Adjectives: Word Order

A. Sometimes we use more than one adjective in front of a noun. (e.g. He was a nice intelligent young man. She had a small round black wooden box.)

B. Opinion adjectives
B1. Some adjectives give a general opinion. We can use these adjectives to describe almost any noun: good, bad, lovely, strange, beautiful, nice, brilliant, excellent, awful, important, wonderful, nasty

B2. Some adjectives give a specific opinion. We only use these adjectives to describe particular kinds of noun: Food: tasty, delicious; Furniture, buildings: comfortable, uncomfortable; People, animals: clever, intelligent, friendly

C. We usually put a general opinion in front of a specific opinion.
C1. often have two adjectives in front of a noun.
C2. Sometimes we have three adjectives, but this is unusual.

D. Adjectives usually come in this order: General opinion + Specific opinion Size + Shape Age + Colour + Nationality + Material

E. We use some adjectives only after a link verb: afraid, alive, alone, asleep, content, glad, ill, ready, sorry, sure, unable, well
E1. Some of the commonest ‘-ed’ adjectives are normally used only after a link verb: annoyed, finished, bored, pleased, thrilled

F. A few adjectives are used only in front of a noun: north, south, east, west, northern, southern, eastern, western, countless, occasional, lone, eventful, indoor, outdoor

More information with examples…

Posted in Adjective and tagged , .