Order of adjectives

When more than one adjective comes before a noun, the adjectives are normally in a
particular order. Adjectives which describe opinions or attitudes (e.g. amazing) usually
come first, before more neutral, factual ones (e.g. red):

She was wearing an amazing red coat.

Not: … red amazing coat

If we don’t want to emphasise any one of the adjectives, the most usual sequence of
adjectives is:

order relating to examples

1 opinion unusual, lovely, beautiful

2 size big, small, tall

physical
3 thin, rough, untidy
quality

4 shape round, square, rectangular

5 age young, old, youthful

6 colour blue, red, pink

7 origin Dutch, Japanese, Turkish

8 material metal, wood, plastic

9 type general-purpose, four-sided,

order relating to examples

U-shaped

cleaning, hammering,
10 purpose
cooking

It was made of a 1strange, 6green, 8metallic material.

It’s a 4long, 8narrow, 10plastic brush.

Panettone is a 4round, 7Italian, 9bread-like Christmas cake.

Here are some invented examples of longer adjective phrases. A noun phrase which
included all these types would be extremely rare.

She was a 1beautiful, 2tall, 3thin, 5young, 6black-haired, 7Scottish woman.

What an 1amazing, 2little, 5old, 7Chinese cup and saucer!

Adjectives joined by and

When more than one adjective occurs after a verb such as be (a linking verb), the
second last adjective is normally connected to the last adjective by and:

Home was always a warm, welcoming place. Now it is sad, dark and cold.

And is less common when more than one adjective comes before the noun (e.g. a
warm, welcoming place). However, we can use and when there are two or more
adjectives of the same type, or when the adjectives refer to different parts of the same
thing:

It was a blue and green cotton shirt.

See also:
 Adjectives
(“Adjectives: order” from English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)
 Grammatical constructions used for comparing
adjectives
There are three forms of comparison:

 positive

 comparative

 superlative

1. Comparison with -er/-est

clean → cleaner → (the) cleanest

We use -er/-est with the following adjectives:

1.1. Adjectives with one syllable

positive comparative superlative

clean cleaner cleanest

new newer newest

cheap cheaper cheapest

1.2. Adjectives with two syllables and the following endings:

1.2.1. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -y

positive comparative superlative

dirty dirtier dirtiest

easy easier easiest

happy happier happiest

pretty prettier prettiest

1.2.2. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -er

positive comparative superlative

clever cleverer cleverest

1.2.3. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -le

positive comparative superlative

simple simpler simplest

1.2.4. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -ow

positive comparative superlative

narrow narrower narrowest

1.3. Spelling of the adjectives using the endings -er/-est

positive comparative superlative comment

large larger largest leave out the silent -e

big bigger biggest

Double the consonant after short vowel

sad sadder saddest

dirty dirtier dirtiest Change -y to -i (consonant before -y)

Here -y is not changed to -i.

shy shyer shyest
(although consonant before -y)

2. Comparison with more – most

all adjectives with more than one syllable (except some adjectives with two syllables –
see 2.1. to 2.4.)
positive comparative superlative

difficult more difficult (the) most difficult

3. Irregular adjectives

positive comparative superlative comment

good better best

bad worse worst

much more most uncountable nouns

many more most countable nouns

little less least

little smaller smallest

4. Special adjectives
Some adjectives have two possible forms of comparison (-er/est and more/most).
positive comparative superlative

clever cleverer / more clever cleverest / most clever

common commoner / more common commonest / most common

likely likelier / more likely likeliest / most likely

pleasant pleasanter / more pleasant pleasantest / most pleasant

polite politer / more polite politest / most polite

quiet quieter / more quiet quietest / most quiet

simple simpler / more simple simplest / most simple

stupid stupider / more stupid stupidest / most stupid

subtle subtler / more subtle subtlest / most subtle

sure surer / more sure surest / most sure

5. Difference in meaning with adjectives

positive comparative superlative comment

farther farthest distance

far
distance or
further furthest
time

later latest

late latter x

x last

older oldest people and things

old

elder eldest people (family)

nearer nearest distance

near

x next order
 Here is the order that we generally follow:

1. Opinion: pretty, horrible, lovely

2. Size: huge, tiny, big, little
3. Age: old, young, new
4. Shape: round, square, triangular
5. Colour: black, red, yellow
6. Origin: British, Chinese, French
7. Material: woollen, wooden, silk
8. Purpose: writing (paper), school (shoes)

The first letter of these words spell 'OSASCOMP' (as pointed out by the
fabulous Mignon Fogarty) and thinking about the word 'osascomp' is a great way to
remember the order of adjectives.

Determiners (words like 'a' or 'some' or' several') go at the beginning. We also put
adverbs like 'really' and 'very' at the beginning, after the determiners.

Here are some examples:

 I carried a very small black suitcase.

 They have some old French paintings.
 She was wearing a new red silk dress.
 That is a really ugly wooden chair.
 We bought a new round kitchen table.
 There are some new Chinese students in the class.