Direct link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/DstMaa-7SV8
Explanations + Extra Practice Activities
🌟 Adjective Order in English
When we use two or more adjectives before a noun, English usually follows a particular order.
For example:
❌ a red big car
✅ a big red car
❌ an Italian old restaurant
✅ an old Italian restaurant
The good news is that you don’t need to memorize a complicated grammar rule every time you speak. The OSAShCOMP rule gives you a useful guide.
🧩 The OSAShCOMP Rule
O → S → A → Sh → C → O → M → P → N
| Letter | Category | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| O | 🗣️ Opinion | beautiful, ugly, boring, wonderful |
| S | 📏 Size | big, small, large, tiny |
| A | 🎂 Age | old, young, new, ancient |
| Sh | 🔵 Shape | round, square, rectangular |
| C | 🎨 Color | red, blue, black, white |
| O | 🌎 Origin | Italian, Canadian, Japanese |
| M | 🧱 Material | wooden, leather, metal, plastic |
| P | 🎯 Purpose / Type | running, coffee, tennis, medical |
| N | 📦 Noun | car, bag, table, shoes |
💡 Example
a beautiful small old round red Italian leather handbag
Let’s break it down:
beautiful → Opinion
small → Size
old → Age
round → Shape
red → Color
Italian → Origin
leather → Material
handbag → Noun
You probably wouldn’t use this many adjectives in everyday conversation, but it shows how the system works.
⭐ 4 Easy Tips to Remember
You don’t have to memorize every part of OSAShCOMP. These four shortcuts can help you get the order right most of the time.
⭐ Tip #1: Size → Color → Origin
If you have adjectives describing size, color, and origin, remember:
SIZE → COLOR → ORIGIN → NOUN
For example:
✅ a big black Chinese vase
✅ a small red Italian car
✅ a large white Canadian house
✅ a tiny blue French box
Not:
❌ a black big Chinese vase
❌ an Italian red small car
Think:
📏 How big? → 🎨 What color? → 🌎 Where from?
⭐ Tip #2: Opinion before Fact
An adjective that expresses your opinion or personal judgment usually comes before adjectives that give more factual information.
OPINION → FACT
For example:
✅ a beautiful old house
✅ a delicious Italian meal
✅ a boring long meeting
✅ a wonderful young teacher
Think:
💭 What do I think? → 🔎 What is it like?
This is a very useful shortcut because we often give our overall impression before giving details.
⭐ Tip #3: Origin before Material
When you have both an origin and a material, the origin normally comes first:
🌎 ORIGIN → MATERIAL → NOUN
For example:
✅ an Italian leather bag
✅ a Chinese silk scarf
✅ a Japanese wooden box
✅ a French cotton shirt
Not:
❌ a leather Italian bag
❌ a wooden Japanese box
Think:
🌎 Where is it from? → 🧱 What is it made of?
⭐ Tip #4: The Purpose/Type stays with the Noun
The final modifier often tells us what type of thing it is or what it is used for.
It stays very close to the noun:
🎯 TYPE / PURPOSE → NOUN
For example:
- coffee mug
- tennis racket
- school bus
- running shoes
- swimming pool
- fishing boat
- medical equipment
- digital camera
Notice that these words are not all grammatically the same.
coffee, tennis, and school are nouns being used as modifiers:
coffee + mug
tennis + racket
school + bus
running, swimming, and fishing are -ing forms functioning as modifiers:
running + shoes
swimming + pool
fishing + boat
And words such as medical and digital are adjectives:
medical + equipment
digital + camera
For adjective order, they all have something important in common:
🎯 They tell us the type or purpose and stay close to the noun.
🧠 Put It All Together
Here’s a longer example:
a beautiful old Italian leather handbag
beautiful → 🗣️ Opinion
old → 🎂 Age
Italian → 🌎 Origin
leather → 🧱 Material
handbag → 📦 Noun
Another example:
a beautiful big black Italian leather handbag
beautiful → Opinion
big → Size
black → Color
Italian → Origin
leather → Material
handbag → Noun
And:
a classic old American muscle car
classic → Opinion / evaluation
old → Age
American → Origin
muscle car → Type + Noun
Here, muscle is actually a noun being used as a modifier. It tells us what type of car it is.
