Grammar-Quizzes › Modifiers to Nouns › Adjective Summary › Adjective Order
Adjective Order
Arrange modifiers in natural sounding word order
A pretty, little, purple-and-pink
paisley pussycat
Descriptive Groups
Positioning of adjectives before a noun usually follow this order.
| EVALUATION/ OPINION | APPEARANCE/ QUALITY | AGE/ PERIOD | COLOR/ PATTERN | ORIGIN/ MATERIAL | TYPE / FUNCTION |
| SIZE/ MEASURE | GEOGRAPHICAL | TYPE | |||
beautiful |
big / large |
new-born |
red |
French |
|
good |
narrow / wide |
old |
green |
Mexican |
1st class |
bad |
small / little |
young |
blue |
Chinese |
multi-purpose |
ugly |
low / high |
new |
light-yellow |
beach |
wireless |
interesting |
long / short |
antique |
striped |
mountain |
HD / 3-D |
fascinating |
light / heavy |
ancient |
dark blue |
oceanic |
men's |
| SHAPE | ORIGIN | FUNCTION | |||
intelligent |
round |
five-year-old |
deep purple |
solar |
|
pretty |
triangular |
brand-new |
pink |
nuclear |
hunting |
unsightly |
square |
five-day-old |
brown |
molecular |
cooking |
| CONDITION | MATERIAL | ||||
foul |
tarnished |
century-old |
rose |
plastic |
walking |
stupid |
chipped |
mature |
olive |
ceramic |
running |
silly |
broken |
middle-age |
aqua |
cotton |
dancing |
ridiculous |
rotten |
teenage |
lime |
paper |
front-loading |
easy |
shiny |
prehistoric |
polka-dot |
gold |
off-road |
Also called pre-nominal modifiers; and pre-head modifiers – the linguistic term for modifiers placed before the head noun in a clause
The adjective word order shown above occurs with a small amount of variation. Preference for particular word order is influenced by the speech of friends, community members, and media personalities in news, in commercials, in songs, and so on. In addition, word order is influenced by the ability to recall and retrieve words when describing a stored visual image.
More word-order variation tends to occur with the first three categories (Opinion, Appearance, Age) than the last three (Color, Origin, Type). When in doubt, ask a native speaker, who will most likely have a strong opinion about which order sounds natural. The chart above is a guide. The categories are not "written in stone".
Related page: Using hyphens with modifiers
Adjective Order Examples
Review eight descriptive sentences
Eight Examples of Adjective Order (Word order may vary.)
| SENTENCE-QUESTION | EVALUATION-OPINION | APPEARANCE-QUALITY | AGE-PERIOD | COLOR-PATTERN | ORIGIN-MATERIAL | TYPE-FUNCTION | NOUN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Who left this |
foul, |
rotten, |
two-week-old |
|
|
|
banana? |
The artist created a |
fantastic, |
huge, mobius-shaped, |
|
shiny, |
stainless-steel |
sculpture. |
|
They wore a |
beautiful, |
life-size, |
|
red-and-yellow |
feathered, Chinese-dragon |
costume. |
|
Olodum is a |
powerful, |
hypnotic, energetic, |
|
|
Brazilian, |
Samba-reggae |
ensemble. |
He wore some |
mod / fab |
|
1960s, |
red-flowered, patterned, |
cotton, |
bell-bottom, discotheque |
pants. |
He was an |
intelligent, |
|
young, |
black, |
Portuguese, |
water / hunting |
dog. |
This is my |
sleek, |
|
new, |
black, |
|
HD (high definition) |
iPad. |
She chose a |
cute, |
|
|
pink, |
|
girls', Hello Kitty, bowling |
ball. |
Speakers rarely use more than three or four adjectives before a noun unless they are trying to give a very detailed description.
*Nominal modifiers (Noun Modifiers or -ing modifiers) may usually be restated as a prepositional phrase: for hunting, for girls, by Sanrio ©, by Swiss Army © (a post-nominal prep. phrase).
Adjectives for "Appearance"
Notice Word Order Variation
Variations for Appearance: size, shape, and condition
| SENTENCE | APPEARANCE 1 | APPEARANCE 2 | APPEARANCE 3 | NOUN PHRASE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
We picked a |
gigantic (size) |
round (shape) |
ripe (condition) |
tomato. |
|
ripe (condition) |
large / medium-sized / small (size) |
heart-shaped (shape) |
|
|
round (shape) |
ripe (condition) |
jumbo (size) |
|
ripe (Adj) – ready to pick and to eat
A person's preference for word order may vary with the use of a synonym (large, big, jumbo, gigantic), or with word length (hyphenated words last).
