Usual Word Order of Adjectives
An Adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives follow a particular order:
In (a), two adjectives (large and red) modify a noun (car). An adjective describing sized (large) comes before color (red):
(a) a large red carThe adjective beautiful express an opinion. Opinions adjectives usually come before all other adjectives:
(b) INCORRECT: a red large car
(c) a beautiful young womanIn (c), opinion precedes age.
(d) a beautiful red car
(e) a beautiful Greek island
In (d), opinion precedes color.
In (e), opinion precedes nationality.
There are many opinion adjectives. The words in (f) are examples of common opinion adjectives:
(f) OPINION ADJECTIVES
dangeraous | favorite | important | ||
difficult | good | interesting | ||
dirty | happy | strong | ||
expensive | honest | wonderful |
USUAL WORD ORDER OF ADJECTIVES
(1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OPINION | SIZE | AGE | COLOR | NATIONALITY | MATERIAL | |||||
beautiful | large | young | red | Greek | metal | |||||
delicious | tall | old | blue | Chinese | glass | |||||
kind | little | middle-aged | black | Mexican | plastic |
A noun is usually modified by only one or two adjectives, although sometimes there are three:
(g) some delicious Mexican foodIt is very rare to find a long list of adjectives in front of a noun:
(h) a small glass vase
(i) a kind old Chinese man
(j) RARE:
a beautiful small old brown Greek metal coin
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