The order of adjectives in English

The order of adjectives in English can be somewhat complex, but the OSASCO-MP rule provides a clear guideline for structuring them. This mnemonic stands for Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose, and it helps speakers remember the preferred sequence when using multiple adjectives before a noun.

1. Opinion

Adjectives that express personal judgments or feelings come first. Examples include "lovely," "expensive," and "beautiful."

• Example: a lovely smile

2. Size

Next are adjectives that describe the size of the noun. This includes words like "big," "small," and "tall."

• Example: a big dog

3. Age

Adjectives indicating the age of the noun follow size. Common examples are "old," "new," and "ancient."

• Example: an old bike

4. Shape

Shape adjectives come next, such as "round," "square," and "triangular."

• Example: a round table

5. Color

Color adjectives are placed after shape. Examples include "red," "blue," and "green."

• Example: a blue shirt

6. Origin

Adjectives that indicate the origin or nationality of the noun are next in line, like "French," "American," or "Chinese."

• Example: a French rotisserie

7. Material

Material adjectives describe what the noun is made from, such as "wooden," "metal," or "silk."

• Example: a wooden chair

8. Purpose

Finally, adjectives that describe the purpose of the noun often appear last, typically nouns used as adjectives (e.g., “wedding” in “wedding dress”).

• Example: a sports car

Examples of Adjective Order

To illustrate the OSASCO-MP order, consider the following examples:

• A lovely big old round blue French wooden dining table.
• An expensive small new rectangular red Italian silk scarf.
• I carried a tiny black suitcase.
• They have some old French paintings.
• She was wearing a new red silk dress.
• That is a horrid wooden chair.
• We bought a new round Kitchen table.
• There are some new Chinese students in the class.

In these examples, each adjective follows the OSASCO-MP sequence, enhancing clarity and flow in descriptions.

Additional Notes

While the OSASCO-MP rule provides a strong guideline for adjective order in English, it is not an absolute rule. Native speakers may occasionally deviate from this order for emphasis or stylistic reasons. For instance, one might say “the big bad wolf” where “big” precedes “bad,” which is an exception due to idiomatic expression3

In practice, using too many adjectives can lead to awkward constructions; hence, it's often recommended to limit descriptions to two or three adjectives to maintain clarity and coherence.