Order of Adjectives
Number Opinion Size Age Shape Color Origin Material Purpose Noun
small round German
red sleeping
generous old man
four metal
PRACTICE: Choose the correct order of adjectives in the following sentences.
B) great new
1) The woman is wearing a ________ dress.
A) yellow long 9) I am going to wear my ________ tie to the
B) long yellow wedding.
A) big cotton blue
2) He is a ________ man. B) blue big cotton
A) tall thin C) big blue cotton
B) thin tall
10) Please recycle those ________ bottles.
3) The company makes ________ products. A) three water empty
A) excellent farming B) three empty water
B) farming excellent C) water empty three
4) James recently departed on a ________ trip. 11) She packed her clothes in a ________ box.
A) camping long A) green flimsy cardboard
B) long camping B) flimsy green cardboard
C) cardboard flimsy green
5) I love eating ________ strawberries.
A) red big 12) Their dog is a ________ shepherd.
B) big red A) brown big German
B) big brown German
6) The ________ woman did well on the test. C) German big brown
A) intelligent young
B) young intelligent 13) I am drinking from a ________ cup.
A) small English tea
7) The ticket costs ________ dollars. B) tea small English
A) ten US C) English small tea
B) US ten
14) My ________ teacher talks for hours!
8) The scientists have found a ________ cure A) philosophy old boring
for the disease. B) old philosophy boring
A) new great C) boring philosophy old
D) boring old philosophy
II/
1. Choose the best answer for each sentence.
A. The house is __________________.
• large and white
• white and large
• large white
B. They live in a __________________ house.
• large and white
• white and large
• large white
2. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. We took a ride on a blue, old Chinese bus.
B. We took a ride on a Chinese, old, blue bus.
C. We took a ride on an old, blue Chinese bus.
3. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. I’d like three good reasons why you don’t like spinach.
B. I’d like a good three reasons why you don’t like spinach.
C. I’d like good reasons three why you don’t like spinach.
4. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. I like that really big red old antique tractor in the museum.
B. I like that really big old red antique tractor in the museum.
C. I like that old, red, really big antique tractor in the museum.
5. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. My brother rode a beautiful big black Friesian horse in the parade.
B. My brother rode a beautiful Friesian big black horse in the parade.
C. My brother rode a big, black, beautiful Friesian horse in the parade.
6. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank.
A. My grandmother lives in the ________________________ house on the corner
• little blue, green and white
• little blue and green and white
• little, blue, green, and white
B. The store carries an assortment of _____________________ objects.
• interesting new, old and antique
• new, old, interesting and antique
• interesting, old and new and antique
C. We went for a two-week cruise on a __________________________ ocean liner.
• incredible brand-new, huge Italian
• incredible, huge, brand-new Italian
• Italian incredible, brand-new, huge
7. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank.
A. I bought a pair of _________________ boots.
• new, nice, red rain
• nice new red rain
• red nice new rain
B. My dad was thrilled with his gift of ______________________ bowties for his clown act.
• three squirting new nice big polka-dotted
• three polka-dotted nice new squirting
• three nice big new polka-dotted squirting
C. Please put the marbles into that ______________________ box.
• round little old red
• little old round red
• little old red round
8. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the blank:
A. I was surprised to receive a __________________ puppy for my birthday.
• little, cute, eight-week-old golden retriever
• cute eight-week-old little golden retriever
• cute little eight-week-old golden retriever
B. Our work uniform consists of black pants, black shoes, and a ________________ shirt.
• yellow baggy big polo
• big baggy yellow polo
• baggy yellow big polo
C. I’ve been spending a lot of time in antique shops looking for the perfect _______________ clock.
• little silver Italian cuckoo
• little Italian silver cuckoo
• silver little Italian cuckoo
9. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black and white stripes.
B. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black with white stripes.
C. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black, white stripes.
10. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. During my college years, I wore a red, white and black big hat to sporting events.
B. During my college years, I wore a big red, white and black hat to sporting events.
C. During my college years, I wore a big red white and black, hat to sporting events.
Directions: Now write two of your own sentences using more than one adjective to describe a noun.
1) ____________________________________________________________________________
2) ____________________________________________________________________________
3)
