Adjective Order Exercises: 20 Fun & Effective ESL Activities

Getting the adjective order right can be tricky for ESL learners. It often feels natural to native speakers, but for students, putting words like big, old, wooden, and beautiful in the right sequence can be confusing.

This post is here to help you change that. You’ll find 20 well-structured adjective order exercises designed to move your students from guessing to confidently applying the correct order in everyday sentences.

Each activity focuses on a specific skill—from sorting and identifying adjective types, to rewriting jumbled phrases, describing real-life objects, and writing short creative texts using proper adjective order.

These exercises are ideal for both classroom use and independent study. They’re practical, engaging, and ready to use—no extra prep required.

Whether you’re working with beginners just learning about adjectives or more advanced students ready for creative writing challenges, there’s something here for every level.

Understanding Adjective Order in English

In English, we often use more than one adjective to describe a noun. But we can’t just put them in any order. Native speakers naturally follow a pattern.

Think of adjective order like a recipe. Each type of adjective has its place. Here’s the basic order most English speakers follow:

1. Opinion → 2. Size → 3. Age → 4. Shape → 5. Color → 6. Origin → 7. Material → 8. Purpose → Noun

***TIP to remember the sequence: OSAShCOMP

Example Sentence with 8 Adjectives:

“She bought a lovely small old round red Italian wooden cooking table.”

Let’s break it down by category:

1. Opinion: lovely
2. Size: small
3. Age: old
4. Shape: round
5. Color: red
6. Origin: Italian
7. Material: wooden
8. Purpose: cooking
9. Noun: table

Important Note: You don’t have to use all of them in a single sentence. I mean who does that? But when you use two or more, it’s important to follow this order.

Common Adjectives and Examples

Here’s a table to help your students understand how different adjectives work in the right order:

Adjective(s)	Type	Example Sentence
beautiful	Opinion	She wore a beautiful dress.
large	Size	We sat at a large table.
old	Age	He has an old bicycle.
round	Shape	I found a round mirror.
red	Color	She painted her nails red.
French	Origin	I bought a French perfume.
wooden	Material	We sat on a wooden bench.
sleeping (as in sleeping bag)	Purpose	I need a sleeping bag.
lovely small	Opinion + Size	She has a lovely small puppy.
big old	Size + Age	They live in a big old house.
tall thin	Size + Shape	I saw a tall thin man at the station.
shiny silver	Appearance + Color	He gave her a shiny silver ring.
handmade Italian leather	Origin + Material	I want a handmade Italian leather wallet.
warm woolen	Purpose + Material	She wore a warm woolen scarf.
strange little ancient	Opinion + Size + Age	We found a strange little ancient statue.

Also see Exercises on:
1. Adjective Phrases
2. Adjective Clauses
3. Adjectives and Adverbs
4. Gradable and Non-gradable Adjectives

Exercise 1: Color First or Shape First?

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Look at each group of adjectives. Choose the correct order based on common adjective rules. Write the correct phrase next to each item.

1. a (round / red) ball → ____________________
2. a (blue / big) car → ____________________
3. a (square / green) table → ____________________
4. a (yellow / small) box → ____________________
5. a (long / black) coat → ____________________
6. a (white / fluffy) pillow → ____________________
7. a (thin / brown) book → ____________________
8. a (tall / grey) building → ____________________
9. a (fat / orange) cat → ____________________
10. a (pink / short) dress → ____________________
11. a (tiny / purple) flower → ____________________
12. a (oval / golden) mirror → ____________________
13. a (flat / silver) tray → ____________________
14. a (wide / green) bench → ____________________
15. a (curved / bronze) statue → ____________________

Exercise 2: Choose the Right Order!

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Each sentence has two options. Circle the one with the correct adjective order.

