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Describing and comparing, part 2 of 5
Adjective Order in English: Which One Comes First
With two or more adjectives, opinion comes first, then size, age, and color, and material last: a nice old wooden table.
The idea
What order adjectives go in
With two or more adjectives, they all go before the noun with no and: opinion first, then what it is like (size, age, color), and what it is made of last.
- Opinion first. a lovely small garden
- Color near the end. a tall green tree
- Material next to the noun. a red plastic cup
When to use it
To describe a thing, a person, or a place in detail without sounding strange. These expressions go with it:
Opinion and age
- a nice old man
- a great new song
- a lovely little town
- a funny old movie
Size and color
- a big black bag
- a small white dog
- long brown hair
Origin and material
- a Mexican cotton dress
- a leather jacket
- old Japanese cars
Examples
- Opinion first
We found a nice little hotel.
- Size before color
He has a small green car.
- Age before color
She wears an old gray coat.
- Material last
I need a big plastic box.
- No and between them
They have a beautiful old house.
How to build it
3 steps
- First, your opinionNice, ugly, great:a nice car
- Then what it is likeSize, age, color:a nice small red car
- Last, what it is made ofOrigin or material, next to the noun:a small metal box
Two adjectives
- a / ana
- opinion or sizetall
- colorgreen
- nountree
Three adjectives
- a / ana
- opinionlovely
- ageold
- materialstone
- nounbridge
The rule
The order
| Order | What it says | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opinion | nice, ugly, great, lovely |
| 2 | Size | big, small, little, tall, long |
| 3 | Age | old, new, young |
| 4 | Shape | round, square |
| 5 | Color | red, black, blue |
| 6 | Origin | Mexican, Italian, Japanese |
| 7 | Material | wooden, leather, plastic, gold |
How to pronounce it
little
/ˈlɪtəl/The tt sounds like a soft d.
round
/raʊnd/The ou is /aʊ/, and the final d is soft.
Check
She has a (blank) bag. Which one goes in the blank?
With only one adjective
a black dog
One: before the noun
a big black dog
Two: size before color
With one adjective there is no order to think about: it goes before the noun or after be. The order is for two or more.
AdjectivesIn real life
People rarely use more than three together. If you have more, add them later: a big old house, and it is white.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to memorize it?
The most useful part is short: opinion first, color near the end, and material next to the noun.
When do I use and?
After be: The dog is big and black. Before the noun, no.
What about two colors?
Then you use and: a black and white cat.
In short
- All before the noun: a big black dog.
- Opinion first: a nice old car.
- Size, age, and color: a small old red car.
- Material last: a red plastic cup.