Where To Place Adjectives | Britannica Dictionary

Home » Where Does An Adjective Usually Go In A Sentence » Where To Place Adjectives | Britannica Dictionary

Maybe your like

An Encylopedia Britannica Company The Britannica Dictionary mobile search
  • Home
  • Ask the Editor
  • Word of the Day
  • Quizzes
  • Core Vocabulary
  • Browse the Dictionary
×
  • Britannica Homepage
  • Ask the Editor
  • Word of the Day
  • Quizzes
  • Core Vocabulary
  • Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary Ask the Editor Where to place adjectives Question Where should adjectives be placed in a sentence? What if several adjectives are being used to describe a single noun? — Several readers from around the world Answer

Adjectives can be placed either in front of a noun:

  • There was beautiful beach there.
  • Dark clouds appeared in the west.
  • He made a delicious dinner.

or after one of these verbs: be, seem, appear, become, get, look, feel, sound, taste or smell:

  • Their wedding was beautiful. (was is the past tense of be)
  • The sky got dark. (got is the past tense of get)
  • The soup smells delicious!

When two or more adjectives come after one of these verbs, they should be separated by and ("The sky looked dark and stormy"). When two or more adjectives are placed in front of the noun, they are usually organized in order of what they describe.

Adjectives that describe issues of opinion, like interesting or attractive, come first, and nouns being used as adjectives, like house or wedding, come last. Here is the order you should try to follow:

  1. Issues of opinion (interesting, attractive)
  2. Size and length (large, long, etc.)
  3. Age (young, new, etc.)
  4. Shape (round, wiry, etc.)
  5. Color (black, ivory, etc.)
  6. Place of origin (American, Asian, etc.)
  7. Material (metal, paper, etc.)
  8. Purpose (cleaning, magnifiying)
  9. Nouns used as adjectives (house, wedding, etc.)

Here are three sentences with adjectives placed in front of nouns, in the order recommended above:

  • We bought her a shiny new blue bicycle. (opinion + age + color)
  • Please bring a recent photocopied college transcript.(age + material + noun as adjective)
  • A gorgeous white gluten-free wedding cake would be perfect. (opinion + color + material + noun as adjective)
Archive Select month... February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 Link to this page: You can read more articles in the archive. QUIZZES Vocabulary Quiz Icon Vocabulary Quiz Test your word power Take the Quiz » Name That Thing Icon Name That Thing Take our visual quiz Test Your Knowledge » WORD OF THE DAY
Leaf through Illustration leaf through : to turn the pages of (a book, a magazine, etc.) Learn More »
  1. About Us & Legal Info
  2. Contact Us
  3. Privacy Notice
  4. Terms of Use
  5. Pronunciation Symbols
  6. Help
© 2025 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Tag » Where Does An Adjective Usually Go In A Sentence