File 2a

FILE 2A: ADJECTIVE ORDER

EXPLANATION AND EXERCISES

• Adjective Order• When using more than one adjective to

describe a noun place the adjectives in the following order before the noun.

• NOTE: We usually use no more than three adjectives preceding a noun.

OPINION e.g: an interesting book, a boring lecture DIMENSION e.g: a big apple, a thin wallet AGE e.g: a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin SHAPE e.g: a square box, an oval mask, a round ball COLOUR e.g: a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat ORIGIN e.g: some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car MATERIAL e.g: a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy

Here are some examples of nouns modified with three adjectives in the correct order based on the list above. Notice that the adjectives are not separated by commas.

A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin)

A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - color)

A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - color - material)

Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)

ADJECTIVE ORDER QUIZ

Place the three adjectives in the correct order before the noun.

book- interesting- small -Spanish

CORRECTAn interesting small Spanish book

Opinion- size- origin

picture- modern - ugly - rectangular

CORRECTAn ugly modern rectangular picture

opinion- age- shape

apple -ripe - green - delicious

CORRECTA delicious ripe green apple

opinion- age - colour

suit- woolen - large - black

CORRECT

a large black woollen suit size – colour- material

house- beautiful - modern - small

CORRECT

a beautiful small modern house opinion- size – age

magazine- German - slender - strange

CORRECT

a strange slender German magazine opinion- dimension – origin

cap- cotton - funny - green

CORRECT

a funny green cotton cap opinion- colour-material