1. I bought a beautiful small French lamp.
   I bought a French small beautiful lamp.
2. She wore a long red silk scarf.
   She wore a silk long red scarf.
3. They have a modern large white sofa.
   They have a white large modern sofa.
4. He gave me a tiny old Spanish coin.
   He gave me a Spanish old tiny coin.
5. We saw a scary big plastic spider.
   We saw a plastic big scary spider.
6. She has a shiny black leather bag.
   She has a leather shiny black bag.
7. I bought a cute little blue notebook.
   I bought a blue cute little notebook.
8. That’s a delicious round chocolate cake.
   That’s a chocolate round delicious cake.
9. He found an ancient small bronze statue.
   He found a small ancient bronze statue.
10. We sat on a long wooden narrow bench.
    We sat on a narrow wooden long bench.
11. She brought a tiny sweet red apple.
    She brought a red sweet tiny apple.
12. He drove a fast new red sports car.
    He drove a red new fast sports car.
13. I saw a huge scary old house.
    I saw an old huge scary house.
14. They rode a beautiful strong white horse.
    They rode a strong white beautiful horse.
15. I painted a lovely square blue frame.
    I painted a blue lovely square frame.

Exercise 3: Mix and Match the Perfect Phrase

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Draw a line to match each adjective phrase on the left with the correct noun on the right.

Adjective Phrase	Noun
1. a beautiful long silk	→ dress
2. an old wooden	→ table
3. a tiny silver	→ ring
4. a large black leather	→ sofa
5. a small green	→ plant
6. a cute little	→ puppy
7. a modern white	→ chair
8. a round golden	→ clock
9. a scary big old	→ house
10. a fluffy yellow	→ pillow
11. a fast red	→ car
12. a narrow long	→ street
13. a wide silver	→ tray
14. a soft blue wool	→ sweater
15. a delicious round chocolate	→ cake

Exercise 4: Circle the Correct Adjective Order

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Each sentence contains three adjectives. One adjective is out of order. Circle the adjective that should be moved to make the sentence correct.

1. He bought a leather old black jacket.
2. I saw a wooden lovely round table.
3. She has a Spanish red small fan.
4. They live in a beautiful big modern house.
5. I wore a red tight cotton shirt.
6. He found a plastic large scary toy.
7. We rode a white young fast horse.
8. I made a homemade tasty little pie.
9. She held a soft purple tiny bear.
10. We admired a golden ancient big statue.
11. They sat on a blue long soft cushion.
12. He painted a green large flat board.
13. I fixed a metal small rusty lock.
14. She chose a cotton blue old curtain.
15. He cleaned a glass dirty large window.

Exercise 5: What’s Wrong with This Sentence?

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Each sentence has adjectives in the wrong order. Rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. I want a metal small round tray.
2. She has a wool red soft scarf.
3. They bought a Italian lovely small vase.
4. He drives a sports new fast car.
5. I saw a wooden heavy big table.
6. She wore a pink long silk dress.
7. He ate a plastic huge fake burger.
8. We found a dusty square old box.
9. They saw a giant yellow angry bird.
10. He wore a cotton white clean shirt.
11. I touched a stone cold smooth rock.
12. She hugged a fluffy brown tiny dog.
13. They used a broken plastic red cup.
14. We saw an ancient golden small coin.
15. He drew a square blue perfect frame.

Exercise 6: Build Your Own Description

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Choose 3–4 adjectives from the box below to describe each noun. Write a full phrase using the correct adjective order.

Adjective Box:
tiny, red, beautiful, wooden, old, square, lovely, plastic, modern, new, small, tasty, shiny, black, round

Nouns:

1. box → ______________________________
2. house → ______________________________
3. bag → ______________________________
4. table → ______________________________
5. cake → ______________________________
6. car → ______________________________
7. chair → ______________________________
8. picture → ______________________________
9. mirror → ______________________________
10. phone → ______________________________
11. window → ______________________________
12. ring → ______________________________
13. flower → ______________________________
14. door → ______________________________
15. fan → ______________________________

Exercise 7: Put the Adjectives in Order

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Reorder the adjectives in each group. Follow the correct adjective order to write the phrase.

1. beautiful / blue / small → ______________________________
2. leather / old / brown → ______________________________
3. Spanish / large / amazing → ______________________________
4. metal / heavy / round → ______________________________
5. soft / lovely / white → ______________________________
6. cotton / clean / red → ______________________________
7. broken / square / wooden → ______________________________
8. modern / stylish / black → ______________________________
9. fluffy / tiny / pink → ______________________________
10. delicious / big / chocolate → ______________________________
11. short / angry / green → ______________________________
12. long / blue / silk → ______________________________
13. comfortable / wide / new → ______________________________
14. silver / ancient / thin → ______________________________
15. fast / red / new → ______________________________

Exercise 8: Spot the Adjective Mess

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Some adjective orders in the sentences below are wrong. Rewrite each sentence correctly.

