8.2 Adjectives: order

When we have more than one adjective before a noun, these adjectives normally go in a specific order.

 

Opinion adjectives are always put before fact adjectives, while the order of fact adjectives depends on the facts they describe.

 

The usual order of adjectives is presented below:

 

General

opinion

Specific

opinion

Size
Nice

Funny

Intelligent

Tasty

Large

Small

 

Quality Age Shape
Clever

Happy

Old

Young

Round

Square

 

Color Origin Material
Green

White

African

Polish

Paper

Glass

 

Recently I’ve been to a small German town (size → origin).

 

Every fashion-monger should have a small black dress (size → color).

 

That’s a lovely young grey kitten (opinion → age → color).

 

I have a beautiful French wool sweater (opinion → origin → material).

 

Tom is a nice, intelligent young man (general opinion → specific opinion → age).

 

My grandmother has an old round wooden table in the country (age → shape → material).

 

Note: in English you should not put more than three adjectives in a row before a noun