ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

There is a tendency of using more than one adjective in a single sentence describing a single entity (noun or
pronoun).When this happens, one needs to follow the proper order of adjective.There is an order which has to be
followed. Here is the order:

i. DETERMINERS
Determiners are adjectives which show that the speaker has made a decision on a certain action.

Types of determiners
Quantity adjectives: one, two, three, all, some, many, much., any, several, few, a few, little, a little, no,
enough
Distributive adjectives: each, every, both, neither, either
Interrogative adjectives: which, what, whose
Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those
Possessive adjectives: my, our, your, his, her, its, their
Articles: a, an, the

ii. OPINION (GENERAL)

The speaker shows his or her opinion on his or her description to a noun. For example, if one says, “He
bought a beautiful house,” what is beautiful to one person cannot be beautiful to everyone. The speaker is
just expressing his opinion on the appearance of the house. Some more adjectives: happy, interesting,
dangerous …

iii. SIZE
Examples of adjectives of size are long, small, big, large, huge etc. Adjectives of weight also fall under the
adjectives of size e.g. heavy and light.

iv. AGE
Examples of adjectives of age are old, new, young, ancient, three-year-old, …

v. SHAPE
Examples of adjectives of shape are rectangular, oval, triangular, circular,…..

vi. COLOUR
Examples of adjectives of colour are white, red, blue, green, black,…

vii. ORIGIN
This group of adjectives show where someone or something comes from. For example,“He met a Malawian
girl.” “A Malawian girl” comes from Malawi. Other adjectives are Ngoni, Lomwe, Blantyre, Mitundu,…

viii. MATERIAL (NOUN)

This group of adjectives shows the material the noun was made of. For example, “She bought a cotton
blouse.” This means that the blouse was made of material called cotton. Other adjectives are silk, polyester,
plastic, leather,…

ix. USE (PURPOSE OR CLASSIFYING)

This group shows the use of the noun. For example, “He bought a tennis ball.” This means the ball is used
for playing tennis only, do not play it using the foot. Other adjectives are social, political, party,…..

x. NOUN (ITEM)
This is now the noun that is being described when using all the adjectives above. For example, “She bought
a beautiful small rectangular green house.” All the five adjectives which are in a correct order are
describing the noun “house”. Other nouns are horse, spear, stool, book,…

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The nine adjectives which are used to qualify the noun can be memorised by forming an acronym. The acronym is
DOSASCOMUN. In other books there is a participle between C and O. With the presence of P between C and O,
the new acronym is DOSASCPOMUN.

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES EXERCISE 1 WITH ANSWERS

Using the words in brackets to fill the following gaps by arranging them in the proper order of adjectives:
1. Gog lost her _________ring (diamond/ very / beautiful)
 very beautiful diamond
2. He bought his wife some ______sandals ( green /leather /new /Bata )
 new green Bata leather
3. Geofrey knew that he had to face up to his ______responsibilities ( moral / heavy / new )
 heavy new moral
4. Wezzie said she had bought a _______scarf as a present (brand new / beautiful /silk)
 beautiful brand-new silk
5. In the National Museum, we particularly admire a _____spear (Ngoni / strong / large /black)
 strong large black Ngoni

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES EXERCISE 2 WITH ANSWERS

1. We wanted ______________________ (grey / a / metal) table.
We wanted a grey metal table.
2. They bought _______________________ (red / a / new) car.
They bought a new red car.
3. She went home and sat on _______________________ (comfortable / her / wooden / old) bed.
She went home and sat on her comfortable old wooden bed.
4. He bought ______________________ (woollen / a / British / fabulous) suit.
He bought a fabulous British woollen suit.
5. They have ______________________ (Dutch / black) bicycles.
They have black Dutch bicycles.
6. He wants ________________________ (some / French / delicious / really) cheese.
He wants some really delicious French cheese.
7. ___________________ (young / a / pretty) girl walked into the room.
A pretty young girl walked into the room
8. He has ____________________ (a lot of / old / interesting) books.
He has a lot of interesting old books.
9. She bought _______________________ (plastic / red / a / new) plastic lunchbox.
She bought a new red plastic lunchbox.
10. He is looking for ______________________ (leather / stylish / a /black) bag.
He is looking for a stylish black leather bag.
11. She dropped ______________________ (old / beautiful / the) plate and it smashed.
She dropped the beautiful old plate and it smashed.
12. I want ________________________ (silk / green / an / amazing) dress.
I want an amazing green silk dress.
13. She drank ______________________ (Italian / black / hot) coffee.
She drank hot black Italian coffee.
14. He saw _______________________ (French / writing / old / an) desk.
He saw an old French writing desk.
15. They stayed in _____________________ (little / a / cute) cottage.
They stayed in a cute little cottage
16. I visited ____________________________ (ancient / a / spooky / German) castle.
I visited a spooky ancient German castle.
17. He has __________________________ (silver / old / beautiful / a) ring.
He has a beautiful old silver ring.
18. We ate ___________________________ (green / English / round / some) apples.
We ate some round green English apples.

