Adjective Order Exercises and Examples

Adjective Order – Exercises

These exercises focus on Adjective Order

What Is Adjective Order?

In English, adjectives are used to describe nouns. When you use more than one adjective, they need to follow a specific order to sound correct. The order depends on the type of adjective and its role in describing the noun.

The Order of Adjectives

The general order of adjectives in English is as follows:

Type of Adjective	Explanation	Example
Opinion	What you think about something	beautiful, ugly
Size	How big or small something is	big, tiny
Age	How old something is	young, ancient
Shape	The shape of something	round, square
Color	The color of something	red, blue
Origin	Where something comes from	American, French
Material	What something is made of	wooden, plastic
Purpose/Qualifier	What something is used for	racing (as in "racing car")

Rules for Using Adjectives in Order

Follow the Correct Sequence:
Adjectives should follow the order in the table above. For example:

✅ A beautiful big red Italian leather bag (correct)
❌ A Italian red big beautiful leather bag (wrong)

Use Commas Between Adjectives of the Same Type:
When adjectives are of the same type, separate them with commas.

Example: A bright, cheerful room (both adjectives are opinions).

Do Not Use "and" Between Different Types of Adjectives:
Only use "and" when connecting two adjectives of the same type.

Example: A small and cozy room (both are opinions).

Common Errors

1. Wrong Order of Adjectives

❌ A blue old small chair
✅ A small old blue chair

2. Using Too Many Adjectives

Overloading a sentence with too many adjectives can confuse the reader.

❌ A beautiful small old round blue Italian leather bag
✅ A beautiful blue leather bag

3. Forgetting Articles or Determiners

Adjectives usually need an article ("a," "an," or "the") before them.

❌ Beautiful big red car
✅ A beautiful big red car

Everyday Use

In daily life, adjective order helps you sound natural. Here are examples:

Describing objects:

I bought a big black leather jacket.
She lives in a small old wooden house.

Talking about people:

He’s a tall young American man.
They have two cute fluffy kittens.

FAQ About Adjective Order

Why does adjective order matter?

Adjective order matters because native English speakers follow this rule naturally. Using the wrong order makes your sentence sound unnatural.

How can I remember adjective order easily?

You can use the acronym OSASCOMP (Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose).

Do native speakers always follow adjective order?

Yes, but they may simplify sentences by not using too many adjectives at once.

Are there exceptions to adjective order?

Rarely. Exceptions can occur in poetic or creative writing for stylistic reasons.

Can I use more than three adjectives at once?

You can, but it’s better to limit adjectives to three or fewer for clarity.