The order of adjectives in an English sentence is important. All of the phrases below would be incorrect if the word order was any different.

This is a guide. The order may vary, especially the physical description adjectives 5-9. We don’t usually need more than two adjectives per noun.

Activity: each phrase begins with a determiner and ends with a noun. Write a number above the words in between to show their order.

Order of Adjectives in English

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Answers:

a) my first (2) completed (7) report

b) that flowery (7) cotton (11) dress

c) a nice (4) long (5) nap

d) a few middle-aged (6) Geordie (10) guys

e) her round (8) silver (9 or 11) locket

f) two small (5) Gap (10) t-shirts

g) our heart-shaped (8) swimming (12) pool

h) a very (3) interesting (4) conversation

i) the next (2) big (5) thing

j) his beloved (4) eighty-year-old (6) grandma

k) an extremely (3) peculiar (4) birthday (12) present

l) eight spacious (8) Greek (10) apartments

m) each really (3) warm (7) sleeping (12) bag

n) another brand new (6) red (9) skirt

o) a baggy (8) woollen (11) jumper

p) the latest (2) Indesit (10) refrigerator

q) some blue (9) plastic (11) drinking (12) straws

r) these broken (7) wooden (11) toy (12) cars

s) the last (2) Norah Jones (10) album

t) Jack’s trendy (4) ripped (7) black (9) jeans

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