1. I found a golden small round coin.
2. They built a modern huge beautiful hotel.
3. She picked a red tiny lovely flower.
4. He wears a sports black cool jacket.
5. They sat on a blue narrow old bench.
6. She painted a square clean white wall.
7. We admired a silk long green scarf.
8. I need a cotton soft white pillow.
9. He cooked a spicy delicious big meal.
10. She opened a wooden brown small box.
11. He cleaned a plastic dirty large tray.
12. I saw a thin ancient silver plate.
13. He drew a strange scary big face.
14. She wore a wool grey warm sweater.
15. They designed a smart metal small robot.

Exercise 9: Complete the Description

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Complete each sentence using 2–3 adjectives in the correct order. Use ideas from your own imagination or from the box.

Adjective Ideas: old, new, red, shiny, wooden, square, soft, tasty, huge, strange, white, black, comfortable, little, French

1. I bought a _________________________ chair.
2. She wore a _________________________ dress.
3. We found a _________________________ box.
4. He opened a _________________________ window.
5. I saw a _________________________ bird.
6. She brought a _________________________ cake.
7. They entered a _________________________ house.
8. He wore a _________________________ jacket.
9. She picked a _________________________ flower.
10. We admired a _________________________ painting.
11. I used a _________________________ towel.
12. They carried a _________________________ bag.
13. He touched a _________________________ stone.
14. She drank from a _________________________ cup.
15. I bought a _________________________ phone.

Exercise 10: This or That? Choose the Better Sentence

Level: Beginner

Instructions:
Choose the sentence with the correct adjective order. Write A or B next to each number.

1. → ___

A. She gave me a round small green apple.
B. She gave me a small round green apple.

2. → ___

A. He bought an amazing Italian big car.
B. He bought an amazing big Italian car.

3. → ___

A. They saw a plastic large ugly frog.
B. They saw a large ugly plastic frog.

4. → ___

A. I love your new stylish white shoes.
B. I love your white stylish new shoes.

5. → ___

A. She made a chocolate delicious round cake.
B. She made a delicious round chocolate cake.

6. → ___

A. He built a metal small round box.
B. He built a small round metal box.

7. → ___

A. They cleaned a brown wooden old table.
B. They cleaned an old brown wooden table.

8. → ___

A. She wore a silk long red dress.
B. She wore a long red silk dress.

9. → ___

A. He painted a scary strange black monster.
B. He painted a strange scary black monster.

10. → ___

A. I saw a lovely little pink flower.
B. I saw a little lovely pink flower.

11. → ___

A. That’s an ancient bronze small statue.
B. That’s a small ancient bronze statue.

12. → ___

A. She opened a clean cotton white napkin.
B. She opened a clean white cotton napkin.

13. → ___

A. He gave me a fast new red car.
B. He gave me a new fast red car.

14. → ___

A. We stayed in a quiet beautiful French village.
B. We stayed in a beautiful quiet French village. → ___

15. → ___

A. He has a smart small digital camera.
B. He has a small smart digital camera.

Exercise 11: Describing a Lost Item

Level: Intermediate

Instructions:
Your friend lost something. Use 3–5 adjectives in the correct order to describe the item clearly. Choose from the box if needed.

Adjective Ideas: small, black, shiny, leather, old, new, square, heavy, blue, plastic, soft, cotton, digital, silver, broken

1. a wallet → ______________________________
2. a phone → ______________________________
3. a bag → ______________________________
4. a key → ______________________________
5. a notebook → ______________________________
6. a camera → ______________________________
7. a watch → ______________________________
8. a scarf → ______________________________
9. a pen → ______________________________
10. a pair of sunglasses → ______________________________
11. a USB drive → ______________________________
12. a jacket → ______________________________
13. a pair of shoes → ______________________________
14. an umbrella → ______________________________
15. a lunch box → ______________________________

