Adjective as a word that gives additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence can also serve as modifier modifying the noun or pronoun that follows it. In some cases there will be many adjectives appearing before a particular noun or pronoun in a sentence. For such group of adjectives, there is need for correct arrangement. There is a rule that states which adjective should come before another and which one should appear after another. There are various forms of adjectives expressing different things.
Adjectives depending on their appearances can express:
Number: that indicates numbers such as two, four, forty, three hundred, five million, a, an, first, third, sixth, seventeenth, hundredth and so on.
Attributes: these are words indicating qualities or attributes of something. Such attributes or qualities can be ugly, beautiful, courageous, gorgeous, achiever, active, ambitious, elegant, extravagant, rich, expensive, poor, incredible, insightful, sensitive, wise, lazy and so on.
Size or Weight: instances under this category include tall, short, small, large, big, little, heavy, gigantic, high, giant, tiny, elfin and so on.
Age: this includes young, old, new, outdated, archaic, barbaric, old-fashioned, new-fashioned, modern, ancient, obsolete, out of date, obsolescent, ageing, aged, recent, contemporary, brand-new, late, latest among others.
Shape: this includes fat, thin, lanky, oblong, rectangular, stout, round, slender, lean, slight, wispy, plump, rotund, fleshy, bellied, flabby, elephantine, spherical, globular, orbicular, curve, ball-shaped, annular, loose-jointed and so on.
Colours: among the colours that can function as adjective are yellow, red, green, purple, white, blue, dark, black, dark-skinned, fair-skinned, light, fair, blonde, pink, golden, bronze, orange and so on.
Nationality/Origin: this is speculated for origin of human being or animal and sometimes things. For example, Nigerian, Togolese, Japanese, American, Ghanaian, Senegalese, Malaysian, etcetera.
Nouns Used as Adjectives: these are nouns that are used as adjectives in order to qualify another noun or pronoun. The words under this category are also known as MATERIALS The following and others are nouns but can be used as adjectives - sports, table, cotton, leather, metal, iron, wooden, plastic, racing, Queen, and the like.
Each of the adjective classification can be represented by the first letter starting each of them:
"N" for Number which is the adjective number one in the order of adjectives.
"A" for Attributes which is the adjective number two in the order of adjectives,
"S/W" standing for Size/Weight and the number three in the order of adjectives.
"A" representing Age that take the forth position in the order of adjectives.
"S" for Shape appears fifth.
"C" representing Colour and stands number six among the adjectives orderliness.
" N /O" substitutes for Nationality/Origin and assumes number seven while underlining adjectives to suit right usage.
"N" is for Nouns that are used as adjectives so as to qualify another nouns or pronouns.
Let us consider the following examples:
1. The brave hunter killed the black big spitting cobra in the forest.
Note: the way the adjectives are arranged is correct while any other structure of arrangement that can be introduced will always be incorrect. Colour comes first (black), follows by size (big), then by noun used as an adjective (spitting) also known as participle; and lastly the noun (cobra).
2. As things are now, I have to look for a cheap second-hand rubber tire.
Note: a is under the number, cheap is under the attributes, second-hand is under the quality, rubber lies under material or participle while tire is the noun that all the adjectives qualify.
Exercise
Choose the most suitable adjectives arrangement for each of the following:
1. Mrs. Janet Valenzuela has to get a ............handbag before she can come us.
(a) red beautiful leather
(b) beautiful leather red
(c) beautiful red leather
(d) leather beautiful red
(a) red beautiful leather
(b) beautiful leather red
(c) beautiful red leather
(d) leather beautiful red
2. Please do ensure to include............ sites for our excursions so as to make the journey a memorable one.
(a) all the many, interesting, historical
(b) the many historical, interesting all
(c) interesting, historical, the all many
(d) all the historical, interesting many
(b) the many historical, interesting all
(c) interesting, historical, the all many
(d) all the historical, interesting many
3. The political leader who is living in the glass had bought her own ................ last week.
(a) very party first dress
(b) very first party dress
(c) party dress first very
(d) dress first party very
(b) very first party dress
(c) party dress first very
(d) dress first party very
4. The Queen while coming to my party yesterday wore ................ that attracted some of my guests.
(a) gold, very glittering expensive
(b) very expensive, glittering, gold
(c) gold, very expensive glittering
(d) very expensive, gold glittering
(b) very expensive, glittering, gold
(c) gold, very expensive glittering
(d) very expensive, gold glittering
5. The new elected senators had jointly purchased and donated .............to assist the project on ground.
(a) large duplicating modern machine
(b) large modern duplicating machine
(c) modern large duplicating machine
(d) machine modern duplicating large
(b) large modern duplicating machine
(c) modern large duplicating machine
(d) machine modern duplicating large
Attempt all the exercises above. If you wish, you can drop your answers in comment section.
Olufajo Olulekan
Hello Reader, thanks for your visitation. I am Olufajo Olulekan, a blogger by passion, inspiring in helping people online with useful information. I usually blog on another different platform but create this blog to make people knowledgeable about English Language, Literature in English, and Literary Texts Summary and Analysis
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