Modifiers of Description vs. Purpose
Note placement before or after the noun
Modifiers — Description vs. Functional Purpose
| MODIFIER OF DESCRIPTION |
|---|
Descriptive (ascriptive) modifiers express the qualities or characteristics of the noun. An Adjective, Noun, past participle or gerund-participle can function as a modifier to a noun. Single or hyphenated words are positioned before the noun. Phrases and clauses are placed after the noun. |
| THE QUALITY OR CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NOUN |
| ADJECTIVE |
Chocolaty cookies are my favorite. |
| NOUN(S) |
Chocolate cookies are my favorite. (noun) Chocolate-chip cookies are my favorite. (hyphenated nouns) |
| PAST PARTICIPLE |
Freshly baked cookies smell wonderful. Animal-shaped cookies are sold in circus boxes. |
| GERUND–PARTICIPLE |
Baking cookies smell wonderful. (ongoing action) |
| PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE |
Cookies with chocolate chips are my favorite. |
| RELATIVE CLAUSE |
Cookies that contain chocolate chips are my favorite. Cookies containing chocolate chips are my favorite. |
| MODIFIER OF PURPOSE |
|---|
Purpose modifiers express what the noun is used for. A Gerund-Participle (-ing verb), Adjective or Noun can function as a modifier to a noun. Single or hyphenated words are positioned before the noun. Phrases and clauses are placed after the noun. |
| THE PURPOSE / USE FOR THE NOUN |
| ADJECTIVE |
Digestive cookies aid in the digestion of food. (for digestion)
|
| NOUN(S) |
Tea cookies are served with afternoon tea. (for tea) Baby cookies are easy for toddlers to hold and eat. (for babies) |
| PAST PARTICIPLE |
——— |
| GERUND–PARTICIPLE |
Dipping cookies are often biscotti. (for dipping in tea or coffee) Teething cookies are helpful for babies who are cutting a new tooth. |
| PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE |
Cookies for babies are also called biscuits. Cookies for dogs are useful in behavioral training. |
| RELATIVE CLAUSE |
Cookies that are used to train dogs are often dried meat. Cookies used to train dogs are often dried meat. |
See For + Gerund and By / With
ascription (N) – describing with qualities and characteristics (big, small, fragrant, pleasant, etc.)
Gerund-Participle—Historically, the gerund and present participle of traditional grammar have different sources (gerunds were mostly nouns while participles were adjectives). Gerund-participle is a merged term for the -ing form that has multiple functions (uses). Current analysis does not support the traditional gerund vs. participle distinction. Instead, it is analyzed as one form, -ing, that functions in multiple ways. The train is approaching the platform. [with progressive auxiliary]; The train approaching the platform is on time. [post-position subject-noun modifier]; The approaching train was on time. [pre-position subject-noun modifier] (Huddleston 82, 1220)
Also see Participles as Modifiers to Nouns and Participle Modifiers to Nouns (ongoing vs. process) and Function of Participle Modifiers and Gerund or Participle?
Modifiers for Brand or Maker
Before and after the noun
Type — Maker or Brand Modifiers
| PRE-POSITION MODIFIER |
|---|
A designer, artist, maker, seller, or brand-name modifier is usually placed before the noun. |
| MAKER |
Nike shoes are very durable. (brand name) |
She prefers to buy Macy's shoes. (department store) |
We bought a Picasso painting. (artist's work of art) |
Mother's pies are delicious. |
| POST-POSITION MODIFIER |
|---|
A maker or brand modifier is also expressed with a by phrase (from when the source is a store) placed after the noun. |
| NOUN BY / FROM VERB-ING |
Shoes by Nike are very durable. (made by Nike…) |
She prefers to buy shoes from Macy's. (sold in Macy's…) |
We bought a painting by Picasso. (painted by Picasso…) |
Pies by mother are delicious. (commercial names only) |
See By Phrases (passive voice).
Modifiers with Unbreakable Words
Before and after the noun
"Unbreakable words" — indefinite pronouns
| PRE-POSITION MODIFIER |
|---|
When some (or an) is a quantifier before a noun, the modifier is placed directly before the noun. Some functions as a determiner some shows. |
| SOME – QUANTIFIER |
Some funny shows are on television tonight |
We'd prefer some quiet places to work. |
We hired some new employees.
|
There isn't an available employee. There aren't available employees. |
| POST-POSITION MODIFIER |
|---|
When some (or one) is part of a compound word, such as the indefinite pronouns someone, something, somewhere, the adjective is placed after the word. Also called "unbreakable". |
| SOME – UNKNOWN, UNIDENTIFIED |
Something funny will be on television tonight. (I can't think of the name.) |
Let's go somewhere quiet. (Any place, yet unidentified) |
Someone new will be working here. (Unknown, yet unidentified)
|
There is no one available. There aren't any available. |
There are a few post-position adjectives: He was a dollar short. There were stars galore. He is the President elect. He has problems aplenty. There was money available. He is a Poet Laureate and an Attorney General. (Huddleston "Postpositive-only adjectives" 560)
"Unbreakable words" (article+noun is one word) requiring the adjective to be placed after the noun include: something great, anything good, nothing remarkable, somewhere distant, everybody new, everyone hurt.
See "Some" – a vague one.