Exercise 12: Fix the Sentence – Adjective Edition

Level: Intermediate

Instructions:
Each sentence below has an incorrect adjective order. Rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. I saw a leather small black wallet.
2. She wore a red cotton nice dress.
3. They made a wooden old round table.
4. He gave me a metal shiny silver ring.
5. She brought a white soft large blanket.
6. I found an ancient small bronze statue.
7. He took a new stylish digital photo.
8. We saw a scary big grey monster.
9. I used a clean cotton white towel.
10. He built a wooden big brown chair.
11. She opened a round plastic small box.
12. I bought a red fast new car.
13. They designed a smart small metal robot.
14. He picked a beautiful yellow tiny flower.
15. She held a heavy thick English book.

Exercise 13: Tell Me What You See

Level: Intermediate

Instructions:
Look around you or imagine a place. Write 2–3 full sentences using 3 or more adjectives in the correct order in each.

Try to describe:

1. A street
2. A room
3. A park
4. A person
5. A food item
6. A bag
7. A house
8. A book
9. A tree
10. A car
11. A phone
12. A dress
13. A mountain
14. A picture
15. A toy

Example:
“I see a beautiful small wooden house with red windows.”
“I see a tall dark green tree near the road.”

Exercise 14: Describe These People

Level: Intermediate

Instructions:
Read each name and imagine the person. Use at least 3 adjectives in the correct order to describe each one.

Example:
Anna → a young tall American woman
Tom → a cheerful short old man

Now you try:

1. Lily → ______________________________
2. Mr. Khan → ______________________________
3. Mei Lin → ______________________________
4. Alex → ______________________________
5. Grandma Ruby → ______________________________
6. Priya → ______________________________
7. Ahmed → ______________________________
8. Sam → ______________________________
9. Lucy → ______________________________
10. Teacher John → ______________________________
11. Father George → ______________________________
12. Hana → ______________________________
13. Junaid → ______________________________
14. Aunt Sally → ______________________________
15. Diego → ______________________________

Exercise 15: Adjective Race! (Time Challenge)

Level: Intermediate

Instructions:
Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write as many adjective+noun phrases as you can using at least 3 adjectives in correct order each time.

Use these nouns to get started:

• table
• hat
• pen
• phone
• car
• dress
• cake
• room
• dog
• picture
• coat
• statue
• toy
• bag
• chair

Example:
A small blue plastic chair
A delicious big chocolate cake

Try to beat your personal record!

Exercise 16: Reorder the Sentence Puzzle

Instructions:
Each sentence has jumbled adjectives. Rewrite the sentence with the adjectives in the correct order.

1. She carried a metal small old box.
2. He bought a red new fast car.
3. I saw a scary tall green monster.
4. They painted a wooden large round table.
5. She wore a silk elegant long blue dress.
6. We need a cotton clean white towel.
7. He drew a beautiful big colorful bird.
8. She found a broken tiny black watch.
9. I received a plastic shiny pink gift.
10. They built a brick strong small wall.
11. He found a golden small antique ring.
12. She wants a wooden modern large bed.
13. I touched a rough heavy brown rock.
14. He showed me a round silver small coin.
15. They planted a tall old fruit tree.

Exercise 17: Adjective Hunt in a Short Paragraph

Instructions:
Read the paragraph. Underline or highlight all the adjectives. Then rewrite the key phrases using the correct adjective order if needed.

Paragraph:
Yesterday, I found a leather old black bag near the train station. Inside it, there was a shiny small blue phone, a plastic round white container, and a thick big notebook. A worried young woman came running, looking for something. She had a red long silk scarf and carried a cotton beautiful white umbrella.

Your Task:

1. List all the adjectives.
2. Identify incorrect orders.
3. Rewrite the corrected phrases (minimum 5).

Now do the same for these 4 mini-paragraphs:

3. Paragraph about a classroom
4. Paragraph about a restaurant
5. Paragraph about a busy street
6. Paragraph about a toy store

Exercise 18: Creative Object Descriptions

Instructions:
Use your imagination! You’ll be given a noun and a setting. Describe the object with at least 4 adjectives in the correct order.

