Order of Adjectives in English - IELTS With Mujahid

Day Activity: Order of Adjectives in English

IELTS with Mujahid | Beginner level | Works on phone, tablet and laptop

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Why this matters. An adjective is a word that describes a noun, and English has a fixed order when you use more than one. We say “a beautiful old house”, but never “an old beautiful house”, even though both use the same words. Native speakers follow this order without thinking, so correct order makes your English sound natural to the examiner. You already know that nouns are the words being described and that adjectives also follow linking verbs, as in “The room feels cold”. Today you learn what happens when two or three adjectives come before a noun. In Speaking Part 2, you describe people, places and objects, and good adjective order makes your description smooth. In Writing, phrases like “a serious global problem” show control of grammar and vocabulary. Do not worry, because one memory trick will solve the whole topic for you.

Self-learning step: Open Google and search “order of adjectives in English OSASCOMP”. Read one page for five minutes, then come back and try the activities.

Memory trick: OSASCOMP = Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material, Purpose.

Order	Category	Examples
1	Opinion	lovely, ugly, delicious, comfortable, serious
2	Size	big, tiny, tall, huge, long
3	Age	old, new, modern, ancient, young
4	Shape	round, square, flat, narrow
5	Colour	red, golden, dark, grey
6	Origin	Pakistani, Turkish, Japanese, global
7	Material	wooden, silk, plastic, leather
8	Purpose	sleeping (bag), cooking (pot), dining (table)

Example: a lovely small old round red Turkish wooden dining table. Native speakers rarely use more than three adjectives, so use two or three in your answers.

Extra rules: 1) A number or article comes first: two small red cars. 2) Choose a or an by the first adjective, not by the noun: an old red car, a big old car. 3) Use a comma between adjectives of the same type: a long, difficult exam. 4) After a linking verb, use and before the last adjective: The room is large, bright and clean.

Activity 1: Name the category

Tap the category each adjective belongs to.

Activity 2: Choose the natural order

Two phrases, one is correct. Use OSASCOMP.

Activity 3: Complete the phrase

Choose the adjectives in the correct order to complete each phrase.

Activity 4: Adjective detective

Tap every adjective in each sentence. Then press Check.

Activity 5: Adjectives in IELTS sentences

Choose the correct adjective order in sentences you could use in Writing or Speaking.

Activity 6: Write it yourself

Use the lines below. Write in your own words, then tick the checklist.

A. Correct the order. Rewrite correctly: “a wooden old small table”, “a red big beautiful car”, “an Italian leather black bag”.

B. Describe your favourite object. Write 3 sentences. Use two or three adjectives before the noun in at least one sentence.

C. Speaking Part 2 practice. Describe a place you like, such as a park, market or mosque, in 3 sentences. Use one opinion adjective, one size or age adjective, and one linking verb.

Self-check My opinion adjective comes before size, age and colour. I used a or an correctly before the first adjective. I used no more than three adjectives before one noun. I used a linking verb correctly with an adjective after it.

Well done. Your descriptions now sound more natural and more accurate. Keep practicing at www.goatguruenglish.com

IELTS with Mujahid | www.goatguruenglish.com

Day Activity: Order of Adjectives in English

Activity 1: Name the category

Activity 2: Choose the natural order

Activity 3: Complete the phrase

Activity 4: Adjective detective

Activity 5: Adjectives in IELTS sentences

Activity 6: Write it yourself

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