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19. I need ________________________ (computer / comfortable / a) desk.
I need a comfortable computer desk.
20. They went on holiday to ___________________ (small / wooden / a / beautiful) cabin.
They went on holiday to a beautiful small wooden cabin

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES EXERCISE 3 WITH ANSWERS

1. She counted _____________trucks going by her window.
a. three large red
b. large three red
c. three red large
2. I packed my _____________suitcase and loaded it in the car.
a. flowered old big
b. flowered big old
c. big old flowered
3. In the field, I saw ____________flowers.
a. many pink small
b. many small pink
c. small many pink
4. For the holiday dinner, my grandmother served a _______turkey.
a. huge golden-brown roasted
b. huge roasted golden-brown
c. golden-brown roasted huge
5. We opened the basket and saw_____________ kittens inside.
a. orange striped tiny
b. tiny orange striped
c. striped orange tiny
7. Jack’s favorite toy is a ____________ ball.
a. round big red
b. big red round
c. big round red
8. I opened the gym bag and found a____________ towel.
a. big smelly green
b. big green smelly
c. smelly big green
9. On her birthday, Maria received___________ presents.
a. several beautiful large
b. large beautiful several
c. several large beautiful
10. On her breakfast plate, Ella saw several slices of __________ toast.
a. delicious French golden
b. delicious golden French
c. French delicious golden
11.I am going to wear my ________ tie to the wedding.
a. big cotton blue
b. blue big cotton
c. big blue cotton
12. She packed her clothes in a ________ box.
a. green flimsy cardboard
b. flimsy green cardboard
c. cardboard flimsy green
13. Their dog is a ________ shepherd.
a. brown big German
b. big brown German
c. German big brown
14. I am drinking from a ________ cup.
a. small English tea

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 b. tea small English
c. English small tea
15. My ________ teacher talks for hours!
a. philosophy old boring
b. old philosophy boring
c. boring philosophy old
d. boring old philosophy
16. I remember receiving _______book.
a. a tattered old French
b. an old French tattered
c. a French old tattered
d. an old tattered French
17. I found Sambani reading _________ story.
a. a new detective intriguing
b. an intriguing new detective
c. a detective new intriguing
d. an intriguing detective new

2001 -2009 MSCE

1) An engineer has ordered_________ equipment for All African Games.
A. special outside broadcasting
B. special broadcasting outside
C. outside special broadcasting
D. outside broadcasting special
2) The school should buy a ________ machine.
A. modern, large, duplicating
B. duplicating, large, modern
C. large, duplicating, modern
D. large, modern, duplicating
3) As a teacher, we must use ________ materials.
A. new, interesting, teaching
B. interesting, teaching, new
C. new, teaching, interesting
D. interesting, new, teaching
4) The state television has bought________ transmitters.
A. special outside broadcasting
B. special broadcasting outside
C. outside special broadcasting
D. outside broadcasting special
5) The government has lauched a __________ project.
A. national, one billion kwacha, fish farming
B. one billion kwacha, national, fish farming
C. one billion kwacha, fish farming, national
D. fish farming, one billion kwacha, national
6) This wall is strong, its foundation was paved by _______ concrete.
A. small, stone, granite
B. small, granite, stone
C. granite, small stone
D. granite, stone, small
7) The electricity company is constructing another ________from Ndakwera to Ntayamanja.
A. high voltage, power line, transmission
B. transmission, high voltage, power line
C. power line, transmission, high voltage
D. high voltage, transmission, power line
8) The lady was given a ______ wrist watch.