Example:
Noun: pen, Setting: on a king’s desk
→ a shiny long golden writing pen

Now try these:

1. sword / in a museum
2. bag / in a detective’s office
3. coat / in a winter forest
4. chair / in a spaceship
5. watch / in a luxury store
6. ring / on a pirate ship
7. painting / in a haunted house
8. glasses / in a scientist’s lab
9. hat / at a royal wedding
10. book / in an old library
11. shoes / at a fashion show
12. cup / in a medieval castle
13. scarf / at a mountain peak
14. photo frame / on a fireplace
15. phone / in a time travel machine

Exercise 19: Write a Room Description

Instructions:
Describe the following rooms using rich details and at least 5 adjective-noun combinations per room. Use adjectives in the correct order.

Rooms:

1. A teenager’s messy bedroom
2. A small classroom
3. A cozy living room
4. A luxury hotel suite
5. A mountain cabin
6. A doctor’s office
7. A beach house
8. A spaceship control room
9. A traditional kitchen
10. A school library
11. A child’s playroom
12. A magician’s study
13. A crowded restaurant
14. A clean laboratory
15. A detective’s office

Example:
“The small wooden table stood beside a dusty old leather chair.”

Exercise 20: Combine and Rewrite

Instructions:
You will see two or three short sentences about the same object. Combine them into one sentence using the correct adjective order.

Example:
The book is old. The book is thick. The book is red.
→ It’s a thick old red book.

1. The bag is blue. It’s large. It’s leather.
2. He has a small car. It’s red. It’s Japanese.
3. She wore a dress. It’s long and green. It’s silk.
4. I want a watch. It’s golden and new. It’s digital.
5. He saw a monster. It was huge. It was grey. It was scary.
6. We found a table. It’s round. It’s heavy. It’s wooden.
7. She bought a phone. It’s white and shiny. It’s plastic.
8. The box is square. It’s old. It’s iron.
9. I lost a notebook. It’s thick. It’s black. It’s leather.
10. She found a dress. It’s elegant. It’s blue. It’s long.
11. The man wore a hat. It’s strange. It’s round. It’s woolen.
12. He gave me a key. It’s tiny. It’s golden. It’s old.
13. They need a car. It’s strong. It’s fast. It’s German.
14. I saw a dog. It’s small. It’s cute. It’s white.
15. She picked a flower. It’s beautiful. It’s small. It’s pink.

Final Thoughts on Teaching Adjective Order

Mastering adjective order takes time, but with consistent practice, your students will start to feel more natural and confident using multiple adjectives together.

The exercises in this post are designed to support that journey—step by step. From simple sorting tasks to creative writing, they build both understanding and fluency.

You don’t need fancy tools or complicated grammar explanations. Just keep using hands-on activities like these, and you’ll see real improvement in how your students describe things in English.

Use these exercises in class, assign them as homework, or turn them into fun games. However you use them, they’ll make your lessons more focused and your students more accurate.

Looking for more? Be sure to check out our other practical ESL grammar resources!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is adjective order in English?
Adjective order refers to the specific sequence in which adjectives appear before a noun, such as “a beautiful old Italian vase.”

2. Why do ESL students struggle with adjective order?
Because the order feels natural to native speakers but isn’t always taught clearly, and direct translation from a student’s first language often causes confusion.

3. What’s the basic rule for adjective order?
The most common order is: Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose → Noun.

4. Can we skip some adjectives in the order?
Yes. You don’t need to use every category. Just follow the order when using two or more adjectives.

5. Is it wrong if the order is mixed up?
It’s not always grammatically wrong, but it can sound unnatural or awkward to native speakers.

6. How many adjectives can I use in one sentence?
Usually, 2–3 adjectives are enough. More than that can confuse the reader or listener.

7. How do I explain adjective types to beginners?
Use simple examples and group adjectives by type with clear visuals or real objects for demonstration.

8. Are there exceptions to adjective order?
There are a few, especially with set phrases or stylistic choices, but the standard order works in most situations.

9. Can students memorize the whole order?
Yes, but it’s better to use repeated practice and examples rather than memorization alone.

10. What’s the best way to practice adjective order?
Use fun, varied exercises like those in this post—sorting, rewriting, describing, and correcting sentences.