i. Introduction:
Adjective: An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun. When using multiple adjectives to describe a noun, they follow a specific order to maintain clarity and natural language flow.
ii. Standard Order of Adjectives:
Quantity or Number: one, two, many, several
Quality or Opinion: beautiful, interesting, delicious
Size: small, large, tiny, huge
Age: old, new, young, ancient
Shape: round, square, rectangular
Color: red, blue, green
Proper adjective (usually nationality, other proper adjective): Italian, Victorian, Chinese
Purpose or Qualifier: sleeping, running, decorative
Example: She bought a beautiful, large, antique Italian table.
iii. Practice:
Arrange the adjectives in the correct order in the following sentences:
He found a __ book in the library. (new/interesting)
She wore a __ dress to the party. (blue/long)
They live in a __ house on the corner. (tiny/red)
We visited an __ castle during our vacation. (old/beautiful)
They adopted a __ puppy from the shelter. (small/playful)
iv. Special Considerations:
Articles and Demonstratives:
- Articles (a, an, the) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those) usually come before all other adjectives.
- Example: I saw a beautiful, old, red car.
Opinion and Fact Adjectives:
- Opinion adjectives (beautiful, ugly) typically come before fact adjectives (new, old).
- Example: He has a lovely old house.
Adhering to the standard order of adjectives helps convey information about a noun in a clear and organized manner. By practicing this structure, you can enhance the precision and coherence of your descriptive language in English.