Adjective Order: MCQ Quiz

The Ultimate Adjective Order Challenge

Master the Royal Order of Adjectives with 50 advanced questions. You have 30 minutes!

1. She was wearing a _____ dress.

• beautiful long blue silk
• blue long beautiful silk
• silk beautiful long blue
• long blue beautiful silk

Rule: The correct order is Opinion (beautiful) -> Size (long) -> Color (blue) -> Material (silk).

2. He bought a _____ car.

• German new amazing sports
• amazing new German sports
• new sports amazing German
• sports amazing new German

Rule: The order is Opinion (amazing) -> Age (new) -> Origin (German) -> Purpose (sports).

3. They live in a _____ house.

• charming little old brick
• little charming old brick
• charming little old brick
• brick old little charming

Rule: The correct sequence is Opinion (charming) -> Size (little) -> Age (old) -> Material (brick).

4. The museum had a _____ display.

• collection of several small ancient Egyptian artefacts
• collection of several small ancient Egyptian artefacts
• small ancient Egyptian several collection of artefacts
• Egyptian ancient small several collection of artefacts

Rule: This question tests adjectives within a noun phrase. The order of adjectives modifying 'artefacts' should be Determiner (several) -> Size (small) -> Age (ancient) -> Origin (Egyptian). The full phrase is correct as written.

5. She lost her _____ purse.

• black small square leather
• small square black leather
• leather black small square
• small square black leather

Rule: The proper order is Size (small) -> Shape (square) -> Color (black) -> Material (leather).

6. He sat on a _____ stool.

• comfortable old round wooden
• round wooden old comfortable
• old comfortable round wooden
• wooden comfortable old round

Rule: The sequence should be Opinion (comfortable) -> Age (old) -> Shape (round) -> Material (wooden).

7. The chef prepared some _____ pasta.

• delicious Italian handmade
• handmade delicious Italian
• Italian handmade delicious
• delicious handmade Italian

Rule: This is tricky. 'Handmade' can be seen as a quality/opinion or a process (related to origin). Standard order places Opinion (delicious) first, then 'handmade' (describing process/quality), then Origin (Italian).

8. It was a _____ day.

• long hot summer
• summer hot long
• hot long summer
• long hot summer

Rule: Here, 'summer' acts like a noun adjective or origin/type. The typical order would be Size/Length (long) -> Observation/Condition (hot) -> Type (summer).

9. He bought his wife a _____ ring.

• stunning antique diamond engagement
• diamond stunning antique engagement
• antique engagement stunning diamond
• engagement stunning antique diamond

Rule: The correct order is Opinion (stunning) -> Age (antique) -> Material (diamond) -> Purpose (engagement).

10. I love those _____ boots.

• leather big old brown hiking
• old big brown leather hiking
• big old brown leather hiking
• hiking brown old big leather

Rule: The order is Size (big) -> Age (old) -> Color (brown) -> Material (leather) -> Purpose (hiking).

11. We saw a _____ film.

• black-and-white boring French old
• boring old French black-and-white
• French old boring black-and-white
• boring old black-and-white French

Rule: 'Black-and-white' is a color. The order is Opinion (boring) -> Age (old) -> Color (black-and-white) -> Origin (French).

12. She baked a _____ cake for his birthday.

• huge delicious round chocolate
• delicious round huge chocolate
• delicious huge round chocolate
• chocolate delicious huge round

Rule: The order is Opinion (delicious) -> Size (huge) -> Shape (round) -> Material/Type (chocolate).

13. The _____ man was waiting for the bus.

• tired young tall
• tired tall young
• tall young tired
• young tired tall

Rule: This is tricky as 'tired' is a condition (opinion/observation). The common order is Observation (tired) -> Size/Dimension (tall) -> Age (young).

14. He was carrying a _____ bag.

• heavy old black plastic shopping
• heavy old black plastic shopping
• shopping old black heavy plastic
• black plastic heavy old shopping

Rule: The correct order is Size/Weight (heavy) -> Age (old) -> Color (black) -> Material (plastic) -> Purpose (shopping).

15. My grandmother knitted me a _____ sweater.

• woollen warm ugly oversized
• ugly warm oversized woollen
• warm oversized ugly woollen
• ugly oversized warm woollen

Rule: The order is Opinion (ugly) -> Size (oversized) -> Condition/Quality (warm) -> Material (woollen).

16. The knight wielded a _____ sword.

• fearsome long ancient steel
• long ancient fearsome steel
• steel ancient long fearsome
• ancient fearsome steel long

Rule: The correct sequence is Opinion (fearsome) -> Size (long) -> Age (ancient) -> Material (steel).

17. They found a _____ box buried in the garden.

• small decaying wooden rectangular
• decaying small rectangular wooden
• rectangular wooden small decaying
• decaying small rectangular wooden

Rule: 'Decaying' is a condition or quality, which often comes after opinion but before size. So, Observation/Condition (decaying) -> Size (small) -> Shape (rectangular) -> Material (wooden).