⚠️ Remember: OSAShCOMP Is a Guide, Not a Perfect Formula
Native speakers don’t always follow OSAShCOMP in a rigid way.
Adjective order can change depending on meaning, emphasis, context, and whether words form a fixed expression or compound noun.
So don’t worry about getting every combination perfect.
The most useful thing is to remember the general pattern:
🗣️ Opinion → 📏 Size → 🎂 Age → 🔵 Shape → 🎨 Color → 🌎 Origin → 🧱 Material → 🎯 Type/Purpose → 📦 Noun
And if you forget everything else, remember these four shortcuts:
⭐ The 4 Survival Tips
1️⃣ Size → Color → Origin
2️⃣ Opinion before Fact
3️⃣ Origin before Material
4️⃣ Purpose/Type stays with the Noun
These simple ideas will help you put adjectives in the right order and sound more natural in English.
Extra Practice Activities
🧠 Adjective Order Quiz
Choose the correct answer.
1. Which sentence is correct?
A. a red big car
B. a big red car
C. a red Italian big car
D. an Italian big red car
✅ Answer: B. a big red car
2. Which sentence follows Opinion → Fact?
A. an old beautiful house
B. a beautiful old house
C. an old large beautiful house
D. a large old beautiful house
✅ Answer: B. a beautiful old house
3. Which is correct?
A. a leather Italian bag
B. an Italian leather bag
C. a bag Italian leather
D. a leather bag Italian
✅ Answer: B. an Italian leather bag
4. Which follows Size → Color → Origin?
A. a Chinese black small vase
B. a black small Chinese vase
C. a small black Chinese vase
D. a Chinese small black vase
✅ Answer: C. a small black Chinese vase
5. Which is most natural?
A. a beautiful Italian leather bag
B. a leather beautiful Italian bag
C. an Italian beautiful leather bag
D. a leather Italian beautiful bag
✅ Answer: A. a beautiful Italian leather bag
6. Which keeps the Type/Purpose next to the noun?
A. a tennis expensive racket
B. an expensive tennis racket
C. a racket expensive tennis
D. a racket tennis expensive
✅ Answer: B. an expensive tennis racket
7. Which is correct?
A. a black big Italian car
B. an Italian big black car
C. a big black Italian car
D. a black Italian big car
✅ Answer: C. a big black Italian car
8. Which follows Opinion → Age → Origin → Material → Noun?
A. a beautiful old Italian leather bag
B. an old beautiful Italian leather bag
C. a beautiful Italian old leather bag
D. a leather beautiful old Italian bag
✅ Answer: A. a beautiful old Italian leather bag
9. Which sounds most natural?
A. an American old classic muscle car
B. an old American classic muscle car
C. a classic old American muscle car
D. a muscle classic old American car
✅ Answer: C. a classic old American muscle car
10. Which is the best example of Purpose/Type staying with the noun?
A. a beautiful running shoe
B. a running beautiful shoe
C. a shoe beautiful running
D. a beautiful shoe running
✅ Answer: A. a beautiful running shoe
⭐ The 4 Shortcuts
1️⃣ Size → Color → Origin
📏 big → 🎨 red → 🌎 Italian
2️⃣ Opinion before Fact
💭 beautiful → 📋 old
3️⃣ Origin before Material
🌎 Italian → 🧱 leather
4️⃣ Purpose/Type stays with the Noun
🎯 running → 👟 shoes
🧩 OSAShCOMP
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose/Type → Noun
🧩 Adjective Order — Extra Practice
🟢 Activity 1: Put the adjectives in the correct order
Rearrange the words to make a natural phrase.
1.
red / big / car
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a big red car
2.
Italian / beautiful / old / house
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a beautiful old Italian house
3.
leather / black / expensive / jacket
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: an expensive black leather jacket
4.
Chinese / small / red / box
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a small red Chinese box
5.
wooden / beautiful / old / table
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a beautiful old wooden table
6.
French / large / white / dog
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a large white French dog
7.
American / classic / old / car
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a classic old American car
8.
blue / tiny / Japanese / vase
👉 __________________________
✅ Answer: a tiny blue Japanese vase
🔴 Activity 2: Find the Mistake
Each sentence has a problem with adjective order. Rewrite it correctly.
1.
❌ I bought a red big umbrella.
👉 __________________________
✅ I bought a big red umbrella.
2.
