1.

The basic types of adjectives

Opinion
Size
Age
Shape
Colour
Origin
Material
Purpose

An opinion adjective explains what you think about something (other people may not
agree with you).
For example: silly, beautiful, horrible, difficult
A size adjective, of course, tells you how big or small something is.
For example: large, tiny, enormous, little
An age adjective tells you how young or old something or someone is.
For example: ancient, new, young, old
A shape adjective describes the shape of something.
For example: square, round, flat, rectangular
A colour adjective, of course, describes the colour of something.
For example: blue, pink, reddish, grey
An origin adjective describes where something comes from.
For example: French, lunar, American, eastern, Greek
A material adjective describes what something is made from.
For example: wooden, metal, cotton, paper
A purpose adjective describes what something is used for. These adjectives often end
with -ing.
For example: sleeping (as in sleeping bag), roasting (as in roasting tin)

2. Some examples of adjective order

Opinion Size Age Shape Colour Origin Material Purpose
a silly
young
English
man
a
huge
round
metal
bowl
a
small
red
sleeping bag

1.Which is the correct order?

1.
2.
3.
4.

a small Canadian thin lady

a Canadian small thin lady
a small thin Canadian lady
a thin small Canadian lady

2. Which is the correct order?

1. a red big plastic hat
2. a plastic big red hat
3. a bit plastic red hat
4. a big red plastic hat
3. Which is the correct order?
1. a serving small Japanese bowl
2. a small serving Japanese bowl
3. a Japanese small serving bowl
4. a small Japanese serving bowl

4. Which is the correct order?

1. a square wooden old table
2. an old square wooden table
3. an old wooden square table
4. a wooden old square table
5. Which is the correct order?
1. a dirty cotton old tie
2. an old cotton dirty tie
3. a cotton dirty old tie
4. a dirty old cotton tie
6. Which is the correct order?
1. a sailing beautiful blue boat
2. a beautiful blue sailing boat
3. a blue sailing beautiful boat
4. a blue beautiful sailing boat
7. Which is the correct order?
1. an exciting French new band
2. an exciting new French band
3. a French new exciting band
4. an new French exciting band
8. Which is the correct order?
1. a steel new carving knife
2. a new steel carving knife
3. a new carving steel knife
4. a carving steel new knife

1. round / small / reading / lamp

2. German / old / yellow / car
3. wooden / huge / sailing / ship
4. physics / boring / old / teacher
5. slim / Canadian / handsome / snowboarder
6. sugar / blue / round / bowl