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 A. small, silver, Swedish
B. small, Swedish, silver
C. Swedish, small, silver
D. silver, small, Swedish
9) The man is wearing a ______ jacket.
A. beautiful, leather, brown
B. brown, beautiful, leather
C. beautiful, brown, leather
D. leather, beautiful, brown
10) The second hand clothes dealer sells ______coats.
A. many, black, old
B. many, old, black
C. black, many, old
D. old, many, black
11) They have bought a _____ car.
12) Chitedze has a ______ tooth.
13) My sister bought a____ belt.
14) Sekanawo saw_______ spear at the museum.
15) I like buying ______ tomatoes.
16) She bought ______ mangoes.
17) They proposed Nachisale’s name because of her_______ face.
18) I saw Yusuf buying an _______ ring.

2010 MSCE
1) She has bought ________chairs.
A. several purple broken
B. purple several broken
C. purple broken several
D. broken several purple
2) Show them our ______ teaspoon.
A. old beautiful little
B. Little old beautiful
C. old broken beautiful
D. beautiful little old
3) The baobab is an _______ tree.
A. interesting huge African
B. African interesting huge
C. African huge interesting
D. interesting African huge

2011 MSCE
4) It was _______________moment.
A. a long unbelievable embarrassing
B. an embarrassing unbelievable long
C. a long embarrassing unbelievable
D. an unbelievable long embarrassing
5) They published the story of the ________ writer.
A. young creative Malawian
B. Malawian young creative
C. creative young Malawian
D. Malawian creative young
6) Thoko found the bull in a __________ field.
A. vast rectangular grazing
B. grazing vast rectangular
C. rectangular vast grazing

Griffin Theu of Chaminade Sec Sch 2022-2023 Production

 D. vast grazing rectangular

2012 MSCE
7) The old man was treated by a ______doctor.
A. young sympathetic Malawian medical
B. sympathetic young Malawian medical
C. Malawian young sympathetic medical
D. young medical Malawian sympathetic
8) Nabanda is always in her ______dressing.
A. Chewa ancient good traditional
B. good ancient Chewa traditional
C. ancient good traditional Chewa
D. good Chewa traditional ancient
9) The white man managed to beat _______ drum.
A. several leather locally-made
B. locally-made several leather
C. several locally-made leather
D. leather locally-made several

2013 MSCE
10) My sister owns a ___________cottage at the lake.
A. green grass-roofed magnificent
B. grass-roofed green magnificent
C. magnificent green grass-roofed
D. magnificent grass-roofed green
11) Many people came to watch the ______ dances.
A. modern colourful traditional
B. colourful modern traditional
C. traditional colourful modern
D. colourful traditional modern
12) This is an ______ piece of music.
A. African entertaining contemporary
B. entertaining African contemporary
C. entertaining contemporary African
D. African contemporary entertaining

2014 MSCE
13) That vendor sold a ______ luggage to my mother.
A. travelling fine Indian leather
B. Indian travelling leather fine
C. fine leather Indian travelling
D. fine Indian leather travelling
14) Her _______ blouse has been stolen.
A. cheap small white cotton
B. small cheap white cotton
C. cotton cheap small white
D. small cheap cotton white
15) Mrs. Gang’a is proud of her ________ machine.
A. modern black grinding
B. grinding black modern
C. black modern grinding
D. grinding modern black

2015 MSCE

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 16) Chitedze has a _______tooth.
A. shiny front silver-plated
B. front shiny silver-plated
C. front silver-plated shiny
D. shiny silver-plated front
17) My sister bought a ________belt.
A. brown new leather
B. new brown leather
C. leather brown new
D. new leather brown
18) As we approached the border, we saw ________bridge lying in the river.
A. an old broken wooden
B. a broken wooden old
C. a broken old wooden
D. an old wooden broken

