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Teacher cue
B1 · English Grammar

Adjective
Order

a beautiful old French wooden chest

Opinion before fact Fixed sequence
The idea

English adjectives follow a fixed order

When two or more adjectives come before a noun, they must follow this sequence:

1
Quantity
→
2
Opinion
→
3
Size
→
4
Age
→
5
Shape
→
6
Color
→
7
Origin
→
8
Material
→
★
Noun
Example

four big old square wooden houses

a pretty little blue French electric car

The key rule

Opinion before fact

Opinion adjectives (beautiful, horrible, lovely) always come first.

Rule 1

Opinion always comes before fact adjectives

1 a beautiful old painting opinion → age
2 a lovely little garden opinion → size
3 an amazing big pink salt lake opinion → size → color
4 a stunning old French painting opinion → age → origin
Rule 2

Among fact adjectives: Size → Shape → Color → Origin → Material

1 a long thin silver necklace size → shape → color
2 a big red Italian sports car size → color → origin
3 a small square wooden box size → shape → material
4 a huge old brick building size → age → material
Tip

When to use commas

Use a comma between adjectives from the same category. No comma between different categories.

Comma ✓

a friendly, helpful teacher

a dark, mysterious forest

Both are opinions — use a comma.
No comma ✓

a small red bag

a long dark wooden corridor

Different categories — no comma between them.
⚠ Watch out

Common mistakes

a red big car

✓ a big red car

Size comes before color.

a wooden old French table

✓ an old French wooden table

Age → origin → material.

a pretty, Italian, small vase

✓ a pretty small Italian vase

Opinion → size → origin. No comma between different categories.

a round big silver coin

✓ a big round silver coin

Size comes before shape.

Now it's your turn

Let's
practice.

Say the answer out loud — then tap to check.

Practice 1
tap the blank to reveal

Fill the gap — put the adjectives in order

She drives a (old, red, little) car.
He wore a (gray, long, elegant) coat.
They found a (wooden, square, small) box.
It was a (brick, old, huge) building.
We bought a (Chinese, beautiful, blue) vase.
Practice 2
tap a card to see the correction

Spot the mistake

She bought aA red beautifulB silk scarf atC the market inD Marrakesh.

Bred beautiful → beautiful red

✓ opinion comes before color

ThoseA enormous old wooden doors wereB painted green, butC the metal gate haveD not been touched.

Dhave → has

✓ the gate is singular → has

A leather old brownA jacket wasB hanging onC the back of the chairD.

AA leather old brown → An old brown leather jacket

✓ age → color → material

Practice 3
tap to reveal a model answer

Complete the noun phrase

He wore a _____ jacket.
This is a _____ vase.
She bought a _____ ring.
It was a _____ painting.
Speak & write

Your turn

Use adjectives in the right order.

Describe your bedroom using two or three adjectives.
Think of a piece of clothing you love. Describe it.
Describe a building or place in your town using at least two adjectives.
What would your dream car, house, or gift look like? Use three adjectives.
Recap

Remember this

Opinion first
Beautiful, lovely, horrible — always before size, color, origin, material.
Size → Shape → Color
a big round red ball — never "a red round big ball".
Origin before Material
an old French wooden clock — age → origin → material.
Commas
Only between adjectives from the same category. Not between different ones.

When adjectives come before a noun, opinion comes first — then facts follow the fixed chain.

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