Learn the Order of Adjectives with Ease

 

The order of adjectives is a topic with diverse applications and usages.

In fact, (about 5) questions are being asked annually on it...in WASSCE, NECO and JAMB examinations.

Let's continue...

Adjectives are words that qualify/modify a noun or a pronoun. In other words, theydescribe a person, place, or thing in a sentence. Adjectives usually come before the noun. For example:

• “The small dog jumped over the white fence.”

...Small is an adjective that describes the noun dog, and white is an adjective that describes the noun fence.

When we speak or write, we don’t want to bore our listener or reader with repetitive sentences. Imagine a description like this:

• “He is a tall man. He is a healthy man. He is a young man.”

 So, there's a need for a better system to avoid some cloudy statements.

That's why the Order of Adjectives is birthed.

You would be so bored that you wouldn’t want to listen to another word.

Luckily, we have another option. We can make such a description more concise by using all the three adjectives in one sentence:

• “He is a tall healthy young man.”

In English, the order of adjectives can sometimes be flexible, but most of the time we use a very specific order; if we don’t, the sentence sounds unnatural, as in “young healthy tall man.”

I guess that sounds like *Engrish*. 

Right?

I'll like to state the order of adjectives in a localized way.

 I've consulted plethora of good English books on the order of adjectives. I couldn't really enjoy their analysis that'll specially answer questions in any exam without stress.

 So, I came up with this funny but meaningful clue...

 Here's it....👇🏻

ATIKU REALLY SIZE AGORO SHADE'S COLOR; NOUNS AS ADJECTIVES... MODIFIED NOUNS.

 Now, let me break it down...

This is how the adjectives should be arranged:

1. Articles: an, a, the and some determiners: some, few, a little, etc. They'll be placed first.

2. Adjectives of Real: beautiful, stupid, ugly, etc.

3. Adjectives of Size: big, small, colossal, tiny, large etc.

4. Adjectives of Age: modern, ancient, old, new, young, etc.

 5. Adjectives of Shape: round, rectangular, circular, triangular, plane etc.

Now, I'll split the COLOR into two...

6. Adjectives of Colours: white, black, yellow, chocolate etc.

 7. Adjectives of Origin: Nigerian, Japanese, Togolese, Ghanian, Yoruba, Hausa, Southern, etc.

8. Nouns as Adjectives: sport, house, car etc.

As in Sport car, House girl, Car key etc. 

9. Modified Nouns: sports, packages, felicitation etc.

I'm happy you have them all.

Did you get them ... please?

The clue may sound funny but ever since I've been using and teaching it, I must be sincere, my students don't score less in the Use of Engrish and general English examinations.

So, it's time for some assessment tests.

Are you ready?

Rubric : Choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the following sentences.

 1. The poor man was pleased to find _______ tyre.

A. a rubber old discarded

B. an old discarded rubber

C. a discarded rubber old

D. an old rubber discarded

 2. There are lots of ______ in the park.

A. luxury buses moving fast

B. luxury buses fast moving

C. moving fast luxury buses

3. He put _______ in a basket.

A. white dozen eggs

B. a white dozen eggs

C. dozen white eggs

D. a dozen white eggs

4. She bought a _____ handbag.

A. red beautiful leather

B. beautiful leather red

C. beautiful red leather

D. leather beautiful red

 5. I bought my _____ today.

A. very green first party dress

B. green very party first dress

C. first green very party dress

D. very first green party dress.

Drop your answers in the comment box below.

For any assistance on the Use of English and any other subjects, call/whatsapp +2347067827070