Noun Groups and Adjective Order — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 5 adjectives & adverbs worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 5 · English · Adjectives & AdverbsNoun Groups and Adjective Order — Answers
Part A: Find the noun group
A noun group is a main noun plus the words that describe it, such as a tiny brown mouse. Write the noun group at the start of each sentence, then circle its main noun.
Answer: A tiny brown mouse
- The main noun is mouse.
Answer: Two shiny silver keys
- The main noun is keys.
Answer: An enormous old oak tree
- The main noun is tree. Oak tells us what kind of tree.
Answer: The friendly young vet
- The main noun is vet.
Part B: Choose the usual order
When we use more than one adjective, they usually go in this order: number → opinion → size → age → shape → pattern or shade (such as striped or red) → material → noun. Circle the noun group that sounds right.
- Aa red big ball
- Ba big red ball
Answer: a big red ball
Size (big) comes before words like red.
- Aan old lovely house
- Ba lovely old house
Answer: a lovely old house
Opinion (lovely) comes before age (old).
- Aa wooden small box
- Ba small wooden box
Answer: a small wooden box
Size (small) comes before what something is made of (wooden).
- Athree huge new buses
- Bhuge three new buses
Answer: three huge new buses
Number words (three) come first.
- Aa round blue plate
- Ba blue round plate
Answer: a round blue plate
Shape (round) comes before words like blue.
- Aa cotton striped shirt
- Ba striped cotton shirt
Answer: a striped cotton shirt
Pattern (striped) comes before what something is made of (cotton).
Part C: Put the adjectives in order
Write the adjectives in the usual order to complete each noun group.
Answer: beautiful old
Opinion before age: a beautiful old castle.
Answer: black leather
Words like black come before material: black leather boots.
Answer: two heavy
Number first: two heavy boxes.
Answer: clever young
Opinion before age: a clever young dog.
Answer: small round wooden
Size, then shape, then material: a small round wooden table.
Answer: huge yellow
Size before words like yellow: a huge yellow kite.
Part D: Build a noun group
Make each noun group more interesting by adding adjectives. Check that they are in the usual order.
Answer: the shiny new bike
- Any two adjectives in the usual order are correct, such as the rusty old bike.
Answer: a warm new jacket
- Any two adjectives in the usual order are correct, such as a big green jacket.
Answer: the fierce old green dragon
- Any three adjectives in the usual order are correct, such as the scary enormous green dragon.
Part E: Your turn
Model answer: Lost: a small blue canvas backpack. Inside it are two old library books and a shiny new water bottle. Please return it to the friendly young teacher in Room 4.
Success criteria:
- At least three noun groups
- Each noun group has two or more adjectives
- Adjectives in the usual order
- Noun groups underlined
- Complete sentences
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.