Adjectives in English follow a specific order when used together before a noun. Learning the correct order of adjectives is essential for making your sentences sound natural, fluent, and easy to understand. Native English speakers instinctively place adjectives in the right sequence, but English learners must study and practice this structure to master it.
In this complete guide, you’ll discover everything about the adjective order in English — including simple rules, the full sequence (opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose), clear explanations for each type of adjective, examples with full adjective order, and practical memory tips. Understanding and using the correct adjective order will make your speaking and writing much more accurate and natural.
What Is the Order of Adjectives?
In English, when two or more adjectives are used together to describe a noun, they are not placed randomly. Instead, adjectives follow a fixed order based on the type of information they provide.
Each adjective describes a different aspect of the noun, and they must appear in the correct order for the sentence to feel smooth and understandable. The general rule is: the more subjective or opinion-based adjectives come first, and the more factual or objective ones come later.
Here’s a breakdown of the typical sequence adjectives follow:
| Order | Type of Adjective | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opinion | lovely, terrible, fantastic |
| 2 | Size | tiny, large, enormous |
| 3 | Age | ancient, modern, young |
| 4 | Shape | round, rectangular, narrow |
| 5 | Color | blue, black, golden |
| 6 | Origin | British, Indian, German |
| 7 | Material | cotton, wooden, glass |
| 8 | Purpose | running (shoes), sleeping (bag) |
Example Sentence:
Correct: She bought a lovely small old round blue Italian wooden jewelry box.
Incorrect: She bought a wooden Italian blue round old small lovely jewelry box.
As you can see, when adjectives are placed correctly, the description feels smooth and logical to native ears. When the order is incorrect, it sounds confusing and unnatural.
Order and Types of Adjectives in English
Let’s break down what each category really means — with easy examples and clear explanations.
1. Opinion Adjectives
Opinion adjectives express personal feelings or judgments about a person, object, or situation. They aren’t based on facts, but on how we feel, which is why they usually come first in a sentence. Common examples include beautiful, terrible, boring, interesting, and fantastic.
Examples:
- She gave a fantastic performance.
- We had a horrible experience at the hotel.
2. Size Adjectives
Size adjectives describe how big or small something is. They help give a sense of scale and are placed right after opinion adjectives in a sentence. Common examples include big, small, tall, tiny, huge, and narrow.
Examples:
- They live in a small apartment.
- He carried a huge suitcase.
3. Age Adjectives
Age adjectives tell us how old something or someone is. These include words like young, old, ancient, new, and modern. Age adjectives come after size when more than one adjective is used.
Examples:
- We visited an ancient temple.
- She adopted a young puppy.
4. Shape Adjectives
Shape adjectives describe the form or outline of something. Common words include round, square, flat, oval, and curved. These come after age adjectives when listing multiple.
Examples:
- I bought a round table.
- He gave her a heart-shaped necklace.
5. Color Adjectives
Color adjectives are used to describe the color of a noun and include words like red, blue, green, black, and golden. They come after shape adjectives in adjective order.
Examples:
- She wore a red dress.
- They painted the walls light blue.
6. Origin Adjectives
Origin adjectives tell us where something or someone comes from. These include French, Italian, American, Chinese, and ancient Roman. Origin comes after color when multiple adjectives are used.
Examples:
- He loves Italian food.
- They visited an ancient Greek monument.
7. Material Adjectives
Material adjectives describe what something is made of, like wooden, metal, plastic, cotton, and glass. These adjectives appear after origin in the correct order.
Examples:
- She sat on a wooden chair.
- He wore a cotton shirt.
8. Purpose Adjectives
Purpose adjectives explain what something is used for. These often come from nouns and include words like sleeping (as in sleeping bag), running (shoes), or cooking (pan). They appear last in adjective order.
Examples:
- We packed a sleeping bag.
- He bought a running jacket.
Example Sentences with Adjective Order
Here are sentences where adjectives follow the correct order:
-
She wore a beautiful small old round red Spanish leather handbag.
(Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material) -
They bought a large new rectangular wooden dining table.
(Size → Age → Shape → Material → Purpose) -
We visited an amazing huge ancient golden Egyptian pyramid.
(Opinion → Size → Age → Color → Origin) -
She bought a gorgeous big old Italian wooden dining table.
(Opinion → Size → Age → Origin → Material → Purpose) -
He gave me a cute little new blue sweater.
(Opinion → Size → Age → Color) -
They moved into a spacious modern Japanese apartment.
(Size → Age → Origin) -
We need a small round metal serving tray for the party.
(Size → Shape → Material → Purpose) -
She carried a beautiful red leather handbag.
(Opinion → Color → Material)
How to Remember Adjective Order Easily
Learning the correct order of adjectives might seem difficult at first, but there’s a simple memory trick that can make it much easier. The most popular method is using the acronym OSASCOMP, where each letter stands for a different type of adjective: Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, and Purpose. Following this pattern helps you place adjectives in the right order naturally when describing a noun.
O-S-A-S-C-O-M-P
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose
Example:
A beautiful (Opinion) small (Size) new (Age) round (Shape) white (Color) French (Origin) ceramic (Material) coffee (Purpose) cup.
You don’t need to memorize it perfectly at first. The more you read, listen, and practice English, the more natural this structure will feel.
Quiz: Order of Adjectives
Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.
1. She bought a ________ leather handbag.
a) beautiful small brown
b) brown small beautiful
c) leather small beautiful
2. They live in a ________ house.
a) wooden large old
b) old large wooden
c) large old wooden
3. We need a ________ table for the meeting.
a) rectangular big
b) big rectangular
c) rectangular large
4. He gave me a ________ jacket for my birthday.
a) amazing black leather
b) leather amazing black
c) black leather amazing
5. The museum has a ________ statue.
a) Italian ancient beautiful
b) beautiful ancient Italian
c) ancient beautiful Italian
6. I found a ________ necklace at the market.
a) golden pretty small
b) pretty small golden
c) small golden pretty
7. We stayed in a ________ hotel.
a) French wonderful big
b) wonderful big French
c) big French wonderful
8. She wore a ________ dress to the party.
a) elegant red long
b) long elegant red
c) elegant long red
9. He owns a ________ sports car.
a) shiny new American
b) American shiny new
c) new shiny American
10. They used a ________ tent during the trip.
a) large green camping
b) camping large green
c) green camping large
Quiz Answers
1) beautiful small brown
2) large old wooden
3) big rectangular
4) amazing black leather
5) beautiful ancient Italian
6) pretty small golden
7) wonderful big French
8) elegant long red
9) shiny new American
10) large green camping
