Order of adjectives

How to order adjectives in English

In many languages, adjectives denoting attributes usually occur in a specific order. Generally, the
adjective order in English is:

1. Quantity or number
2. Quality or opinion
3. Size
4. Age
5. Shape
6. Color
7. Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material)
8. Purpose or qualifier
For example:

1. I love that really big old green antique car that always parked at the end of the street.
2. My sister adopted a beautiful big white bulldog.
When there are two or more adjectives that are from the same group, the word and is placed
between the two adjectives:

1. The house is green and red.

2. The library has old and new books.
When there are three or more adjectives from the same adjective group, place a comma between
each of the coordinate adjectives:

1. We live in the big green, white and red house at the end of the street.
2. My friend lost a red, black and white watch.
A comma is not placed between an adjective and the noun.
 Order of adjectives – examples
Purpose
Quantity or Quality or Proper
Determiner Size Age Shape Color or Noun
number opinion adjective
qualifier

A beautiful old Italian sports car

The three beautiful little gold plates

red
heart-
An amazing and sofa
shaped
white

More examples:

1. I love that really old big green antique car that always parked at the end of the street. [quality –
age – size – color – proper adjective]
2. My sister has a big, beautiful, tan and white, bulldog. [size – quality – color – color]
3. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
4. A big square blue box. [dimension – shape – color]
5. A disgusting pink plastic ornament. [opinion – color – material]
6. Some slim new French trousers. [dimension – age – origin]
7. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
8. I bought a pair of black leather shoes. [color – material]

Sometimes you need to use two or more adjectives to describe something or someone. Part
of becoming fluent in English is knowing which order to use these adjectives in. Choose the
most natural-sounding response:
1. He was wearing a ________ shirt. 1

dirty old flannel

flannel old dirty

old dirty flannel

2. Pass me the ________ cups. 2

plastic big blue

big blue plastic

big plastic blue

3. All the girls fell in love with the ________ teacher. 1

handsome new American

American new handsome

new handsome American

4. I used to drive ________ car. 3

a blue old German

an old German blue

an old blue German

5. He recently married a ________ woman. 2

young beautiful Greek

beautiful young Greek

beautiful Greek young

6. This is a ________ movie. 3

new Italian wonderful

wonderful Italian new

wonderful new Italian

7. She is a ________ supermodel. 1

beautiful slim Brazilian

Brazilian beautiful slim

 slim Brazilian beautiful

8. It's in the ________ container. 1

large blue metal

blue large metal

blue metal large

9. He sat behind a ________ desk. 2

big wooden brown

big brown wooden

wooden big brown

10. She gave him a ________ vase. 3

small Egyptian black

black Egyptian small

small black Egyptian