8/11/2019 Adjectives and adverbs + adj order

1/2

Adjectives and adverbs are parts of speech and are used to provide additional information about other words.Adjectivesand adverbs are also known

ascontent words- words that provide important information in sentences. Sometimes students are not sure when to use an adverb or an adjective.

This short guide provides an overview and rules to using both adjectives and adverbs.

AdjectivesAdjectives Modify Nouns

Adjectives are placed directly before a noun:

Examples:

Tom is an excellentsinger.

I bought a comfortablechair.

She's thinking about buying a newhouse.

Adjectives are also used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be'. In this case, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence:

Examples:

Jack is happy.

Peter was very tired.

Mary'll be excitedwhen you tell her.

Adjectives are used with sense verbs or verbs or appearance (feel, taste, smell, sound, appear and seem) to modify the noun which comes before

the verb:

Examples:The fish tasted awful.

Did you see Peter? He seemed very upset.

I'm afraid the meat smelled rotten.

Adverbs

Adverbs Modify Verbs, Adjectives and Other Adverbs

Adverbs are easily recognized because the end in '-ly' (with a few exceptions!):

Examples:

Adjective -> careful / Adverb -> carefully

Adjective -> quick / Adverb -> quickly

Adverbs are often used at the end of a sentence to modify the verb:

Examples:

Jack drove carelessly.

Tom played the match effortlessly.

Jason complained about his classes constantly.

Adverbs are used to modify adjectives:

Examples:

They seemed extremelysatisfied.

She paid increasinglyhigh prices.

I was suddenlysurprised by Alice.

Adverbs are also used to modify other adverbs:

Examples:

The people in the line moved incrediblyquickly.

She wrote the report unusuallyneatly.

Adjective Placement

Adjectives describe nouns. Often, writers use only one adjective to describe a noun either by placing the adjectivein front of the noun or by using

astative verb and placing the adjective at the end of the sentence. For example:

He's an excellentteacher.

She seems very shy.

Sometimes, more than one adjective is used to describe a noun. In this case, English speakers use a specific adjective order when placing each

adjective. Each adjective is separated by a comma. For example:

He drives an big, expensive, German car.

Her employer is an interesting, old, Dutch man.

When using more than one adjective to describe a noun place the adjectives in the following order before the noun.

NOTE: We usually use no more than three adjectives preceding a noun.

1. Opinion

Example:an interesting book, a boring lecture

2. Dimension

http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/adjecterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/adjecterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/adjecterm.htmhttp://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_words2.htmhttp://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_words2.htmhttp://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_words2.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/intermediate-confusing-words/a/In-Front-Of-Opposite.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/grammarstructures/a/g_stative.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/grammarstructures/a/g_stative.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/intermediate-confusing-words/a/In-Front-Of-Opposite.htmhttp://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_words2.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/adjecterm.htm

8/11/2019 Adjectives and adverbs + adj order

2/2

Example:a big apple, a thin wallet

3. Age

Example:a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin

4. Shape

Example:a square box, an oval mask, a round ball

5. Color

Example:a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat

6.

OriginExample:some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car

7. Material

Example:a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy

Here are some examples of nouns modified with three adjectives in the correct order based on the list above. Notice that the adjectives are not

separated by commas.

A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin)

A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - color)

A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - color - material) Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)