Adjective – order in a sentence & various constructions
ADJECTIVES ORDER IN A SENTENCE
When two, three or (rarely) four adjectives stand before a noun, it is important to put them in the correct order.
Rule number 1:
At first, an adjective expressing an opinion, then adjective expressing the fact:
| opinion: | fact: | noun: |
|---|---|---|
| a nice a wonderful a delicious stupid | velvet skiing Chinese young | dress holiday meal men |
Rule number 2:
In case of adjectives expressing the fact we place them in the following order:
size/ age/ shape/ colour/ origin/ material/ purpose/ noun
a tall young lady an old Japanese car red silk evening dress
COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
Except for simple adjectives, there are also compound adjectives, created according to the following schemes:
| adjectives + noun + ed | adjectives + -ing form |
|---|---|
| dark-haired big-hearted | good-looking easy-going |
| adjective + past participle | noun + past participle |
| low-paid newborn | home-made suntanned |
| preposition + past participle | preposition + noun |
| outdated overcast | outdoor oversize |
ADJECTIVES AFTER VERBS
Adjectives are words describing nouns, and because of that, they usually appear before nouns in sentences:
You’ve got a lovely tie.
She lives in an old house.
Words describing verbs are called adverbs. They appear after verbs.
He drives carefully.
They speak English quite well.
There is a group of verbs in which it is possible to use an adjective after a verb!
State verbs:
| opinion | noun |
|---|---|
| feel | I feel exhausted. |
| taste | This wine tastes really good. |
| sound | You sounded happy when you spoke. |
| smell | Something smells good. |
| look | You look tired. Have you had a hard day? |
Verbs:
| opinion | noun |
|---|---|
| be | It’s hot today. |
| get | He’s getting old. |
| become | She became fat. |
| seem | She seems very nice. |
CONSTRUCTION OF SENCE WITH ADJECTIVE
THE + ADJECTIVES
Some of the adjectives preceded by article the function as a noun and expressed a group of people:
| status: | age: | health: |
|---|---|---|
| the rich the poor the unemployed | the young the old the middle-aged | the deaf the blind the disabled |
Only the rich can afford this car.
The young like to eat out.
This programme is for the deaf.
THE SOONER, THE BETTER
Construction the…, the… is expressed by way of the + comparative adjective… the + comparative adjective.
The sooner the better.
The more she got, the more she wanted.
The longer she stayed there, the more she missed her family.