18. She served the soup in _____ bowls.

• several lovely deep white ceramic
• lovely deep several white ceramic
• deep white several lovely ceramic
• ceramic lovely deep several white

Rule: The order begins with the Determiner (several), followed by Opinion (lovely) -> Size/Dimension (deep) -> Color (white) -> Material (ceramic).

19. We stayed in a _____ hotel.

• five-star modern luxurious
• luxurious modern five-star
• modern luxurious five-star
• luxurious modern five-star

Rule: 'Five-star' acts as a classifier or type. The standard order is Opinion (luxurious) -> Age/Style (modern) -> Type (five-star).

20. He told a _____ story.

• long fascinating personal
• fascinating personal long
• fascinating long personal
• personal long fascinating

Rule: 'Personal' acts like an origin or type. The order is Opinion (fascinating) -> Size/Length (long) -> Origin/Type (personal).

21. The artist used _____ paint.

• thick vibrant oil
• vibrant thick oil
• oil vibrant thick
• vibrant thick oil

Rule: 'Vibrant' is a quality (Opinion/Observation). 'Thick' is a physical quality (related to Size/Shape). 'Oil' is the type (Material). The order is Observation (vibrant) -> Physical Quality/Size (thick) -> Type (oil).

22. They decorated the room with _____ balloons.

• round huge colourful
• huge round colourful
• colourful huge round
• huge colourful round

Rule: The standard order is Size (huge) -> Shape (round) -> Color (colourful).

23. She wore a _____ scarf.

• gorgeous long red cashmere
• long red gorgeous cashmere
• gorgeous long red cashmere
• cashmere gorgeous long red

Rule: The correct sequence is Opinion (gorgeous) -> Size (long) -> Color (red) -> Material (cashmere).

24. He drove a _____ truck.

• big old rusty American
• rusty American old big
• American big old rusty
• old rusty big American

Rule: The order is Size (big) -> Age (old) -> Condition/Observation (rusty) -> Origin (American). Note that condition often fits between age and color/origin.

25. It was a _____ building.

• stone massive strange historic
• strange massive historic stone
• massive strange historic stone
• historic strange massive stone

Rule: The correct order is Opinion (strange) -> Size (massive) -> Age/Type (historic) -> Material (stone).

26. We need a _____ container for these chemicals.

• large cylindrical protective glass
• protective large cylindrical glass
• large cylindrical protective glass
• glass large protective cylindrical

Rule: This is complex. 'Protective' can be a purpose or an opinion. Generally, we follow Size (large) -> Shape (cylindrical) -> Opinion/Quality (protective) -> Material (glass).

27. She has _____ hair.

• beautiful long black curly
• beautiful long curly black
• long curly beautiful black
• black beautiful long curly

Rule: 'Curly' is a shape. The order is Opinion (beautiful) -> Size (long) -> Shape (curly) -> Color (black).

28. The room was filled with _____ smoke.

• grey thick unpleasant
• thick unpleasant grey
• unpleasant thick grey
• unpleasant grey thick

Rule: The correct order is Opinion (unpleasant) -> Size/Dimension (thick) -> Color (grey).

29. He bought her _____ flowers.

• a dozen beautiful red long-stemmed
• beautiful a dozen long-stemmed red
• a dozen beautiful long-stemmed red
• red long-stemmed a dozen beautiful

Rule: The determiner phrase 'a dozen' comes first. Then, Opinion (beautiful) -> Shape/Size (long-stemmed) -> Color (red).

30. This is a _____ problem.

• serious complex financial
• financial complex serious
• complex serious financial
• serious financial complex

Rule: 'Financial' acts as a type or origin. The order is Opinion/Observation (serious) -> Quality (complex) -> Type (financial).

31. They discovered a _____ creature.

• tiny bizarre four-legged
• bizarre four-legged tiny
• bizarre tiny four-legged
• four-legged bizarre tiny

Rule: 'Four-legged' is a physical quality/shape. The order is Opinion (bizarre) -> Size (tiny) -> Shape/Physical Quality (four-legged).

32. He is a _____ student.

• hardworking young medical
• young medical hardworking
• medical hardworking young
• hardworking medical young

Rule: 'Medical' is the purpose/type. The order is Opinion/Quality (hardworking) -> Age (young) -> Purpose (medical).

33. That _____ dog won't stop barking.

• brown little annoying
• annoying little brown
• little annoying brown
• brown annoying little

Rule: The correct sequence is Opinion (annoying) -> Size (little) -> Color (brown).

34. She put the flowers in a _____ vase.

• tall elegant Chinese porcelain
• elegant porcelain tall Chinese
• elegant tall Chinese porcelain
• Chinese porcelain elegant tall

Rule: The order is Opinion (elegant) -> Size (tall) -> Origin (Chinese) -> Material (porcelain).

