Putting modifiers in order
Did you ever wonder why the Beach Boys sang about the Little Old Lady from Pasadena, and not the Old Little Lady from Pasadena? Have you ever sat in a comfortable brown leather recliner, or do you prefer leather brown comfortable recliners?
Unless you’re not a native English speaker, you’ve probably never given much thought to the order we put adjectives and adverbs in, but there are rules about it. I’ve never thought about it either, until I read this article by Ruth Walker. According to those who have studied this, the correct order is this:
Opinion :: size :: age :: shape :: color :: origin :: material :: purpose
I don’t think this is a hierarchy that everyone adheres to rigidly at all times. For example, if I wanted to describe a statue as being both unsightly (opinion) and large (size), I think I’d be more likely to call it a big ugly statue than an ugly big statue. But I wouldn’t blink to hear someone else say it the other way around.
Like I said, unless you’re not a native English speaker, this isn’t a rule anyone needed to teach you.
Roy Jacobsen
Post a Comment
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments