What Are Adjectives?
Adjectives are words that describe or give more information about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea). For example:
- The red apple.
- A tall man.
- An expensive watch.
But when you want to use more than one adjective before a noun, how do you know which one comes first?
The Correct Order of Adjectives
There is a standard sequence that native speakers instinctively follow. Here’s the order:
- Opinion – what you think about something (e.g., beautiful, ugly, amazing)
- Size – how big or small something is (e.g., big, small, tiny)
- Age – how old or new something is (e.g., old, young, ancient)
- Shape – the physical form (e.g., round, square, rectangular)
- Color – the color of something (e.g., red, blue, green)
- Origin – where something is from (e.g., French, Mexican, urban)
- Material – what something is made of (e.g., wooden, plastic, silk)
- Purpose – what something is used for (e.g., cooking, sports, gardening)
This might look complicated, but here’s a handy acronym to help you remember:
OSASCOMP
Let’s see how this works with examples.
Examples of Correct Order
Let’s build a sentence using multiple adjectives in the correct order:
- Opinion: lovely
- Size: small
- Age: old
- Color: blue
- Origin: Italian
- Material: silk
- Purpose: dining
Now let’s put them together:
She wore a lovely small old blue Italian silk dress.
Doesn’t that sound better than saying:
❌ “She wore a silk lovely Italian old blue small dress.”
That sounds unnatural, right?
Tips for Using Multiple Adjectives
- Use commas between adjectives if they are all from the same category (usually opinion or description).
- Example: She has a beautiful, spacious house.
- Don’t use commas if the adjectives follow the order and are from different categories.
- Example: My new black leather jacket is perfect for winter.
- Not all adjectives need to be used every time — just pick the ones that matter most!
- Example: I bought a leather jacket.
Or: I bought a black leather jacket.
Or: I bought a new black leather jacket.
Why Does This Matter?
Knowing the correct order of adjectives helps you sound more like a native speaker. Even if your grammar is perfect, incorrect adjective order can make your English sound awkward or confusing.
Think of it like this: even if you know all the ingredients of a cake, putting them in the wrong order won’t give you the best result!
Practice Makes Perfect
Try building sentences using two or three adjectives at a time. Start by choosing one adjective from each category and arranging them in the correct order.
Example Prompt: Describe a car.
Possible adjectives: fast (opinion), silver (color), German (origin), expensive (opinion), modern (age)
✅ Correct: It’s a fast, expensive modern silver German car.
You can also try describing:
- Your dream house
- Your favorite piece of clothing
- A famous landmark
Quick Summary
| Order | Adjective Type | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opinion | beautiful, boring, amazing |
| 2 | Size | big, small, huge |
| 3 | Age | old, new, ancient |
| 4 | Shape | round, square, flat |
| 5 | Color | red, green, golden |
| 6 | Origin | American, local, European |
| 7 | Material | wooden, plastic, silk |
| 8 | Purpose | cooking, sleeping, sports |
