adjectives

Using Adjectives Together in English

In English, we often use more than one adjective before a noun. The order matters because it helps the sentence sound natural.

1. Opinion Adjectives Come Before Fact Adjectives

Opinion adjectives express what you think or feel: nice, beautiful, interesting, boring.

Fact adjectives describe real qualities: new, old, large, small, round, wooden.

Order: Opinion → Fact

Example: “a beautiful old house” (I think it’s beautiful + fact: it’s old)

2. Typical Order of Fact Adjectives

When using several fact adjectives, they follow this usual order:

size → age → color → origin → material → noun

Examples:

• “a tall young man” (size → age)
• “a small black plastic bag” (size → color → material)
• “a large wooden table” (size → material)
• “an old white cotton shirt” (age → color → material)

3. Special Patterns

When two colors describe the same noun together, use and:

✔ “a black and white dress” ✘ “a black white dress”

Shape adjectives (round, flat, thin, long) usually come before color:

Example: “a long blue scarf”

4. Adjectives After Linking Verbs

Some verbs are followed by adjectives, not adverbs. These verbs describe states or senses:

be, get, become, seem, look, sound, smell, taste

Examples:

• “You look tired.” (appearance)
• “The dinner smells good.” (smell)
• “The tea tastes a bit strange.” (taste)

But actions require adverbs:

• “Drive carefully.”
• “She plays the piano very well.”

5. Expressions with first / next / last

When using number or quantity words with these adjectives, the number comes after first/next/last:

• “the first two days”
• “the next few weeks”
• “the last ten minutes”