Grade 5 English Adjectives – Order Of Adjectives Notes
English: Order of Adjectives (for age 10)
When we use more than one adjective to describe a noun in English, the adjectives usually follow a special order. Knowing the order helps your sentence sound natural.
The usual order (easy list)
1️⃣ Number (how many) — e.g., three, a, two
2️⃣ Opinion (what you think) — e.g., lovely, ugly, nice 😊
3️⃣ Size — e.g., big, small, tall 📏
4️⃣ Age — e.g., old, new, young 🧓
5️⃣ Shape — e.g., round, square 🔲
6️⃣ Colour — e.g., red, green, black 🎨
7️⃣ Origin (where from) — e.g., Kenyan, African, French 🌍
8️⃣ Material — e.g., wooden, metal, cotton 🪵
9️⃣ Purpose (what for) — e.g., school (bag), cooking (pot) 🎒🍳
Short rule: Put number first, then opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material and purpose.
Examples
- Three beautiful small old wooden stools — (Number ➝ Opinion ➝ Size ➝ Age ➝ Material)
- A lovely big new round Kenyan flag — (Opinion ➝ Size ➝ Age ➝ Shape ➝ Origin)
- Two large black school shoes — (Number ➝ Size ➝ Colour ➝ Purpose)
- A small red clay pot for cooking — (Size ➝ Colour ➝ Material ➝ Purpose)
Why order matters
If you put the adjectives in the wrong order it may sound strange. Compare:
Correct: three small yellow balls
Strange: yellow three small balls
Practice — put adjectives in the correct order
- Make this correct: wooden / two / big / chairs
- Make this correct: kenyan / small / flag / new 3
- Make this correct: red / nice / bicycle / one
- Make this correct: old / brown / school / bag / leather
Answers (click to show)
1. two big wooden chairs
2. a small new Kenyan flag
3. one nice red bicycle
4. an old brown leather school bag
Tips for learners
- Ask yourself the order: Number → Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose.
- Not all sentences use many adjectives. Use only the ones you need.
- Practice with things around you — your school bag, shoes, or food.
Try making 3 sentences about things in your classroom using 2 or 3 adjectives each. ✅