Adjective Order

Adjectives are an essential part of English because they describe nouns. When using more than one adjective to describe a noun, it’s important to remember the correct order. This activity will help students understand how to place adjectives in the correct sequence to sound natural and grammatically correct.

In English, the typical order for multiple adjectives before a noun follows this pattern:

Opinion (e.g., beautiful, ugly, nice)
Size (e.g., big, small, tiny)
Age (e.g., old, young, new)
Shape (e.g., round, square, rectangular)
Colour (e.g., red, blue, green)
Origin (e.g., French, American, Mexican)
Material (e.g., wooden, cotton, plastic)
Purpose (e.g., swimming, cooking, reading)
Noun (the thing being described)

For example:

Correct order: He wore a stylish, blue, denim shirt.
Incorrect order: He wore a blue, stylish, denim shirt. (This sounds awkward in English)

How to Play Adjective Order

Instructions:

Begin by reviewing the order of adjectives with your students. You can give examples, like:
- “I bought a beautiful, big, old house.”
- “She wore a lovely, red, cotton dress.”
Provide the students with sentences that contain adjectives in the wrong order.
Ask the students to rewrite the sentences by putting the adjectives in the correct order.
Encourage students to discuss their answers and explain why they placed each adjective in its particular position.

Example:

“He wore a shirt. (blue, denim, stylish)”
- Correct order: “He wore a stylish, blue, denim shirt.”

Now, it’s your turn to try!

Sentences to Rewrite:

The shop assistant put the gift into a bag. (brown, small, paper)
They’re showing a movie at the cinema tonight. Do you want to go? (action, new)
I’m going to a party tonight. I bought a dress to wear. (sexy, white, short)
The man ran down a street to the police station. (long, narrow)
Paul sang a song to his girlfriend. (slow, love)
It was so nice to come in from the cold and eat a meal. (hot, delicious)
She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair. (curly, long, lovely)
I just bought a sports car. (German, black, new)
Watch out! There is a dog over there. (black, ferocious, big)
Do you want to play badminton? It’s a sunny day outside. (lovely, bright)

Why Use Adjective Order in Your Classroom?

✅ Improves Sentence Structure – This activity helps students understand how adjectives should be ordered to sound natural.
✅ Enhances Descriptive Skills – Students practice using multiple adjectives to describe people, places, and things in detail.
✅ Boosts Writing and Speaking – Correct adjective order is important for both written and spoken English.
✅ Engaging and Interactive – This exercise is an active way for students to reinforce grammar rules while having fun.
✅ Flexible for All Levels – You can tailor the sentences to suit your students’ proficiency level, from beginner to advanced.

Final Thoughts

Adjective Order

Adjective Order: A Fun and Interactive Grammar Activity with free printable PDF worksheet