When speaking or writing in English, using multiple adjectives to describe a noun can sometimes be tricky. For instance, why do we say a beautiful old Italian house rather than an Italian old beautiful house? Although all three adjectives are grammatically correct, native speakers intuitively follow a specific order when placing descriptive words. This order is not random it follows a widely accepted pattern that, when disrupted, sounds unnatural to the listener or reader. Mastering the order of descriptive words is essential for improving fluency, clarity, and overall confidence in English.
What Are Descriptive Words?
Descriptive words, also known as adjectives, are used to describe or give more information about a noun. They help answer questions like what kind, how many, or which one. Adjectives bring color, detail, and life to language, enabling more specific communication. However, when more than one adjective is used, their arrangement matters significantly for natural-sounding English.
The Standard Order of Adjectives
In English, there is a commonly followed sequence for arranging multiple adjectives before a noun. This order may not always be taught explicitly in school, but native speakers use it almost unconsciously. The generally accepted order is
- Determiner(a, an, the, some, my, his, etc.)
- Opinion(beautiful, horrible, nice, lovely, etc.)
- Size(small, big, tall, tiny, huge, etc.)
- Age(young, old, new, ancient, etc.)
- Shape(round, square, flat, narrow, etc.)
- Color(red, blue, green, golden, etc.)
- Origin(Italian, Chinese, American, French, etc.)
- Material(wooden, silk, metal, plastic, etc.)
- Purpose or Qualifier(sleeping [as in sleeping bag], racing [as in racing car], etc.)
This sequence can be remembered with the mnemonicOSASCOMP(Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose).
Examples of Proper Adjective Order
- A lovely small old round brown French wooden coffee table
- That horrible big new square red plastic storage box
- My favorite little young black American racing dog
Each adjective in these examples fits into its category within the established order, resulting in natural and fluent expressions.
Why the Order Matters
English speakers are sensitive to the rhythm and logic of the language. When adjectives are out of order, even if each word is grammatically correct, the sentence can sound strange or jarring. For example
- CorrectShe wore a beautiful long silk dress.
- IncorrectShe wore a silk long beautiful dress.
While the second sentence may be understandable, it feels awkward and unnatural to most listeners. This shows how important the order of descriptive words is to proper English usage.
Detailed Explanation of Each Category
Determiners
Determiners come first and help define the noun. Examples include topics (a, the), possessives (my, your), demonstratives (this, that), and quantifiers (some, few).
Opinion
Opinion adjectives express personal judgments or feelings. These are subjective and describe what the speaker thinks about the noun.
- Examples lovely, awful, interesting, boring, beautiful
Size
These adjectives describe how big or small something is. They give information about the physical dimension of the noun.
- Examples large, tiny, short, enormous, huge
Age
Age-related adjectives describe how old something or someone is.
- Examples young, old, new, ancient, teenage
Shape
These describe the physical shape or form of the noun.
- Examples round, square, triangular, flat, oval
Color
Color adjectives describe the hue or shade of an object. This category can also include patterns like striped or dotted.
- Examples red, blue, black, golden, green
Origin
Origin adjectives describe where something or someone comes from, such as a country, region, or culture.
- Examples Italian, Asian, Mexican, African
Material
These describe what the noun is made of. This is useful when talking about physical objects.
- Examples wooden, metal, silk, plastic, cotton
Purpose or Qualifier
This type of adjective explains what the object is used for. These often come from verbs or nouns functioning as adjectives.
- Examples sleeping (as in sleeping bag), racing (as in racing car), cooking (as in cooking pot)
Tips for Using Multiple Adjectives
Although the full order allows for many adjectives, native speakers rarely use all categories at once. Usually, two or three adjectives are sufficient in normal conversation or writing. Here are some useful tips
- Use commas to separate adjectives of the same type (e.g., a small, narrow box).
- Do not use commas between adjectives of different types (e.g., a lovely wooden chair not a lovely, wooden chair).
- Keep your sentence readable. Too many adjectives can make it confusing or overly long.
Common Errors and How to Avoid Them
Language learners often make errors by placing adjectives in the wrong order or using too many at once. Here’s how to avoid typical mistakes
- Stick to the OSASCOMP structure to guide your word placement.
- When in doubt, simplify use fewer adjectives to be clear and effective.
- Practice with familiar examples. Repeating common phrases like a big old house helps internalize the structure.
Exceptions and Flexibility
Although the order of adjectives is quite consistent, English allows for some flexibility. In poetry, advertising, or creative writing, the rules may be bent to achieve rhythm, focus, or style. Additionally, if one adjective is part of a fixed phrase or compound noun (like high school student or emergency exit door), the standard order might not apply.
Understanding the rule is important, but being aware of exceptions is equally useful for advanced learners and creative writers.
The order of descriptive words in English is a key element of natural and correct communication. By following the established sequence opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, and purpose you can describe objects and people more clearly and fluently. Learning and applying this structure not only improves sentence clarity but also helps your English sound more polished and native-like. Whether you’re writing an essay, describing a product, or telling a story, mastering adjective order will elevate your language skills and boost your confidence.