• The Order of Adjectives
  • anonym
  • 30.06.2020
  • Englisch
  • C1, C2
Um die Lizenzinformationen zu sehen, klicken Sie bitte den gewünschten Inhalt an.
The Order of Adjectives

The order of adjectives in a series is probably not the first topic that comes to mind when we think about working on perfecting our English grammar. Nevertheless, it is an important part of achieving the ultimate goal that is making our English sound as natural as possible. For some, it may already be second nature to put adjectives in the correct order; for others, multiple adjectives in a series might still look strange because the order does not follow the pattern used in English. As always, there are a lot of exceptions to the rule. But first, let's take a look at the general order!

1. Determiners

--> articles/ quantifiers/ other limiters: a(n), the, four, that,      some, 15

2. Observation

--> adjectives subject to subjective measure: horrible,          gorgeous, incredible

3. Size

--> adjectives subject to objective measure: large, small,      big

4. Shape

--> adjectives subject to objective measure: round, oval,          square

5. Age

--> young, old, ancient

6. Color

--> red, blue, green

7. Origin

--> Chinese, Russian, German

8. Material

--> gold, wooden, glass

Punctuation!

Coordinated adjectives are adjectives belonging to the same class. Separate them with a comma.

E.g. "a gorgeous, incredible woman"

1
Decide which category each of the following adjectives belongs to. Write down the correct category number (1-8) in the brackets behind the adjectives.

  • You can make use of the adjectives below:



  • red (    )

  • antique (    )

  • little (    )

  • plastic (    )

  • straight (    )

  • American (    )

  • fascinating (    )

  • young (    )



  • my (    )

  • Irish (    )

  • delicious (    )

  • gigantic (    )

  • 17 (    )

  • purple (    )

  • cotton (    )

  • rectangular (    )

2
We usually don't use more than three adjectives in a row. Think of descriptive sentences using at least two adjectives at a time. You get bonus points if your sentences tell a story.
  • Feel free to use the adjectives from the previous exercise and add your own. Here are some more suggestions:
  • beautiful

  • miraculous

  • Balinese

  • wooden

  • beige

  • those

  • trivial

  • graceful

  • thin

  • ridiculous

  • round

  • silver

  • crooked

  • miniscule

  • gruesome

x