans: a nice tall young man
[opinion + size + noun]
d. a big black wooden desk/ a black
wooden big desk
Ans: a big black wooden desk
[opinion + color + material + noun]
e. a delicious Italian pizza/ an
Italian delicious pizza
Ans: a delicious Italian pizza
[opinion + nationality + noun]
f. a huge brown bear/a brown huge
bear
Ans: a huge brown bear
[size + color + noun]
g. a purple cotton sleeping bag/ a
cotton purple sleeping bag
Ans: a purple cotton sleeping
bag
[color + material + purpose + noun]
h. a beautiful old Indian village/an
old beautiful Indian village
Ans: a beautiful old Indian
village
[opinion + age + noun]
i. a cute little kitten/ a little
cute kitten
Ans: a cute little kitten
[opinion + size + noun]
j. an expensive antique table/an
antique expensive table
Ans: an expensive antique table
[opinion + age + noun]
|
C. Put the adjectives in the
following sentences in the correct order. |
a. I bought (red/ a /comfortable/new)
scooter.
Ans: I bought a comfortable new red
scooter.
[opinion + age + color]
b. She reached home and sat on
(relaxing/old/her/wooden) chair.
Ans: She reached home and sat on her
old wooden relaxing chair.
[opinion + age + material]
c. We ate (Chinese/delicious/some)
food.
Ans: We ate some delicious Chinese
food.
[quantity + opinion + nationality]
d. I need
(golden/delicious/some/round) apples.
Ans: I need some delicious round
golden apples.
[quantity + opinion + shape + color]
e. We like to live in a
(calm/unmediated/remote) place for some time.
Ans: We like to live in a calm unmediated
remote place for some time.
f. She is wearing (silver/beautiful /
a(n)/ old) ring.
Ans: She is wearing a beautiful old
silver ring.
[opinion + age + color]
g. I am looking for
(golden/stylish/a/Japanese) watch.
Ans: I am looking for a stylish golden
Japanese watch.
[opinion + color + nationality]
h. She dropped
(old/china/attractive/a(n)) cup and smashed it.
Ans: She dropped an attractive old
china cup and smashed it.
[opinion + age + nationality]
i. He wants to marry
(young/pretty/educated/a(n)/rustic) girl.
Ans: He wants to marry a pretty
young educated rustic girl.
j. We stayed in a (luxurious/five
star/new) hotel in Dubai.
Ans: We stayed in a luxurious five
star new hotel in Dubai.