Name:

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Being Descriptive

Write the adjectives and nouns in the correct category.

Categories

Opinion
Size
age shape/style color/pattern nationality material * noun

modifier
beautiful
big


American

big

old

checkered
new

pink

striped

solid (color)

Italian

long-sleeved

tight

button-down

nice

plastic

long

polka dotted

baggy
denim

wool

sports (car)

shiny

plain

casual cotton

Japanese

black

30 year old
short

leather

formal

desk (lamp)

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Adjective Order
! You can put more than one adjective before a noun (often two and
occasionally three). These adjectives go in the order in the chart above.
Ex. a leather brown bag --> a brown leather bag.
! Opinion adjectives, e.g. beautiful, nice, lovely, usually go before fact adjectives,
e.g. big, old, round.

Modified from New English File

OUP




* Noun modifiers
A desk lamp.

Noun modifier: desk

A short-sleeved t-shirt.
Noun modifier: short-sleeved

A floor lamp.

Noun modifier: floor

A long-sleeved t-shirt.
Noun modifier: long-sleeved

These are not strict rules. They are guidelines for how you can make your English
sound the most like a native speaker.

Opinion, size, and age are flexible with their positions. The word you say first has
more emphasis.

! A big beautiful house./ A beautiful big house.
! An old rusty car./ A rusty old car.
! An ugly old shirt./ An old ugly shirt.

Circle the correct sentence.

1. Hes wearing a tight pink shirt./ Hes wearing a pink tight shirt.
2. Hes wearing a white fashionable belt./ Hes wearing a fashionable white belt.
3. She has a black leather jacket./ She has a leather black jacket.



Are the following sentences correct? Write a check next to the sentence if its
right; correct the sentence if its wrong.
1. Sarahs wearing a denim short skirt.
a short denim skirt .
2. Im looking for a sleeveless pink T-shirt.
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3. I want to buy some leather white trousers.
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4. My sisters bought some trendy purple glasses.
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5. He gave his mother a checkered silk scarf for her birthday.
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6. My bosss wife was wearing a beautiful red dress.
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7. You cant wear those scruffy old jeans to the wedding.
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Fashion Show: Describe what the people are wearing in the following pictures. Try
to be as descriptive as possible.




He is wearing a new, red, cotton hoodie with the word athletic
written on the sleeve. Under the hoodie, he is wearing a bright,
white collared t-shirt.
(hoodie/ hooded sweatshirt; collared shirt)







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(skirt; sun dress)


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(Choose one or write about all three!)

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