Order of Adjectives in English | Rules & Examples
Adjective order in English follows certain rules. When there is more than one adjective preceding a noun or pronoun, the adjectives follow a specific pattern according to their category.
Adjectives are divided into a variety of categories depending on what aspects of the noun they describe. Using the correct adjective order is an important part of composing sentences that flow well and read naturally.
Brianna wore a large heart-shaped diamond ring to the dinner.
That is my favorite red velvet dress.
The thieves broke the glass using a short steel pipe.
English adjective order
Adjectives generally occur in the following order in English:
- Opinion (e.g., “silly,” “smart,” “pretty”)
- Size (e.g., “small,” “huge,” “tall”)
- Physical quality (e.g., “ragged,” “neat,” “muscular”)
- Age or shape (e.g., “old,” “round,” “young”)
- Color (e.g., “scarlet,” “purplish,” “graying”)
- Origin or religion (e.g., “Polish,” “animist,” “Southern”)
- Material (e.g., “pearl,” “iron,” “nylon”)
- Type (e.g., “electric,” “two-sided,” “pick-up”)
- Purpose (e.g., “welding,” “polishing,” “sports”)
If necessary, the first adjective will be preceded by a determiner (e.g., “a,” “some,” “all”), and the noun follows after the final adjective. If the above order is not followed, it may result in a sentence that sounds awkward or simply wrong.
- We love our magenta bath fuzzy rug.
- We love our fuzzy magenta bath rug.
- The green wet moors called to her.
- The wet green moors called to her.
- The baby amused himself with the stuffed colorful toy.
- The baby amused himself with the colorful stuffed toy.
Sometimes adjectives may occur in different orders to emphasize a particular adjective. In this case, the closer the adjective is to the noun, the more it is emphasized. For example, the sentence “The queen wore a bejeweled, very beautiful crown” places emphasis on the crown’s beauty. However, adjectives of type or purpose must always be placed right next to the noun.
- Brianna loves her diamond new ring.
- Brianna loves her new diamond ring.
- Polly ate a pistachio enormous ice cream.
- Polly ate an enormous >pistachio ice cream.
Adjective placement within sentences
Adjectives can occur in several different places within a sentence, but they must always be clearly paired with a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives that come before a noun are known as attributive adjectives. Attributive adjectives are most often placed right before the noun or pronoun they modify.
However, some attributive adjectives may be postpositive, meaning they follow immediately after the noun or pronoun. In particular, adjectives used with an indefinite pronoun (e.g., “something,” “somewhere,” “anything”) are generally postpositive (e.g., “I remembered something vague and unsettling”).
I stepped on sticky pink chewing gum on my way to work.
It was the worst day possible for my wardrobe.
I’ll have to buy something new.
An adjective may also be placed after a linking verb (e.g., “be,” “appear,” “feel,” “look”). These adjectives are called predicate adjectives and are used to describe the condition, state of being, or identity of the subject.
If a sentence uses multiple predicate adjectives, their order is generally more flexible than attributive adjectives (e.g., “purple and bruised” or “bruised and purple”).
I got lost.
He seemed frustrated and tired.
Most adjectives can be either attributive or predicative, but some adjectives can only be one or the other. Adjectives that can only be attributive include “elder,” “main,” “former,” “total,” and “mere,” while adjectives that can only be predicative include “alive,” “alone,” “afraid,” and “asleep.”
| Attributive-only adjectives | Predicative-only adjectives |
|---|---|
| My little sister is a genius. | I felt very alone that night. |
| The main purpose of this essay is to secure funding. | The children seemed ashamed of what they had done. |
| He had a falling-out with his former colleagues. | I’m afraid he has been unwell for some time. |
| We had the same idea. | No one stayed awake for the night shift. |
Comma placement with adjectives
Comma placement when using adjectives depends on whether you are using coordinate adjectives or cumulative adjectives.
Coordinate adjectives are two or more adjectives from the same category that are used to describe a noun or pronoun. Coordinate adjectives can be listed using a comma or “and” between the adjectives. The order of coordinate adjectives is not important.
Cumulative adjectives are adjectives from different categories, and they should not be separated by a comma or include “and.” Cumulative adjective order follows the adjectives’ categories.
That dog is aggressive and dangerous.
Gwendolyn brought a sparkly taffeta prom skirt to sell at the market.
Bees work tirelessly to produce sticky golden honey.
Frequently asked questions about order of adjectives
- What is a cumulative adjective?
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A cumulative adjective is part of a list of two or more adjectives that describe a noun or pronoun (e.g., “bright pink hair,” “creepy carnivalesque Polka music”).
Cumulative adjectives are adjectives from different categories (e.g., opinion, size, color, type), so they must be listed in a specific adjective order and should not be separated by commas or “and.”
- Where does an adjective usually go in a sentence?
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Adjectives can be used either right before the noun or pronoun they modify (i.e., attributive adjectives), immediately after the noun or pronoun (i.e., postpositive adjectives), or after a linking verb (i.e., predicate adjectives).
Attributive adjectives are often adjectives from different categories, so they must follow a specific adjective order (e.g., “a big fluffy Himalayan cat”). Postpositive adjectives usually occur with indefinite pronouns (e.g., “something special,” “anything new”). Predicate adjectives are always used with linking verbs (e.g., “I felt ill,” “He got angry”).
- When does adjective order matter?
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When adjectives of different categories are used to describe the same noun or pronoun, these are cumulative adjectives, and they must be listed according to the following order:
- Opinion
- Size
- Physical quality
- Age or shape
- Color
- Origin or religion
- Material
- Type
- Purpose
So, if a sentence uses the adjectives “silk” (material), “19th-century” (age), “delicate” (physical quality), and “ruby-red” (color) to describe a kimono (the noun), the adjectives should occur in this order: “a delicate 19th-century ruby-red silk kimono.”
- What is the difference between attributive and predicate adjectives?
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Attributive adjectives precede the noun or pronoun they modify (e.g., “red car,” “loud music”), while predicate adjectives describe the subject of a sentence and follow linking verbs such as “be,” “become,” “seem,” or “remain.”