2016 MSCE
19) The plans to construct _________hall.
A. a spacious assembly magnificent
B. an assembly spacious magnificent
C. a spacious magnificent assembly
D. a magnificent spacious assembly
20) The potter is selling _________ pots for decoration.
A. earthen oval green modern
B. modern oval green earthen
C. green earthen modern oval
D. oval earthen modern green
21) Our team wore ______ jerseys.
A. red over-sized football Chinese
B. red Chinese over-sized football
C. over-sized red Chinese football
D. Chinese red over-sized football

2017 MSCE
22) The artist is a ________ woman.
A. dark Zambian tall young
B. tall dark young Zambian
C. Zambian dark young tall
D. tall young dark Zambian
23) He carried _____ bags.
A. many heavy stripped shopping
B. many stripped heavy shopping
C. stripped heavy shopping many
D. heavy many shopping stripped
24) We demanded for the _______dancers.
A. best Malawian vimbuza
B. best vimbuza Malawian
C. vimbuza Malawian best
D. Malawian best vimbuza

2018 MSCE
25) On her birthday, Chiyanjano was given several _____portraits.
A. beautiful big multi-coloured family
B. big multi-coloured beautiful family
C. big family beautiful multi-coloured

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 D. beautiful multi-coloured family big
26) The school has bought _________ tables.
A. brown small wooden dining
B. small brown dining wooden
C. dining small brown wooden
D. small brown wooden dining
27) The Reserve Bank has introduced _____coins.
A. new hexagonal small silver
B. small silver new hexagonal
C. new small silver hexagonal
D. small new hexagonal silver

2020 (A) MSCE

28) Student admired a _______ hut when they visited the museum.
A. large traditional Lhomwe
B. Lhomwe large traditional
C. traditional Lhomwe large
D. Lhomwe traditional large
29) Lumbani lost her ______ring.
A. diamond very beautiful engagement
B. very beautiful engagement diamond
C. diamond engagement very beautiful
D. very beautiful diamond engagement
30) The teacher is writing on a _____chalkboard.
A. big black classroom
B. black big classroom
C. classroom black big
D. classroom big black
31) Our teacher has bought _______textbook.
A. a new beautiful interesting
B. an interesting beautiful new
C. a new interesting beautiful
D. an interesting new beautiful

2020 (B) MSCE

32) She has lost a __________ blanket.
A. costly thick multi-coloured woolen
B. thick costly multi-coloured woolen
C. multi-coloured costly thick woolen
D. costly multi-coloured thick woolen
33) Chikondi is wearing ________earrings.
A. silver new oblong shiny
B. shiny oblong new silver
C. shiny new oblong silver
D. silver oblong new shiny
34) My _______ horse has broken its leg.
A. brown strong racing
B. strong brown racing
C. racing strong brown
D. strong racing brown
35) He has married a _____ lady.
A. nice young petite Japanese
B. petite nice Japanese young
C. petite Japanese nice young
D. nice petite young Japanese

Griffin Theu of Chaminade Sec Sch 2022-2023 Production

 2021 MSCE
36) They are carrying ______coins.
A. small, silver, old, round
B. old, silver, small, round
C. small, round, old, silver
D. small, old, round, silver
37) The artist is a _____ man.
A. handsome, tall, young, Japanese
B. tall, handsome, young, Japanese
C. Japanese, tall, handsome, young
D. handsome, young, tall, Japanese
38) Karonga is well known for _____cuisine.
A. delicious, traditional, Ngonde
B. traditional, delicious, Ngonde
C. Ngonde, delicious, traditional
D. traditional Ngonde, delicious
39) She managed to carry ______ bags.
A. many, heavy, travelling
B. many, travelling, heavy
C. heavy, many, travelling
D. travelling, many, heavy

2022 MSCE
40) Bring that ______ basin to me.
A. big black rectangular
B. black big rectangular
C. rectangular big black
D. big rectangular black
41) The meeting was chaired by ________ chief.
A. a wise African old
B. a wise old African
C. an African old wise
D. an old African wise
42) The students chose ______boy as their prefect.
A. a talkative short Malawian
B. a short talkative Malawian
C. a talkative Malawian short
D. a short Malawian talkative
43) The teacher wore a _____ pair of shoes.
A. white flat beautiful wooden
B. modern beautiful white flat
C. beautiful modern flat white
D. flat beautiful white modern

Griffin Theu of Chaminade Sec Sch 2022-2023 Production