Writing Tip 91: The Royal Order of Adjectives Fantasticus

run-down blue and white old row boat
Is it a run-down blue and white old wooden row boat or a wooden old blue and white run-down row boat?

There is a finite methodology to the order of words that spill effortlessly out of your mouth. When it comes to a string of adjectives, when it’s wrong, it can just sound weird to the native speaker. And it’s not just the preference of style or fashion. Since those sentence-diagramming lessons (for those of us that had them) might be blocked out of your memories, here’s a quick refresher.

I present to you…

The Royal Order of Adjectives Fantasticus*

  1. Determiner – articles (e.g., “a” or “an”), possessive pronouns (e.g., “his” or “her”), amount (e.g., “four” or “number of” or “some”)
  2. Opinionated descriptors (e.g. “lovely,” “delicious,” “worn-out,” “hard-working,” or “dreamy”)More