❌ She lives in an Italian beautiful house.
👉 __________________________
✅ She lives in a beautiful Italian house.
3.
❌ He bought a leather expensive jacket.
👉 __________________________
✅ He bought an expensive leather jacket.
4.
❌ We saw a Chinese small restaurant.
👉 __________________________
✅ We saw a small Chinese restaurant.
5.
❌ She bought a wooden French table.
👉 __________________________
✅ She bought a French wooden table.
🟡 Activity 3: Choose the Correct Phrase
1.
A. a black big dog
B. a big black dog
✅ Answer: B. a big black dog
2.
A. an Italian leather expensive bag
B. an expensive Italian leather bag
✅ Answer: B. an expensive Italian leather bag
3.
A. a small red Japanese car
B. a Japanese red small car
✅ Answer: A. a small red Japanese car
4.
A. a beautiful old French painting
B. an old beautiful French painting
✅ Answer: A. a beautiful old French painting
5.
A. a Chinese wooden beautiful box
B. a beautiful Chinese wooden box
✅ Answer: B. a beautiful Chinese wooden box
🔵 Activity 4: Complete the Sentence
Choose the adjectives that make the most natural sentence.
1.
I bought a ________ car.
big / red / Italian
👉 I bought a __________________________.
✅ Answer: big red Italian car
2.
She has a ________ handbag.
beautiful / black / leather
👉 She has a __________________________.
✅ Answer: beautiful black leather handbag
3.
We stayed in a ________ hotel.
beautiful / old / French
👉 We stayed in a __________________________.
✅ Answer: beautiful old French hotel
4.
He bought a ________ table.
large / round / wooden
👉 He bought a __________________________.
✅ Answer: large round wooden table
5.
She found a ________ box.
tiny / blue / Japanese
👉 She found a __________________________.
✅ Answer: tiny blue Japanese box
🟣 Activity 5: Which Rule?
Which of the four tips helps explain each sentence?
1.
✅ a big black Chinese vase
A. Opinion before Fact
B. Size → Color → Origin
C. Origin before Material
D. Purpose stays with the noun
✅ Answer: B — Size → Color → Origin
2.
✅ a beautiful old house
A. Opinion before Fact
B. Size → Color → Origin
C. Origin before Material
D. Purpose stays with the noun
✅ Answer: A — Opinion before Fact
3.
✅ an Italian leather bag
A. Opinion before Fact
B. Size → Color → Origin
C. Origin before Material
D. Purpose stays with the noun
✅ Answer: C — Origin before Material
4.
✅ an expensive tennis racket
A. Opinion before Fact
B. Size → Color → Origin
C. Origin before Material
D. Purpose/Type stays with the noun
✅ Answer: D — Purpose/Type stays with the noun
🟠 Activity 6: Build the Phrase
Start with the noun and add the adjectives in the correct order.
Example:
Noun: car
Adjectives: Italian / red / beautiful / old
➡️ a beautiful old red Italian car
Now try:
1.
Noun: house
Adjectives: Canadian / large / beautiful / old
➡️ __________________________
✅ a beautiful large old Canadian house
2.
Noun: bag
Adjectives: leather / black / expensive
➡️ __________________________
✅ an expensive black leather bag
3.
Noun: table
Adjectives: wooden / round / old / beautiful
➡️ __________________________
✅ a beautiful old round wooden table
4.
Noun: car
Adjectives: American / black / big / classic
➡️ __________________________
✅ a classic big black American car
⭐ Activity 7: The Survival Trio
Remember:
SIZE → COLOR → ORIGIN
Put the words in the correct order.
1.
French / small / blue
✅ small blue French
2.
Chinese / large / red
✅ large red Chinese
3.
Italian / tiny / black
✅ tiny black Italian
4.
Canadian / big / white
✅ big white Canadian
5.
Japanese / small / green
✅ small green Japanese
🏆 Challenge: Can You Get All 8?
Put all the words in the most natural order:
beautiful / small / old / round / red / Italian / wooden / table
👉 __________________________________________
✅ Answer:
a beautiful small old round red Italian wooden table
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Noun
beautiful → small → old → round → red → Italian → wooden → table
💡 Don’t worry if this sounds like too many adjectives. In real life, we usually use only two or three. The point is to understand the pattern so that shorter combinations feel natural.