Inspirational journeys

Follow the stories of academics and their research expeditions

The Order of Adjectives in English Language

Shady Abuyusuf

Sat, 23 Nov 2024

294

The order of adjectives in the English language generally follows a set order. The order is as follows:

1. Determiner (a, an, the)

2. Observation / General Opinion (beautiful, ugly, delicious)

3. Size (large, small, tall)

4. Shape (round, square, oblong)

5. Age (old, young, new)

6. Color (green, blue, yellow)

7. Origin (French, Chinese, American)

8. Material (wooden, metal, plastic)

9. Purpose / Qualifier (sleeping, racing, driving)

This order is not absolute or fixed, and there may be certain exceptions or variations depending on context or emphasis. However, generally, adjectives in English are listed in this order to flow naturally and sound more fluent.

For example, “I bought a beautiful, small, round, old, blue, Chinese vase made of ceramic for decorative purposes.”

0 Comments

Leave a comment