Adjective Order

Exercises

Explanation

1. Adjectives used only before the noun

Some adjectives appear almost exclusively before the nouns they modify. They typically express direction, frequency, or a built-in characteristic of the noun.

Common examples include: northern, southern, eastern, western, occasional, countless, indoor, outdoor, lone

Examples:

• They moved to the eastern coast last year.

• We love outdoor concerts in the summer.

• He took a lone walk along the beach.

• The city has countless small cafés and bookshops.

These adjectives rarely occur after a verb such as be, seem, or feel.

2. Adjectives usually placed after the verb

Many adjectives ending in -ed describe a person’s state, emotion, or reaction. These typically appear after linking verbs—not before nouns.

Common examples: annoyed, bored, delighted, disappointed, thrilled, finished, glad

Examples:

• She felt delighted with the final results.

• The report is not finished yet.

• I’m glad you could join us.

• They were bored during the lecture.

Placing these adjectives before a noun usually sounds unnatural.

3. Adjectives ending in –able / –ible

These adjectives can appear both before and after the noun. The choice often depends on style or emphasis.

Examples:

• This is the only suitable option.

• This is the only option suitable for beginners.

• They found several visible stars.

• They found several stars visible through the telescope.

Both patterns are correct, though the position after the noun is slightly more formal.

4. Adjectives after indefinite pronouns

When an adjective describes an indefinite pronoun—such as someone, anyone, something, nothing—the adjective comes after the pronoun, never before it.

Examples:

• I spoke to someone helpful at reception.

• She needs something light to eat.

• There is nothing valuable in that drawer.

• He wants to meet anyone experienced in marketing.

This word order is fixed and does not change.

5. Using several adjectives in one phrase

English normally uses no more than three adjectives before a noun in everyday speech. When we use several, they tend to follow a conventional sequence from more subjective to more objective qualities.

Typical order:

1. Quantity – two, several

2. Opinion – lovely, awful, impressive

3. Size – small, enormous

4. Quality / Condition – clean, damaged, warm, noisy

5. Age – old, new, ancient

6. Shape – round, narrow, square

7. Colour – green, silver, yellow

8. Origin – Spanish, African, lunar

9. Material – glass, cotton, stone

10. Purpose – cooking, sleeping, hiking

11. Noun

Examples using the full order:

• She bought three elegant medium-sized black Spanish ceramic bowls.

• We visited a beautiful old round white marble courtyard.

• He found two practical small grey plastic storage boxes.

Examples with 2–3 adjectives (more common in real speech):

• a soft grey blanket

• a big wooden desk

• a strange little creature

• a delicious hot soup

Correct adjective order does not usually affect meaning, but it greatly affects naturalness. When adjectives follow the expected pattern, your English becomes easier to follow and more native-like.