Adjectives are the words that turn “a chair” into “a comfortable wooden chair” or “a day” into “a bright sunny day.” But what happens when you need to use multiple adjectives? If you’ve ever felt confused about which adjective goes where, you’re not alone!
In English, adjectives march to the beat of a specific order. You can’t just throw them in willy-nilly (though we wish it were that easy!). Imagine saying, “I bought a cotton blue small comfortable French cute sweater.” Yikes! Sounds awkward, right? That’s because there’s a magic sequence to how we order adjectives in English, and once you learn it, you’ll be describing things like a pro.
Let’s dive in!
1. The Secret Formula: Adjective Order
Adjectives in English typically follow a specific order. This might sound tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll feel natural. Here’s the basic rule:
- Size: How big or small something is.
- Shape: The form or outline of the object.
- Color: What color it is.
- Origin: Where it’s from.
- Material: What it’s made of.
- Purpose: What it’s used for.
When you’re describing something with multiple adjectives, you place them in this order. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry! Let’s break it down with some examples.
2. Breaking Down the Order with Examples
Let’s take a simple noun: a chair. Now, let’s apply our formula and add adjectives.
Size:
First up is size. Is it big, small, tiny, or huge? Adjectives of size come first.
- Example: a big chair
Shape:
Next, what shape is the chair? Is it round, square, or curved?
- Example: a big round chair
Color:
Now, let’s add some color. Is it red, blue, green, or maybe purple?
- Example: a big round blue chair
Origin:
Where is this chair from? Is it French, Japanese, or Italian? Origin always comes after color.
- Example: a big round blue French chair
Material:
What’s it made of? Is it wooden, metal, plastic, or cotton?
- Example: a big round blue French wooden chair
Purpose:
Finally, what’s the purpose of the chair? Is it a dining chair, a rocking chair, or an office chair?
- Example: a big round blue French wooden dining chair
By sticking to this order, your sentences will sound smooth and natural!
3. Practical Tips for Using Adjective Order
Here are a few tips to help you master adjective order without feeling overwhelmed:
Tip 1: Don’t Overload Your Sentences
It’s rare that you’ll need to use all six types of adjectives at once. Most of the time, you’ll use just two or three. Choose the adjectives that matter most and don’t try to describe everything at once.
- Example: a small black leather bag sounds better than a small black round leather stylish French bag.
Tip 2: Keep Adjectives Close to the Noun
In English, adjectives always come before the noun. You wouldn’t say, “The chair is big blue French wooden dining.” That just sounds off!
Tip 3: Pay Attention to Purpose Adjectives
Purpose adjectives often come at the end of the sequence, but they’re easy to spot because they explain what the object is for. They’re often compound words, like sleeping bag, running shoes, or kitchen table.
- Example: a modern metal coffee table (Purpose: coffee)
4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Adjective order can trip you up if you don’t know the rules. Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Getting the Order Wrong
One of the most common mistakes ESL learners make is mixing up the order of adjectives. Remember the sequence: size → shape → color → origin → material → purpose.
- Incorrect: I bought a wooden small Japanese round table.
- Correct: I bought a small round Japanese wooden table.
Mistake #2: Using Too Many Adjectives
We get it—you want to be descriptive! But using too many adjectives can make your sentence confusing or awkward.
- Incorrect: She wore a long curly blue French silk beautiful evening dress.
- Correct: She wore a beautiful long blue French silk dress.
Mistake #3: Putting Adjectives After the Noun
In English, adjectives usually come before the noun. Some learners mistakenly place them after the noun (as you would in languages like French or Spanish).
- Incorrect: The house big was expensive.
- Correct: The big house was expensive.
5. Quick Recap Table: Adjective Order at a Glance
Here’s a handy table to help you remember the correct order of adjectives.
| Adjective Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Size | How big or small something is | big, small, tiny |
| Shape | The form of the object | round, square, flat |
| Color | The color of the object | blue, red, green |
| Origin | Where the object comes from | French, Japanese, Italian |
| Material | What it’s made of | wooden, plastic, metal |
| Purpose | What it’s used for | dining chair, coffee table, sleeping bag |
Conclusion: The Key to Natural Descriptions
Now that you’ve mastered the order of adjectives, your English is bound to sound smoother and more natural. Instead of saying, “I saw a beautiful leather large Spanish brown bag,” you’ll confidently say, “I saw a beautiful large brown Spanish leather bag.”
Remember:
- Stick to the adjective order formula: size, shape, color, origin, material, purpose.
- Keep your sentences clear and don’t overload them with too many adjectives.
- Always place adjectives before the noun in English.
With a little practice, you’ll be describing things like a native speaker in no time!