35. He wore a _____ shirt to the interview.

• crisp new white cotton
• new crisp white cotton
• crisp new white cotton
• cotton white crisp new

Rule: 'Crisp' is a condition/quality (observation). The order is Observation (crisp) -> Age (new) -> Color (white) -> Material (cotton).

36. The _____ car sped down the highway.

• sleek red Italian sports
• Italian sports sleek red
• red sleek Italian sports
• sleek red Italian sports

Rule: The sequence is Opinion/Shape (sleek) -> Color (red) -> Origin (Italian) -> Purpose (sports).

37. We walked along a _____ path.

• cobblestone narrow winding
• narrow winding cobblestone
• winding narrow cobblestone
• winding cobblestone narrow

Rule: 'Winding' is a shape, 'narrow' is a size/dimension, 'cobblestone' is the material. The order is Shape (winding) -> Size (narrow) -> Material (cobblestone).

38. She bought a _____ table.

• lovely antique round mahogany dining
• round mahogany lovely antique dining
• antique dining lovely round mahogany
• dining lovely antique round mahogany

Rule: The correct order is Opinion (lovely) -> Age (antique) -> Shape (round) -> Material (mahogany) -> Purpose (dining).

39. The lawyer presented a _____ argument.

• long brilliant legal
• legal brilliant long
• brilliant long legal
• brilliant legal long

Rule: 'Legal' is the type/origin. The order is Opinion (brilliant) -> Size/Length (long) -> Type (legal).

40. The child was holding a _____ balloon.

• single big bright red
• big single bright red
• bright red single big
• red single big bright

Rule: 'Single' acts as a number/determiner. The order is Determiner (single) -> Size (big) -> Observation/Color (bright red).

41. I need _____ shoes.

• some comfortable black leather running
• running some comfortable black leather
• some comfortable black leather running
• leather comfortable some black running

Rule: The sequence is Determiner (some) -> Opinion (comfortable) -> Color (black) -> Material (leather) -> Purpose (running).

42. He built a _____ fence.

• sturdy five-foot wooden
• five-foot wooden sturdy
• wooden sturdy five-foot
• sturdy wooden five-foot

Rule: 'Five-foot' is a measurement of size. The order is Opinion/Quality (sturdy) -> Size (five-foot) -> Material (wooden).

43. It was a _____ performance.

• two-hour brilliant theatrical
• brilliant two-hour theatrical
• theatrical brilliant two-hour
• brilliant theatrical two-hour

Rule: 'Two-hour' specifies length/size. 'Theatrical' is the type/origin. The order is Opinion (brilliant) -> Size (two-hour) -> Type (theatrical).

44. She inherited a _____ necklace.

• pearl priceless antique
• antique priceless pearl
• priceless antique pearl
• priceless pearl antique

Rule: 'Pearl' is the material. The order is Opinion (priceless) -> Age (antique) -> Material (pearl).

45. This _____ document needs to be handled with care.

• old fragile historical
• historical fragile old
• fragile old historical
• fragile historical old

Rule: 'Fragile' is a quality/condition (observation). 'Historical' is the type. The order is Observation (fragile) -> Age (old) -> Type (historical).

46. He's looking for a _____ job.

• new well-paying administrative
• well-paying new administrative
• well-paying new administrative
• administrative new well-paying

Rule: 'Well-paying' is a quality (Opinion/Observation). 'Administrative' is the type/purpose. The order is Observation (well-paying) -> Age (new) -> Type (administrative).

47. The bakery sells _____ bread.

• delicious fresh-baked French
• French fresh-baked delicious
• fresh-baked delicious French
• delicious French fresh-baked

Rule: 'Fresh-baked' is a quality/age. The order is Opinion (delicious) -> Age/Condition (fresh-baked) -> Origin (French).

48. The child has _____ eyes.

• big beautiful round blue
• beautiful big round blue
• round blue beautiful big
• blue beautiful big round

Rule: This is a classic test. While opinion usually comes first, sometimes size is more integral to the description. However, the most standard order is Opinion (beautiful) -> Size (big) -> Shape (round) -> Color (blue). Let's make the correct answer fit the standard rule. Option B is better.

48. The child has _____ eyes.

• big beautiful round blue
• beautiful big round blue
• round blue beautiful big
• blue beautiful big round

Rule: The standard Royal Order of Adjectives is Opinion (beautiful) -> Size (big) -> Shape (round) -> Color (blue).

49. She gave him a _____ look.

• quick sharp disapproving
• quick, sharp, disapproving
• disapproving quick sharp
• sharp disapproving quick

Rule: 'Quick', 'sharp', and 'disapproving' are all coordinate adjectives (adjectives of opinion/quality). They are of equal rank and can be rearranged and joined by 'and'. Therefore, they should be separated by commas.

50. We need to buy _____ for the project.

• two long thin metal rods
• long thin two metal rods
• metal two long thin rods
• thin long two metal rods

Rule: The number ('two') acts as a determiner and comes first. The subsequent order is Size (long) -> Shape/Dimension (thin) -> Material (metal).

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