Predicate Complements
After the verb or verb+noun
Predicative Complements (resulting state modifiers)
| PRE-POSITION MODIFIER |
|---|
A modifier may be used after the verb be (as a predicate complement) or before a noun to describe the noun's condition at that time. |
| PRE-NOMINAL — EXISTING |
The table is clean. It's a clean table. He wiped it. |
His house is blue. It's a blue house. He painted it. |
The egg is cracked. It's a cracked egg. (damaged) He cracked it. |
| POST-POSITION MODIFIER |
|---|
In these examples, the adjective indicating the resulting state is placed after the direct object. |
| POST-NOMINAL — RESULTNG STATE |
He wiped the table clean. |
He painted his house blue. |
He cracked the egg open. (ready to eat or cook) |
nominal (Adj) – relating to the noun
See Verb + Adj Comp.
Modifying Phrases and Clauses
Before and after the noun
Modifying Clauses
| WORD- MODIFIERS |
|---|
One-word modifiers (adjective, noun, adverb, hyphenated modifiers) mostly occur before a noun. |
| PRE-NOMINAL — SHORT LENGTH |
Our [next-door neighbors] have a son.[linked modifiers adv. + noun] |
Their [adult son] plays basketball. [adjective] Their [twenty-two-year old son] plays basketball. [number modifiers] |
His [early-morning, basketball practices] wake us up. [adverb + noun modifiers] |
| PHRASE AND CLAUSE MODIFIERS |
|---|
Longer phrases and clauses occur after the noun. (Speakers prefer to place "heavier" or longer content toward the end of a sentence.) |
| POST-NOMINAL —LONGER LENGTH |
Our neighbors [who live next door] have a son. [modifying clause] |
Their son [still living at home[ plays basketball. [reduced modifying clause] |
His basketball practices [early in the morning] wake us up. [prep. phrase] |
See Modifying Clause Summary and Preposition Summary
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Description
Traditional vs. Linguistic Description
| TRADITIONAL |
|---|
Sequence of adjectives before nouns: Determiners | General Description | Physical State | Proper Adjective | Noun Adjuncts | Noun → Jane's daringly-cut, gold-lamé, Parisian, evening gown (Frank Parts of Speech I 120) |
|
| LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
|---|
Residual pre-head modifiers: Evaluative › General property › Age › Colour › Provenance › Manufacture › Type → an attractive, tight-fitting, brand-new, pink, Italian, lycra, women's swimsuit (Huddleston 5 §15, 6 §3.3) |
|
Biber includes the most common attributive adjectives across registers: Descriptors: size/amount (big, small, great); time (new, old, young); color (black, white, red); evaluative (good, best, right); relational (same, whole, general); topical (political, public) However, an ordering of attributes is not listed. (Biber 512) |
Works Cited
- Biber, Douglas, and Stig Johansson, et al. Longman Grammar Of Spoken And Written English. Pearson Education, 1999.
- Frank, Marcella. Modern English: Exercises for Non-native Speakers. Part I, Prentice-Hall, 1972.
- ———. Modern English: Exercises for non-native speakers, Part II, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall Regents, 1986.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
Practice 1
Describing in Detail
Put the adjectives in a natural sounding word order.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 1-10" button.
Practice 2
In Sickness and in Health
Read for Errors
Selecting a dog requires careful thought. Are you willing to make a ten to fifteen year commitment—in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer?
First, how old are the members of your family? A toy-sized, little, active, dog under fifteen pounds is not suitable if you have a child younger than seven. Puppies have little, ultra-sharp, pointed teeth and will chew on anything, including your child! Getting a puppy could result in accidental injury and a lasting fear of dogs.
Toy dogs are small-boned, touch-sensitive, high-maintenance pets. They do not do well in a noisy, big, confusing environment. They "break" easily and are quicker to bite than larger-boned dogs. Unless your children are unusually sensitive, low-key, respectful individuals, a medium to large dog over five-months-old is a safer choice.
Who will be the dog's primary caretaker? If you say "Mom", think again. In the past, a mom was a work-all-day, stay-at-home, busy, miracle worker. But now she may be an eight-to-six, high-level, busy executive. Of course, the kids will promise to be hard-working, thoughtful, good caretakers. However, as soon as the job is inconvenient, the dog will be left alone and in need.
One parent should be the primary caretaker with a view to a ten to fifteen year life span. In that time, the children will grow up, the family may move, and the parents may even divorce. And it is not fair to the dog to leave it when it is weak, old, dependent, and in need of love and care.
If you can only make a short-term commitment, then consider adopting an older, stable, medium-sized dog from a shelter. Or offer to take care of friends' dogs while they are away. Above all, think carefully and make a rational not an emotional decision before adopting a dog.
adopt (V) — to choose or take as one's own; raise a child as one's own
commitment (N) — a promise to do something
caretaker (N) — a person who looks after something, someone or a pet
emotional (Adj) — having feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, hate, love and son on
small-boned (Adj) — having light weight, easily breakable skeletal bones
environment (N) — the people and things that are around you in a particular place
not suitable (Neg + Adj) — not having the right qualities for a particular person, purpose, or situation; not a good idea
rational (Adj) — based on reason (rather than emotion)
Correct the Errors
Put the modifiers in a more natural sounding word order. Note that word order may vary depending on: (1) the speaker's intent (emphasis or normal); (2) the speaker's dialect; (3) the weighting of the adjectives in a series (placing longer adjectives towards the end).
- Edit the text in the box.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check 11-20" button.