The Order of Adjectives: How to Construct a Sentence with Multiple Descriptive Words

ADJECTIVESTHE ORDER OF

How to Construct a Sentence withMultiple Descriptive Words

"Order of

adjectives?

Can't I just

lump them

all

together in

front of

the noun

and call it

a day?"

1. DETERMINER2. OPINION

3. SIZE4. AGE

5. SHAPE6. COLOR

7. MATERIAL8. ORIGIN

9. PURPOSE

It might surprise you to discoverthat when adjectives are presentedin a series, they must follow aparticular order.

HERE'S THE PROPER

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES!

1. DETERMINER

Determiners include articles (a, an, or the) and otherlimiters (e.g., your, eight, or his).

Ten lovable, small, young, pudgy, beige, fuzzy,French pet puppies.

The determiner in this example is ten (because youcan never have too many puppies).

2. OPINIONThe opinion adjective describes anobservation or what you think aboutsomething (e.g., beautiful, tasty, orhorrific).

Ten lovable, small, young, pudgy, beige,fuzzy, French pet puppies.

The opinion in this example is lovable(even though some would argue that'snot so much an opinion as a fact).

3. SIZES i z e d e s c r i b e s h o w b i g o r s m a l ls o m e t h i n g i s( e . g . , B I G , S M A L L , M I N U S C U L E ,o r E N O R M O U S ) .

T e n l o v a b l e , s m a l l , y o u n g , p u d g y ,b e i g e , f u z z y , F r e n c h p e t p u p p i e s .

T h e s i z e i n t h e e x a m p l e i s S M A L L .

A G E4.A s y o u w o u l d e x p e c t ,a g e d e s c r i b e s h o wy o u n g o r o l ds o m e t h i n g i s( e . g . , Y O U N G , O L D , A N C I E N T , o r N E W ) .

Ten l ovab l e , sma l l , young , pudgy ,b e i g e , f u z zy , F r ench p e t pupp i e s .

The s i z e i n t h e examp l e i s young .(We ' r e t a l k i ng pupp i e s , n o t d ogs .No t ev e ryone i s a d og p e r s on , bu teve ryone i s a puppy p e r s on . )

5. SHAPE

Next, describe whatshape something is

(e.g., round, square, orflat).

Ten lovable, small,young, pudgy, beige,

fuzzy, French petpuppies.

The size in theexample is pudgy.

O V E R H A L F W A Y T H E R E , F O L K S ! N E X T I N T H E L I S T I SC O L O R ( E . G . , R E D , P I N K I S H , O R Y E L L O W ) .

T E N L O V A B L E , S M A L L , Y O U N G , P U D G Y , B E I G E , F U Z Z Y ,F R E N C H P E T P U P P I E S .

T H E C O L O R I S U S U A L L Y P R E T T Y E A S Y T O S P O T . I N T H EE X A M P L E , I T ' S B E I G E .

6 . C O L O R

7. MATERIAL

THE MATERIAL DESCRIBES WHAT SOMETHINGIS MADE OUT OF (E.G., WOODEN, COTTON,

SILVER, OR METAL).

TEN LOVABLE, SMALL, YOUNG, PUDGY, BEIGE,FUZZY, FRENCH PET PUPPIES.

ALTHOUGH WE ALL KNOW PUPPIES ARE MADEOUT OF LOVE AND HAPPINESS, TECHNICALLYSPEAKING, IT'S PROBABLY MORE ACCURATE

TO DESCRIBE THEM AS FUZZY.

8. ORIGIN

O R I G I N D E S C R I B E S W H E R E S O M E T H I N G I S F R O M ( E . G . , F R E N C H ,W E S T E R N , O R S O L A R ) .

T E N L O V A B L E , S M A L L , Y O U N G , P U D G Y , B E I G E , F U Z Z Y , F R E N C HP E T P U P P I E S .

T H E O R I G I N I N T H E E X A M P L E I S F R E N C H . ( T H E S E A R E F R E N C HB U L L D O G P U P P I E S , A B R E E D T H A T O R I G I N A T E S , A S Y O U W O U L D

E X P E C T , I N F R A N C E . )

PURPOSE9.

T h e p u r p o s e a d j e c t i v ed e s c r i b e s w h a t s o m e t h i n g

i s u s e d f o r o r w h a t i td o e s ( e . g . , R A C I N G [ a s i nr a c i n g c a r ] o r S L E E P I N G

[ a s i n s l e e p i n g b a g ] ) .

T e n l o v a b l e , s m a l l , y o u n g ,p u d g y , b e i g e , f u z z y ,F r e n c h p e t p u p p i e s .

T h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s ep u p p i e s i s t o b e

c o m p a n i o n s , s o t h ep u r p o s e i n t h e e x a m p l e

i s P E T .

FINALLY . . .THE NOUN

NOW THAT YOU'VE LISTED ALL THE ADJECTIVES, IT'STIME TO IDENTIFY THE WORD YOU HAVE BEEN

DESCRIBING (I.E., THE NOUN). FINALLY! WE HAVEREACHED THE PUPPIES.

TEN LOVABLE, SMALL, YOUNG, PUDGY, BEIGE,FUZZY, FRENCH PET PUPPIES.

IN THE EXAMPLE, THE NOUN IS PUPPIES, IN CASEYOU DIDN'T GET THE MEMO . . .

C O N C L U S I O NW H I L E T H E R E A R E N O R U L E S L I M I T I N G T H EN U M B E R O F A D J E C T I V E S T H A T C A N B E U S E D , T W OO R T H R E E A R E G E N E R A L L Y S U F F I C I E N T . M O S TR E A D E R S W O U L D P R E F E R T O R E A D " P U D G Y , F U Z Z YP U P P I E S " T H A N " T E N L O V A B L E , S M A L L , Y O U N G ,P U D G Y , B E I G E , F U Z Z Y , F R E N C H P E T P U P P I E S . "

Though I'd take either, if we're

being perfectly honest.

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